Carapulcra de Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Carapulcra)
A Chincha-style carapulcra with chicken: papa seca, ají panca, and roasted peanuts simmered into a velvety, smoky stew perfect for a weeknight jarana.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
70 min
Total Time
90 min
Servings
6
This version keeps the soul—papa seca drinking up smoky aderezo, cinnamon whispering through the steam—while chicken thighs turn tender in less time than pork. The stew finishes brick-red and glossy, velvety from ground peanuts, with that familiar, earthy depth that makes you reach for a second spoonful.
Serve it beside sopa seca if you’re going full fiesta, or simply heap it over rice and listen for the quiet rhythm of history in every bite—Afro-Peruvian roots, Andean memory, coastal swing, all keeping time together.
Ingredients
- 400 g papa seca (dried potato), rinsed
- 1,000 g chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 25 ml vegetable oil
- 200 g red onion, finely diced
- 20 g garlic, minced
- 60 g ají panca paste
- 20 g ají mirasol paste (optional, for brightness)
- 120 g roasted peanuts, finely ground
- 5 g ground cumin
- 2 g freshly ground black pepper
- 2 g dried oregano, crumbled
- 0.5 g ground clove (a pinch)
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 150 ml chicha de jora or dry red wine
- 850 ml chicken broth (plus extra as needed)
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 g fine salt (plus more to taste)
- 10 g dark chocolate (optional)
- 10 g chopped parsley or cilantro (optional, garnish)
- Cooked white rice, to serve
- Cancha serrana (toasted corn), to serve (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Rinse papa seca under cold water. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse again. In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the papa seca 3–5 minutes until lightly golden; set aside.
- 2
Pat the chicken dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Brown chicken skin-side down first until deep golden, about 6–8 minutes total in batches. Transfer to a plate; keep the pot on the heat.
- 3
Lower to medium. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent and sweet, 8–10 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.
- 4
Stir in ají panca (and ají mirasol, if using). Fry the aderezo 3–4 minutes until brick-red and aromatic.
- 5
Add cumin, oregano, clove, and the cinnamon stick; stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 6
Deglaze with chicha de jora or wine, scraping up browned bits. Reduce by half, 2–3 minutes.
- 7
Return chicken with its juices. Add toasted papa seca and bay leaf. Pour in 850 ml broth to just cover; bring to a gentle simmer.
- 8
Partially cover and simmer on low 35–40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent sticking. Add splashes of broth as needed to keep a loose stew.
- 9
Stir in the ground peanuts (and optional dark chocolate). Simmer another 10–12 minutes until thick, glossy, and the chicken is very tender. Adjust salt; remove bay and cinnamon.
- 10
Rest 5 minutes. Serve with white rice and cancha serrana; garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro, if desired.
Chef's Tip
For the silkiest finish, blend the ground peanuts with a ladle of hot broth into a paste, then whisk it into the pot to prevent clumping.
Fun Fact
Carapulcra likely stems from the Aymara phrase qala phurk’a—“stewed over stones”—a nod to ancient techniques and the use of dried potatoes.
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