Best 9 How To Make Pipian Sauce Recipes

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Pipian sauce, a traditional Mexican sauce, is a flavorful and versatile condiment that adds depth and richness to various dishes. Its distinctive taste comes from a combination of roasted and ground seeds, nuts, and spices, blended with a creamy broth or stock. Pipian sauce is commonly used in enchiladas, tamales, and stews, but it can also be served as a dip or marinade. With its complex and unique flavor profile, it's a beloved ingredient in many Mexican households and restaurants.

Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!

PIPIáN ROJO RECIPE



Pipián Rojo Recipe image

Looks like Mole, right? Well, is it a little similar, but it's actually a pipián rojo, a dish made with dried peppers and seeds. After all these years blogging, I don't know why, I didn't post this recipe before, a classic dish from my hometown... Surprise your family today!

Provided by Mely Martínez

Categories     Main Course     Pork

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 ½ Pork loin (cut into large cubes)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 Ancho peppers, seeded & deveined
2 Guajillo peppers, seeded & deveined
1 chipotle pepper
¼ cup peanuts
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
¼ sesame seeds
1- in cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 allspice berries
1 teaspoon cumin
1 small tomato
1/3 medium white onion
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to season

Steps:

  • Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Once the oil is hot, add the meat, and sear both sides, turning once when the meat gets a light golden color. This step will take about 5 minutes total. Add one cup of water to the saucepan and cover to simmer and cook until the meat is almost fork-tender.
  • While the meat is cooking, let's prepare the sauce. Prepare a medium-size saucepan
  • with 2 cups of water where you are going to be placing all the toasted ingredients. Toast the peppers over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds per side. Place in the saucepan.
  • Lightly toast the seeds in a skillet or frying pan. We'll start with the larger seeds: first the peanuts, then the pumpkin seeds and finally the sesame seeds. Toasting the peanuts will take about 1-1/2 minutes, afterward remove and place in a bowl. Toast the pumpkin seeds, being careful not to burn them. Once they start to get a golden color, they will begin to jump; use a wooden spatula to stir. This step is a very quick one, and the same process applies to the sesame seeds that will be roasted in a matter of seconds. Place roasted seeds in the bowl with the water.
  • Now, slightly roast cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves and allspice berries. Place them in the bowl with water once toasted.
  • Finally, roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic, turning occasionally to obtain an even roasting. Place in the bowl with the water.
  • Place the bowl's contents in the saucepan over a medium-high heat and cook for about 8 minutes; set aside to let the ingredients soften.
  • Check the meat for doneness, and add more water if needed.
  • Place all the sauce's ingredients in your blender pitcher and process until you have a smooth and robust sauce. Do not process it for a long period of time, just enough to blend the ingredients.
  • Pour the sauce into a large skillet and turn up the heat to medium-high and slowly cook the sauce. Add the pieces of meat and stir occasionally. Keep cooking for about 10 minutes. The fats will float over the surface by now. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little chicken broth or water. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 4 oz, Calories 328 kcal, Carbohydrate 13 g, Protein 30 g, Fat 18 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Cholesterol 71 mg, Sodium 502 mg, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 5 g

CHICKEN PEPIAN



Chicken Pepian image

Provided by Ellie Krieger

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 pound fresh tomatillos
1 large poblano pepper (about 2 1/2 to 3 ounces), seeded and cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
5 peppercorns
2 whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 cup for garnish
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium (2-inch) jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
Lime wedges

Steps:

  • Preheat the broiler. Remove papery outer layer from tomatillos then rinse them in warm water to remove some of their natural stickiness. Pat dry, then cut into quarters. Toss tomatillos and poblano with 2 teaspoons of the oil, place on a baking sheet and broil until charred, about 10 minutes.
  • Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds, peppercorns, allspice, and cumin and toast until pumpkin seeds are fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  • In same saute pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  • Place tomatillos, poblano, onions and garlic, cilantro, chicken broth, jalapeno, toasted seeds and spices and salt in a blender and blend on high until totally smooth, about 30 seconds.
  • Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet and cook the chicken until browned on both sides and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Add pepian sauce to skillet, covering chicken pieces. Bring to a simmer and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken topped with sauce and garnished with cilantro and lime wedges.
  • Excellent source of: Protein, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium
  • Good source of: Fiber, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc

