Pollo pibil – Yucatán achiote chicken baked in banana leaves

Name: Pollo pibil – Yucatán achiote chicken baked in banana leaves
Total time: 2 h 21 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 100 g achiote paste; 2 oranges; 2 limes; 3 cloves garlic; 3 ml cumin; 1 tsp mexican oregano; salt, to taste; black pepper, to taste; 1.2 kg chicken legs, leg quarters; 2 banana leaves; 2 tomatoes; ½ yellow onion; 2 red onions, in thin half-moons; 1 habanero, finely chopped; 3 limes, for the onion; 12 corn tortillas

Chicken pieces marinated in achiote paste and sharp citrus juice, wrapped in banana leaves with tomato and onion and baked until the meat comes away from the bone. The everyday sibling of Yucatán's cochinita pibil, eaten with corn tortillas and pickled red onion with habanero. Orange and lime stand in here for the sour oranges used in Yucatán.

2 h 21Time
38 minHands-on
4Portions
≈ $30per portion
790kcal per portion

Ingredients for 4 portions

100 gAchiote paste
2Oranges
2Limes
3 clovesGarlic
3 mlCumin
1 tspMexican oregano
to tasteSalt
to tasteBlack pepper
1.2 kgChicken legs, leg quarters
2Banana leaves
2Tomatoes
½Yellow onion

On the side

2Red onions, in thin half-moons
1Habanero, finely chopped
3Limes, for the onion
12Corn tortillas

Method

Juice the oranges and limes. Blend the juice with the achiote paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper until smooth.
Cut two or three slashes in each chicken piece, put them in a bowl and turn them in the marinade until well coated.
Cover and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 °C. Pass the banana leaves over a gas flame or through a hot, dry frying pan for a few seconds to soften them, then line an ovenproof dish with them.
Make the pickled onion: mix the red onion and habanero with the lime juice and a little salt and leave to stand. Habanero is very hot, so wash your hands afterwards.
Lay the chicken and all its marinade on the leaves, slice the tomatoes and onion and arrange them on top. Fold the leaves over and cover the dish with foil.
Bake for 1 hour, until the chicken is tender and comes away from the bone easily.
Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan and wrap them in a tea towel.
Open the leaves and serve the chicken with its juices, topped with the pickled onion, with the tortillas alongside.

The cost is estimated from average prices in Mexico (PROFECO, Quién es Quién en los Precios (datos abiertos), 2026-07).

Pollo pibil – Yucatán achiote chicken baked in banana leaves

Ingredients for 4 portions

On the side

Method

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