Chochoyotes Con Chicken (Mexican Dumplings With Chicken)

Hola! Hola! Happy Wednesday!

Today we are making Chochoyotes con Chicken, my take on the comforting chicken and dumplings.

Before I get into the recipe, I wanted to share with you that I’m launching a Youtube Channel on April 1st! I’ve wanted to start a channel for the longest time but I kept telling myself that I ‘d get to it when I had the time–and I realized that it was never going to happen unless I just did it. So I’m doing it! I’ll be posting every Tuesday and Thursday (starting on April 1st), and I’m going to make sure to embed the videos on here so that you don’t have to travel to different sites to watch the content!

Now, back to the soup! This is a recipe that I developed for the book. I though of this as the perfect example of what “Chicano Eats” is, taking the American concept of Chicken and Dumplings and adding a Mexican twist to it through the corn masa dumplings. If you aren’t familiar with them, chochoyotes are Mexico’s answer to the dumpling, they are these little round balls of corn masa with a crater in the middle that are typically cooked in brothy soups—a match made in heaven. The soup itself is extremely easy to make as most of the effort goes into making the dumplings, it features a rich chicken broth with plenty of veggies like carrots, onion, celery and peas (you could even add some chopped greens!) and tastes like a warm hug in a bowl. I live in the Central Valley and it’s been pretty chilly these past few days, and we could not wait to finish filming the walkthrough so we could enjoy it. I’m including a video walkthrough below, but if you happen to make this make sure that the broth isn’t at a boil or even at a simmer and that the flame is at its lowest setting before introducing the dumplings into the soup. The dumplings will disintegrate into the soup if the flame is too aggressive.

Have a great rest of the week, and if you have any suggestions as to what recipes you’d like to see on Youtube, let me know!

Nos Vemos Pronto!

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4 from 4 votes

Chochoyotes con Chicken (Mexican Dumplings with Chicken)

Servings 6

Calories

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 4 TBSP Unsalted Butter
• 1 Yellow Onion ,diced
• 1 Cup Carrots ,sliced
• 1 Cup Celery ,chopped
• 5 Garlic Cloves ,minced
• 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 3 TBSP Minced Fresh Cilantro
• 1 TBSP Kosher Salt ,plus more totaste
• 1 TSP Black Pepper
• ½ TSP Celery Salt
• ½ TSP Dried Mexican Oregano
• 4 Large Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken Thighs (about 2 lbs)
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas

For the Chochoyotes

• 1 ¾ Cups Masa Harina (I used Maseca)
• 2 TBSP Lard
• 1½ TSP Kosher Salt

Instructions

• Make the soup: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant, then add the thyme sprigs, cilantro, kosher salt, pepper, celery salt, oregano, and 8 cups water and stir to combine. Add the chicken thighs, bring the soup to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, make the chochoyotes: In a bowl, use your hands to combine the masa, 1 cup water, lard, and salt. Break off 25 tablespoon-sized pieces and roll them into balls. Carefully use your thumb to make a crater in the center of each to ensure they cook evenly, then set aside and cover with a damp towel until you’re ready to cook them. 
• After the soup has been cooking for 30 minutes, remove the chicken and thyme sprigs and reduce the heat under the soup to the lowest simmer possible. Add the chochoyotes, making sure they’re fully submerged in the broth, and cook gently for 20 minutes. They should puff up slightly but not change too much in appearance. 
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bone and shred. Once the dumplings are cooked, add the shredded chicken to the pot along with the peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Adjust the salt to taste and serve.