Nutrition Facts : Calories 440, Fat 23 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Cholesterol 95 milligrams, Sodium 400 milligrams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 43 grams

PORK CHOPS IN PIPIAN



Pork Chops in Pipian image

This is a recipe built on my memory of a dish I ate in a sticky-tabled Mexican restaurant in pregentrification Park Slope, Brooklyn: fried pork chops served over a thick, spicy sauce of seeds and nuts and chiles - what the cookbooks and histories of Mexican food call pipian, for the pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, used in its creation. It is hardly authentic, but it is simple to make and hugely delicious. Make sure to get a good hard sear on the pork chops before nestling them into the sauce, then serve with tortillas.

Provided by Sam Sifton

Categories     main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

4 medium-thick pork chops, bone-in or boneless
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil
8 chiles de árbol
3 plum tomatoes
1 small onion, peeled and thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup raw, hulled, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup unsalted peanuts
1/3 cup hulled sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (or 2 allspice berries)
1 canned chipotle pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil, lard or chicken fat
1 cup chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Steps:

  • Make the sauce: Remove the stems from the chiles de árbol, and gently roll the chiles between your fingers to remove the seeds. Discard seeds. Set a bare skillet over high heat for 5 minutes, then add the chiles. Toast until they are darkened and fragrant, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Place them in a bowl, cover with 2 cups boiling or very hot water, and set aside to soak.
  • Return the skillet to high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred, approximately 10 minutes. Put the vegetables on a plate, and set aside to cool, then slip the skins off the cloves of garlic.
  • Return the skillet to medium-low heat. Place the pumpkin seeds, peanuts and sesame seeds in the skillet, and cook, stirring and shaking the pan continuously, until they are toasted and fragrant, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Put the seeds and nuts in a bowl, and stir in the cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
  • Put the chiles and soaking liquid in a blender with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, the nut-seed mixture and the chipotle. Purée until smooth.
  • Add the oil, lard or chicken fat to a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and heat over medium heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the purée. It will sputter a lot. Lower the heat, and stir, cooking the mixture down to a thick paste. It will continue to sputter and pop. Add the broth to the paste, and stir, then season with the salt, sugar and vinegar, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until it resembles a thick, creamy soup. Lower heat to a bare simmer.
  • Make the pork chops: Season the pork chops aggressively with salt and pepper, and dust them with the flour. Add the oil to the skillet, and heat over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Add the chops, and let them cook undisturbed, in batches if necessary, until crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Set them aside to rest for 5 minutes or so. Serve a chop per person on a generous amount of sauce, with tortillas to mop it up. Extra sauce can be used to braise chicken, lamb or more pork, or as a topping for enchiladas.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 795, UnsaturatedFat 37 grams, Carbohydrate 28 grams, Fat 53 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 56 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 1161 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams

BEST PEANUT SAUCE



Best Peanut Sauce image

Easiest peanut sauce for Chinese style cooking

Provided by sal

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes     Sauce Recipes

Time 5m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 6

½ cup crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 drops hot pepper sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup water

Steps:

  • In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, hot pepper sauce and garlic until well mixed. Gradually stir in water until texture is smooth and creamy.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 199.1 calories, Carbohydrate 8.2 g, Fat 16.3 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 8.6 g, SaturatedFat 3.4 g, Sodium 610.7 mg, Sugar 4.2 g

POLLO EN PIPIAN (CHICKEN IN PIPIAN SAUCE)



Pollo en Pipian (Chicken in Pipian Sauce) image

When I lived in Mexico this was one of my favorite dishes.

Provided by Malcolm Colcleugh

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     Latin American     Mexican

Time 1h50m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into parts
3 cups water
2 stalks celery
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
½ cup blanched almonds
⅔ cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
3 guero chile peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
⅓ cup pitted black olives
2 teaspoons capers

Steps:

  • In a large saucepan, combine chicken, water, celery, bay leaf, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is cooked through and tender. Strain, reserving the broth. Skin and bone the chicken; set the meat aside.
  • Toast the sesame seeds lightly in a skillet, stirring constantly, until they are fragrant. In a food processor or blender, puree the sesame seeds and almonds with1 cup of the reserved chicken broth.
  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the blended sesame seed and almond mixture, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in 1 to 2 cups reserved chicken broth and chicken bouillon. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped peppers, olives, capers, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 522.5 calories, Carbohydrate 7.9 g, Cholesterol 127.7 mg, Fat 38.6 g, Fiber 3.3 g, Protein 36.3 g, SaturatedFat 8.9 g, Sodium 794.7 mg, Sugar 1.4 g

