Pepián de Pollo (Keto, No Thickeners)
Guatemalan Roasted Spice Chicken Stew (Keto)
Yes, with a tweak: absolutely essential to request *no bread, tortillas, or flour as thickeners* for the sauce. About 14g net carbs per serving, on the higher side for Guatemalan food, so watch the portion.
What it is
A national dish of Guatemala, this rich stew features chicken (or beef) in a complex sauce of roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, chiles, and traditional spices like cinnamon, cloves, and sesame. The keto modification strictly removes all flour/bread/tortilla-based thickeners, allowing the sauce to reduce naturally, and omits all carb sides.
Key ingredients
Chicken (or beef), tomatoes, tomatillos, guaque chiles, pasilla chiles, sesame seeds, pepitas, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, garlic, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper. Keto version served without thickeners and high-carb sides.
How to make it keto
Absolutely essential to request *no bread, tortillas, or flour as thickeners* for the sauce. Ask for the sauce to be reduced naturally. Request no rice, no beans, no tortillas, no potatoes. Ask for a side of sautéed low-carb vegetables.
Watch out for
Traditional thickeners (tortillas, bread, flour) are very high in carbs. Vegetables in the sauce contribute some carbs. Hidden sugars in some ready-made spice pastes. High-carb sides if not omitted.
Macros are estimates for a typical serving and vary by restaurant. Confirm ingredients with staff, especially if you have allergies. Our ingredient lists are generated automatically and describe how a dish is typically made.
More on the Guatemalan menuAll 1,212 Guatemalan dishes ›
