Achiote Chicken Breast (Southwestern Recipe With Green Chile Sauce)

What Is Achiote Chicken?

Achiote chicken is a vibrant, sultry, deeply seasoned chicken dish made with achiote paste, a traditional Latin American marinade built around annatto seeds. It's especially tied to the Yucatán region of Mexico, where bold, earthy flavors meet citrus and smoke. We’ll use achiote paste to make a saucy marinade to make Achiote Chicken.

What is Achiote?

Achiote are seeds that come from the Annatto tree. When are then used to make Achiote paste. An ingredient common in Mexican Cuisine. It’s a very special ingredient that you should take the time seek out and purchase. It’s sold in a vibrant red brick, where annatto seeds are combined with spices such as cumin, oregano, vinegar and citrus and then pressed and packaged. It’s then used to make marinades or rubs. I buy achiote paste packaged in a 3.5 ounce block and we’ll use most of it for this recipe. You can order it from Amazon. Stored properly, it will keep well for use Mexican recipes.

What Does Achiote Taste Like?

I would describe it as “exotic”. Alone, it’s deep, a bit bitter and peppery in a very complex way.

• Once you take achiote paste and combine it with ingredients for a recipe, it’s huge on flavor and perhaps unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. A combination of ground annatto seeds, garlic, bitter orange juice and spices.
• Recipes using Achiote Paste traditionally use a sour orange juice product, which adds a citrusy edge. It doesn't hit you with heat. It's not spicy in the way people expect. More of a gentle warmth that builds in the background.
• And once it cooks, especially with chicken, it mellows out even more. The sharp edges soften, the flavors round out, and you're left with something rich, savory, and just a little smoky depending on how you cook it.

Why This Southwestern Chicken Achiote Works

• A fairly simple recipe, exotic in flavor, with a fancy feel, bone in, skin on chicken breast is marinated in a roasted garlic achiote mixture, then oven roasted crispy on the outside and tender and juicy inside.
• Butter: Roasting chicken breast skin on, bone in, with a pat of butter under the skin, keeps the chicken breast moist and tender with a beautiful crispy skin.
• Achiote chicken is served on a bed of sliced tomatoes and drenched in an achiote seasoned brothy sauce with hints of cinnamon and cloves.
• Served with my New Mexico Green Chile Sauce builds even another layer of Mexican flavors.

Let’s take a look.

This Chicken Achiote calls for Achiote Paste (also known as recado) and Naranja Agria (sour orange juice). My local super market doesn’t carry either of these items, but you can find them at Amazon or at a Mexican Market.

Naranja Agria is a sour orange (a Seville Orange) and its juice is commonly used in Latin American Marinades. Its high acidity works well to tenderize meats. A mix of orange juice and lime juice can be used to closely imitate its flavor. Purchase Naranja Agria from Amazon if you can’t find any locally.

Additional Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 whole head garlic, roasted
• 2 Chicken Breasts, bone in, skin on
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Green Chile Sauce
• Chicken Broth
• Fresh Tomatoes
• Spices: Salt, fresh ground pepper, cloves, cinnamon, Mexican oregano, sugar

Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy

1. Step 1: Place roasted and peeled garlic cloves into a food processor and pulse until chopped.
2. Step 2: Add olive oil, achiote paste, naranja agria (or orange juice and lime juice), ground cloves, fresh ground black pepper, cinnamon, oregano, sugar and kosher salt.

Expert Tip: Easy way to roast garlic. No need to peel or separate garlic gloves: cut a slit in the side of each clove. Place the head of garlic in a microwavable bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Cool until easy to handle, then slip off the papery husks.

3. Step 3: Process until smooth. Use a spatula to scrape down sides and run again for about 15 seconds.
4. Step 4: Scrape half the marinade into a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss with your hands to coat evenly. Refrigerate and marinate for 1 hour.

5. Step 5: Scrape the remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Add the chicken broth and set aside.
6. Step 6: Place marinated chicken on a roast pan fitted with wire rack. Line pan with foil for easier clean up. Loosen the skin and slide 1 tablespoon butter under in between the meat and and skin of each chicken breast. Then push in a teaspoon of green chile sauce. Roast until thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees, about 35 – 40 minutes.

Storage Freezing and Reheating

• Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
• Freezer: I like to use zip-lock style freezer bags to store dishes like this. Just squeeze the air out and it will keep up to three months. Remember to use a sharpie to label and date.
• Reheating: I like to use the microwave to reheat Achiote Chicken. The 50% power feature is your best friend. Reheat in 15 second increments to warm the chicken enough to eat. You don’t wan’t to recook it, as it will dry out. Also, this lower power reduces the risk of those microwave food explosions. Tip: Remove the chicken from the bone and wrap in a warmed flour tortilla for a deliciously easy taco.

Recipe for Roasted Achiote Chicken Breast

When it comes to spicing up your culinary adventures, few ingredients are as vibrant and enticing as achiote. I hope you add this Achiote Chicken Recipe to your meal plans.

This recipe is inspired by a Rick Bayless recipe for Yucatan Style Chicken.

More Mexican Chicken Recipes

And if you’re looking for even more Mexican recipes, don’t miss my Mexican Food Category, you’ll find lots of great recipes to bring that fiesta to your table. And if you’re looking for more achiote ideas, don’t miss this recipe for Achiote Shredded Pork Tacos. An easy meal to feed a crowd.