CHICKEN IN PIPIAN SAUCE (A TRADITIONAL MEXICAN RECIPE)



Chicken in Pipian Sauce (A Traditional Mexican Recipe) image

Pipián is an earthy, pureed seed sauce that is traditional in Mexican cooking. Often made using pumpkin or squash seeds this recipe uses a few different seeds but you can easily substitue any that you prefer. This recipe is a more modern version of this very typical and grand recipe! I would suggest serving this over or with rice.

Provided by sassafrasnanc

Categories     < 60 Mins

Time 55m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 17

2 whole chickens, cut into parts
6 cups water
2 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
1 onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 celery
2 parsley sprigs
4 teaspoons salt
4 black peppercorns
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup blanched almond
1 tablespoon corn oil or 1 tablespoon lard
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
6 yellow chiles, chopped
3/4 cup olive
2 teaspoons capers

Steps:

  • Cook the chicken with the water, vegetables and seasonings in a large saucepan until tender.
  • Strain, reserving the broth.
  • Skin and bone the chicken, and set aside.
  • To make the sauce, toast the sesame seeds lightly in a skillet, stirring constantly, until they are fragrant.
  • Puree the sesame seeds with the almonds and 2 cups of the chicken broth.
  • Heat oil or lard in a skillet, add the blended sesame-seed-almond mixture, and cook for 5 to 8 min., until thickened.
  • Add 2 to 3 more cups of the broth and chicken bouillon and simmer for 5 more minutes.
  • Add the chiles, olives, capers and chicken.
  • Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 964.8, Fat 73.1, SaturatedFat 17.4, Cholesterol 243.9, Sodium 1639.5, Carbohydrate 12, Fiber 5.2, Sugar 2.4, Protein 65

GREEN PIPIAN



Green Pipian image

This classic Mexican pumpkin seed sauce, also known as green mole, is tangy, herbal and spicy all at the same time. Serve it with poached or pan-cooked chicken breasts, fish (it's very pretty with salmon), or shrimp. You can bathe grilled vegetables with it, or serve it with white beans and steamed or poached vegetables. Hulled untoasted pumpkin seeds are available in many whole foods stores and Mexican markets.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories     dips and spreads, one pot

Time 40m

Yield Makes about 1 3/4 cups

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/2 cup hulled untoasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped, or 2 13-ounce cans, drained
1 serrano chile or 1/2 jalapeño (more to taste), stemmed and roughly chopped
3 romaine lettuce leaves, torn into pieces
1/4 small white onion, coarsely chopped, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, halved, green shoots removed
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon canola or extra virgin olive oil
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

Steps:

  • Heat a heavy Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Wait until you hear one pop, then stir constantly until they have puffed and popped, and smell toasty. They should not get any darker than golden or they will taste bitter. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
  • Place the cooled pumpkin seeds in a blender and add the tomatillos, chiles, lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cover the blender and blend the mixture until smooth, stopping the blender to stir if necessary.
  • Heat the oil in the Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a bit of the pumpkin seed mixture and if it sizzles, add the rest. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. It will splutter, so be careful. Hold the lid of the pot above the pot to shield you and your stove from the splutters. Add the remaining chicken stock, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. For a silkier sauce, blend again in batches.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 176, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 9 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 416 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams

PIPIáN



Pipián image

Pumpkin seeds figure heavily in much Mexican cooking. You can buy them toasted, but toasting them is an easy enough task, and they're arguably better when toasted fresh-especially in lard or oil. (If you'd like to avoid the mess-or the lard-you can also toast the seeds on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven or in a dry skillet as you would sesame seeds, page 596.) Ancho chiles-dried poblanos-are mild and richly flavored. You can use them freely without worrying about overpowering heat. This sauce is best served over something simple, like grilled steak or chicken.

