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    Home » Recipes » Pipián Verde + VIDEO

    Pipián Verde + VIDEO

    Last Updated June 4, 2019. Originally Posted April 9, 2019 By Maggie Unzueta

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Pipián Verde is a yummy and creamy pumpkin seed sauce. It’s classic Mexican food that’s slightly tangy and rich with flavors. Sometimes referred to as "green mole."
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pipián Verde is a yummy and creamy pumpkin seed sauce. It’s classic Mexican food that’s slightly tangy and rich with flavors. Sometimes referred to as "green mole." Recipe with VIDEO. By Mama Maggie's Kitchen

    Pipian Verde topped with pepitas (or green pumpkin seeds) and served next to calabacitas and corn.

    How to Make Pipián Verde

    My grandmother’s Pipián Verde could make a grown man cry. It was THAT good!

    The problem with sharing her recipe is that it was never the same recipe twice.

    It varied depending on what was in the fridge and what was in season. Some days, she would add lettuce. Other days, spinach.

    Today, I’m sharing with you the most basic recipe. From here, it changes from place to place, region to region, and season to season.

    Roasted tomatillos and onions on the stove

    • Place under the broiler until everything is charred.

    Roasting is a big deal in the Mexican cuisine.

    To me the smell of chile roasting is the smell of home and family. I roast all these ingredients on the stove, but you can also do this in the oven.

    Don’t Forget to Watch The Video on How to Make Pipián Verde

    Toasting pepitas in a metal skillet

    Pipián Verde is made with pepitas, or pumpkin seeds.

    You must toast them, but be very careful. You do not want to burn them, or you will need to start all over again.

    Once they start popping, remove them from the pan immediately and set aside.

    • There is NO substitute for pepitas. Pipián Verde is always made with these yummy, nutty pumpkin seeds..

    Roasted tomatillos and garlic in a blender

    • Place all the ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth.
    • Then set aside until ready to use.

    The green tomatillos and all the green ingredients are what give the Pipián Verde its color.

    Many people refer to Pipián Verde as “green mole” for this reason. Or in Spanish, they use the term “mole verde.”

    There is such a thing as Pipián Rojo (or Red Pipián), but I’ll have to share that recipe with you some other day.

    Other ingredients you can add to your Pipián Verde

    • Lettuce
    • Spinach
    • Roasted Poblano Pepper
    • Cilantro
    • Jalapenos (instead of serrano peppers)

    What to do if your Pipián Verde is slightly bitter?

    This can happen, depending on what combination of ingredients you use.
    I suggest adding some sugar. Little by little until it tastes the way you like it.

    Cooking chicken in a pot

    This is an entire chicken cut up into pieces. In Mexico, we eat all cuts of meat. There is no waste.

    However, you can use whatever cut of chicken you prefer.

    • You can also make Pipián Verde sauce with pork, fish, but my favorite is with chicken.


    Pro Cooking Tip: If you have leftover chicken from another day, this is a great way to use up leftovers.

    Pipián verde in a pot

    • Heat oil in a deep stock pot.
    • Add the Pipián Verde.
    • Bring to a simmer.

    Be sure to taste for salt before moving on to the next step.

    This is also the time to save some Pipián Verde sauce in a separate container for enchiladas later in the week. YUM!

    How long will the Pipián Verde last?


    • In the fridge, your Pipián Verde will last up to 3-4 days.
    • The sauce freezes extremely well. In the freezer, the Pipián Verde will last up to 4 months.

    Be sure to thaw out the sauce completely before using.


    This creamy Mexican sauce makes a great weeknight meal. Make the sauce ahead of time, and you can have dinner ready in no time.

    Tongs placing chicken in Pipián Verde sauce

    • Add the cooked chicken to the pot.
    • Bring to a simmer.

    The chicken will be cooking for 10 minutes with the sauce.

    My advice is slightly undercook the chicken before adding it to the sauce pan, or use chicken that is just barely cooked through.

    You guys have to smell this. It smells sooooo good!

    Pipián Verde is a yummy and creamy pumpkin seed sauce. It’s classic Mexican food that’s slightly tangy and rich with flavors. Sometimes referred to as "green mole." Recipe with VIDEO. By Mama Maggie's Kitchen

    Don’t forget to Pin this for Later.
    Follow me on Pinterest.

    Pipián Verde is an incredible sauce. A creamy Mexican sauce, yes, but without the dairy. I think I just heard lactose intolerant people everywhere cheer! 🙂

    Serve it with rice to soak up all the juices. I added calabacitas and corn on the side, but you can also add broccoli, green beans, or spinach to the plate.

    It’s lick-your-plate delicious! Hope you and your family enjoy.

