25-Minute Pollo Almendrado (Because We're Not Suffering for Dinner)
Listen, a traditional Oaxacan almendrado takes hours. It is a labor of love for Sundays, birthdays, and weddings. But last Tuesday, it was 5:45 PM, the kids were circling the kitchen like hungry sharks, and I needed that deep, nutty comfort now. I looked at my pantry and realized: almond butter. Yes, really. (Please don't tell my tías). By blending a scoop of roasted almond butter with a quick toasted ancho chile, a little tomato paste, and garlic, you get a sauce that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. We pour that magic over seared chicken thighs, and boom—dinner. This recipe is my whole heart because it proves you don't have to sacrifice real flavor for real life. It is Oaxacan soul on a Brooklyn weeknight schedule. Want to make it your own? Pantry Mode: No ancho chiles? A spoonful of chipotle in adobo works beautifully. Bodega Mode: Grab a rotisserie chicken, shred it, and just simmer it in the blender sauce while the rice cooks. Taste the sauce before you add the chicken (always taste!), and add a big squeeze of lime at the end. That little hit of acid wakes the whole pan right up. Ándale, dinner is ready before someone asks for a snack.
Featured Recipe
25-Minute Pollo Almendrado (One-Pan Almond-Ancho Chicken)
This is a Tuesday mole, not a wedding mole. We are taking the deep, nutty, Oaxacan flavors of a traditional almendrado and putting them on a strict Brooklyn timeline. By using a scoop of almond butter and a quick blender salsa, these chicken thighs go from fridge to deeply savory, tender, and rich in under half an hour. We're not suffering for dinner tonight, guys.
Save a copy to your collection for editing
Timeline
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil(Or any neutral oil you cook with)
- 1.5 lbs Boneless skinless chicken thighs(Trimmed of major excess fat)
- 1.5 tsp Kosher salt(Divided use)
- 2 whole Dried ancho chiles(Stemmed, seeded, and torn into large pieces (See notes for Pantry Mode))
- 3 whole Garlic cloves(Peeled and lightly smashed)
- 1 15-oz can Fire-roasted diced tomatoes(Do not drain)
- 1/4 cup Smooth almond butter(Unsweetened. This is our cheat code for instant toasted almond flavor)
- 1/2 cup Chicken broth(Low-sodium)
- 1 tsp Dried Mexican oregano(Rubbed between your palms to release the oils)
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar(Our finishing acid to cut the richness)
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds(For garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs evenly with 1 tsp Kosher salt. Sear them in the hot pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side until they develop a nice golden crust. They absolutely don't need to be cooked through yet—we're just building that savory flavor foundation. Transfer them to a plate.
5 min
Tip: Leave the leftover chicken fat right in the pan. That's liquid gold for toasting our chiles.
- 2
Lower the skillet heat to medium. Toss the torn 2 whole dried ancho chiles and 3 whole garlic cloves right into the warm chicken fat. Toast them for about 45 to 60 seconds, stirring constantly. The chiles will puff slightly and smell incredibly fragrant. If you smell burning, you went too far, ándale!
2 min
Tip: Pull the pan off the heat a few seconds early if your stove runs hot.
- 3
Transfer your beautifully toasted chiles and garlic to a blender. Add 1 15-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup smooth almond butter, 1/2 cup chicken broth, and 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano. Blend on high until completely smooth and velvety.
3 min
Tip: Mom math: Do this while the skillet cools down slightly off the heat so it doesn't splatter aggressively when the sauce hits the pan.
- 4
Pour your blended almendrado sauce back into the skillet. Nestle the partially cooked 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (and any juices that pooled on the plate!) right into the sauce. Bring it to a gentle bubble, lower the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes.
12 min
Tip: The sauce will thicken as it simmers. If it looks too thick like paste, splash in a tantito more broth.
- 5
While the chicken finishes cooking in the sauce, use this time to warm up corn tortillas, slice some avocado, or fluff your rice. Don't stand over the stove watching it bubble—get ahead before someone asks for a snack.
10 min
Tip: Always overlap passive cooking with your side-dish prep.
- 6
Turn off the heat. The chicken should be fork-tender. Stir 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar directly into the sauce. This is the finishing move that wakes up the earthy almonds and chiles! Add the remaining 0.5 tsp Kosher salt if needed. Taste it—then decide. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and serve.
2 min
Tip: Never skip the vinegar at the end. Mole-style sauces need an acid hook to keep them from tasting flat or muddy.
Chef's Notes
Pantry Mode: If you don't have dried anchos, swap them for 1 tablespoon of standard chili powder or a tablespoon of chipotle in adobo if you like heat—but promise me you'll buy dried anchos next time you're at the store. Also, about the almond butter: it is literally just pre-ground toasted almonds. Using it saves you 15 minutes of toasting, cooling, and scraping a food processor. That is flavor logic, not laziness!
María “Mari” Santiago
Oaxacan comfort, Brooklyn shortcuts, weeknight bright.
María “Mari” Santiago was born in Oaxaca, where her earliest kitchen memories are measured in scent: chiles toasting on a comal, cinnamon and chocolate blooming in mole, and the warm, nutty snap of a tlayuda folded in half for the walk home. She learned by watching—first her tías, then her abuela—picking up the small, practical rules that never made it into written recipes: how to tell when the garlic is *just* right, how to rescue a too-spicy salsa, and why you always taste the broth before you add the salt. Now in Brooklyn, Mari cooks the food she grew up on while raising two little kids and juggling real-life time limits. Her style is “real flavor, real life”: traditional Oaxacan and everyday Mexican dishes—moles, caldos, frijoles, enfrijoladas, salsas, and crispy tlayudas—made weeknight-friendly with smart shortcuts, brighter salsas, and more vegetables without losing the soul of the dish. She’s not precious about rules, she’s big on swaps, and she’s on a mission to prove that you can cook deeply flavorful Mexican food with what you can actually find at a normal grocery store (and still get dinner on the table before a meltdown). Mari’s recipes read like a friend texting you from the produce aisle: clear, funny, and unpretentious, with a side of abuela wisdom. If there’s a hard-to-find ingredient, she gives you a realistic alternative, tells you what will change (and what won’t), and keeps the focus where it belongs—on food that tastes like home, even when home is a small Brooklyn kitchen.