Yield makes about 2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
4 tablespoons lard or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or water
3 or 4 ancho chiles, to taste
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh lime juice to taste

Steps:

  • If the pumpkin seeds you have are already toasted, proceed to step 2. Otherwise, heat 3 tablespoons of the lard in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the pumpkin seeds and cook, shaking and stirring the pan constantly for a minute or two, until the seeds start to puff. (Take care not to overcook the seeds, which will make the sauce bitter; and be prepared for flying seeds popping out of the pan.) Remove the toasted seeds with a slotted spoon and cool. (Discard any blackened seeds.) Meanwhile, warm the stock and soak the chiles in it. When they have softened, after 10 to 15 minutes, remove their stems and seeds; reserve the soaking liquid.
  • Put the seeds in a food processor and process until pasty, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides if necessary. Add the garlic, chiles, and as much of the soaking liquid as you need to process until quite smooth.
  • Turn the heat under the pan back to medium and add the remaining lard or oil. Reheat the sauce with enough liquid to thin to a pleasing consistency, stirring occasionally, until it just boils and thickens slightly. Remove from the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed, then stir in the lime juice; serve hot or at room temperature. (This keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days; bring back to room temperature or reheat before serving and always add the lime juice at the last minute.)
  • In step 2, add 2 tomatoes (preferably peeled and seeded) and 2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled, to the mix; you will need less of the reserved liquid.
  • Omit the lard and toast the pumpkin seeds as you would sesame seeds (page 596). Omit the ancho chiles and puree the toasted seeds with chile powder to taste (about 1 tablespoon), at least 1/4 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or water, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat and add the lime juice.

STRIPED BASS WITH PIPIAN SAUCE



Striped Bass with Pipian Sauce image

From chef Robert Del Grande of Cafe Annie in Houston, this recipe for fish baked in corn husks is one of country singer Clay Walker's favorites. _Pipián_ is a classic Mayan sauce made from pumpkin seeds.

Provided by Robert del Grande

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 large fresh poblano chile*, charred, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped hierba santa leaves** or 1 teaspoon aniseed
8 large corn husks***
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
8 corn tortillas
8 ounces baby spinach
2 cups (lightly packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese
4 striped bass fillets (4 to 6 ounces each)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Steps:

  • Combine poblano chile, pumpkin seeds, broth, cilantro, and hierba santa in blender; puree until smooth.
  • DO AHEAD Can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
  • Soak corn husks in warm water until flexible, at least 1 hour. Drain; pat dry.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, fry corn tortillas until light golden but still soft and pliable, about 30 seconds per side for each. Transfer to paper towels; cool.
  • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in clean large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook spinach until just wilted. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Transfer spinach to sieve. Using back of spoon, press on spinach to remove excess liquid.
  • Place tortillas on work surface. Divide spinach and cheese among tortillas. Roll up tortillas, enclosing filling.
  • Place 2 corn husks in roasting pan, overlapping slightly to form base for fish. Arrange 2 filled tortillas lengthwise and seam side down on corn husks. Place 1 fish fillet over tortillas; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Overlap remaining corn husks in same pan, using 2 for each base; top with filled tortillas and fish; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon butter atop each fillet. Cover pan with foil and bake until fish is just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, transfer sauce to small saucepan. Bring to near boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream; season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust consistency, adding water by tablespoons to thin, if desired.
  • Transfer 1 corn-husk base with fish and tortillas to each of 4 plates. Spoon warm sauce over fish. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
  • *A fresh green chile, often called a pasilla, available at some supermarkets, Latin markets, and specialty foods stores.
  • **An herb from Mexico available at Latin markets.
  • ***Available at many supermarkets and at Latin markets.

Tips:

  • To make the most flavorful pipian sauce, start with high-quality ingredients.
  • Toast the seeds and nuts before grinding them to enhance their flavor.
  • Use a variety of chiles to create a complex flavor profile.
  • Don't be afraid to experiment with different spices and herbs to find your perfect combination.
  • Serve pipian sauce with warm tortillas, rice, or beans.

Conclusion:

Pipian sauce is a delicious and versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes. It's made with a combination of toasted seeds and nuts, chiles, spices, and herbs. The result is a rich, flavorful sauce that's perfect for adding a kick of flavor to your favorite Mexican dishes. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting sauce to try, give pipian sauce a try. You won't be disappointed.

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