    Pipian Verde topped with pepitas (or green pumpkin seeds) and served next to calabacitas and corn.

    Pipián Verde + VIDEO

    Pipián Verde is a yummy and creamy pumpkin seed sauce. It’s classic Mexican food that’s slightly tangy and rich with flavors. Sometimes referred to as "green mole."
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 380kcal
    Author: Maggie Unzueta

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds
    • 8 tomatillos
    • 1 onion divided
    • 6 garlic cloves divided
    • 1-2 serrano peppers depending on how spicy you like it
    • 1 whole chicken cut up into pieces.
    • Water
    • 1 bay leaf
    • Salt to taste
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    Instructions

    • Toast the pepitas in a skillet. 
    • Stir frequently. Be careful not to burn.
    • Once they start popping, remove immediately.
    • Roast tomatillos, ½ onion, 5 garlic cloves, and serrano peppers.
    • You can do this on the stove or under the broiler until the skin on everything is charred.
    • Place the pepitas and the roasted ingredients in a blender.
    • Blend until smooth.
    • Set aside.
    • In a large stock pot, add the chicken, water, bay leaf, salt, ½ onion, and 1 garlic clove.
    • Place a lid on the pot and cook thoroughly.
    • In a separate pot, heat the oil and add the sauce.
    • Bring to a simmer.
    • Add the cooked chicken.
    • Bring to a simmer again.
    • Let cook for 10 minutes.
    • Serve with rice.
    • Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    There is NO substitute for pepitas.
    Pipián Verde as “green mole” or "mole verde."
    You can also add to the blender:
    • Lettuce
    • Spinach
    • Roasted Poblano Peppers
    • Cilantro
    • Jalapenos (instead of serrano peppers)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

    This post was updated on April 10, 2019 with new images. You might recognize the older pictures.

    Pipián Verde, or Pumpkin Seed Sauce, with chicken and white rice

    Pipián Verde, or Pumpkin Seed Sauce, with white rice

    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.


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    Filed Under: Chicken, Mexican, Recipes

    About Maggie Unzueta

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. David @ Spiced

      April 10, 2019 at 4:43 am

      5 stars
      Haha! I totally know what you mean about Grandma’s recipes. I’m not familiar with Pipián Verde, but I totally want to try it out now. Sounds delicious!!

      Reply
    2. Stacie

      June 26, 2019 at 5:08 pm

      5 stars
      I have to give this a try. I’ve never heard of it before, but it looks really good. I love the flavors used in it.

      Reply
    3. Pati Robins

      June 27, 2019 at 12:38 am

      i think i sould be looking at posts like those after my dinner as those photos make me so hungry – i cannot wait to try the recipie

      Reply
    4. kumamonjeng

      June 27, 2019 at 3:52 am

      5 stars
      Glad to learn about this Mexican recipe, Pipián Verde . We don’t get access to Mexican food easily here so it is wise to be able to make our own.

      Reply
    5. Yeah Lifestyle

      June 27, 2019 at 4:17 am

      5 stars
      We love eating pumpkin in various different forms but never tried it as a sauce before so would surely want to give your recipe a go as it sounds so interesting.

      Reply
    6. Chad

      June 27, 2019 at 5:46 am

      5 stars
      I wannnnttt!!! I’ve never had pipian verde, looks so delicious! And it is very easy to prepare. Thanks a lot for sharing.

      Reply
    7. Lyosha

      June 27, 2019 at 12:41 pm

      Looks so very beautiful, so lux and tempting. I would love to try cooking it myself

      Reply
    8. Rosey

      June 27, 2019 at 1:38 pm

      My mother’s recipes for the same things changed with whatever was in the refrigerator at the time too. Thinking about it makes me smile and want to call my mum. 🙂

      Reply
    9. Sondra Barker

      June 27, 2019 at 8:11 pm

      What a great recipe, I need to cook this ASAP! Thanks for sharing -Sondra Barker @cuisineandtravel.com

      Reply
    10. Jasmine Hewitt

      June 28, 2019 at 7:05 am

      never heard of this but interested to try. you make it sound good

      Reply
    11. Alexandra COok

      June 28, 2019 at 4:40 pm

      I love this. The pictures alone sealed the deal for me. This looks and sounds incredibly tasty.

      Reply
    12. Bella and Dawn at Dear Mummy Blog

      June 29, 2019 at 1:00 am

      4 stars
      We’ve never tried Pipián Verde but like that you can throw it together and its lasts so long, less waste is always good with us!

      Reply
    13. Yvett

      June 29, 2019 at 5:15 am

      Such a comprehensive recipe. I will be trying this out

      Reply
    14. Tonya W

      June 29, 2019 at 11:46 am

      This looks like it would be so very good. I definitely want to give these a try!

      Reply

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