Every January I vow to be someplace other than Chicago, but I often find myself stuck at home. Oh well! The house will warm nicely with an oven full of the flavors so beloved in the Yucatan: fresh lime, habanero and achiote.

Achiote seasons the region’s most famous dish, cochinita pibil, pork braised in citrus and achiote. Cooks there also use it as a rub from grilled fish and seafood. Achiote also tastes great in a tomato sauce for cooking chicken. For the recipe that follows, plenty of sweet peppers and black beans meld into a delicious achiote braising sauce for chicken.

Achiote is an aromatic, earthy, mild-tasting spice made from the red seed of the annatto tree, which grows prolifically in the heat of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. Look for the seeds (often labeled annatto) in jars in the spice section of large supermarkets or online. The very hard seeds require an electric spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle with a fair amount of strength, to render them into a powder. When I can find powdered achiote, I scoop it up for its easy convenience. Achiote paste, from brands such as El Yucateco, can be used in most recipes; just know that blends contain other flavors such as vinegar and garlic, as well as preservatives.

Whole fragrant habanero chiles also nestle in the sauce adding their floral, tropical flavor. Leaving the chiles whole allows them to add just a modicum of heat. Fresh epazote, an aromatic herb found in the produce section of Mexican supermarkets, adds subtle notes of anise. Fresh cilantro can be substituted.

This is comfort food at its most flavorful. Chicken on the bone with browned skin adds richness to the pot. Thighs and drums also prove economical. Of course, you can remove the skin after cooking for less richness. Reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes if using chicken breasts on the bone.

Serve this chicken with hot garlicky rice. Swap chicken broth for water, and add a couple of crushed garlic cloves to the rice cooker or saucepan. Or, to save time, employ those packets of cooked rice that merely need a reheat in the microwave oven. Be sure to pass fresh limes for squeezing over everything.

Add a splash of fresh grapefruit juice to your favorite margarita recipe. Surely, the beach will feel closer.

Chicken and Black Beans in Yucatecan Tomato Sauce

Makes 6 servings

Note: You can substitute 12 ounces frozen bell pepper strips for the fresh peppers if desired. Cook the onion until golden in Step 3, then add the frozen pepper strips.

2 small bell peppers in assorted colors, halved, cored, seeded

4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts, such as 4 or 5 thighs and drumsticks

Salt

2 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola, safflower or sunflower oil

1/2 large sweet onion, halved, cut into thick wedges

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 jar (16 ounces) mild or medium chunky tomato salsa

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons powdered achiote (annatto seed) or 2 tablespoons achiote paste

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 or 2 whole habanero chiles or hot banana peppers, such as banana

2 sprigs fresh epazote or 4 sprigs fresh cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup very finely chopped red onion, well rinsed, drained

4 to 6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3 to 4 cups cooked white rice, for serving

Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving

1. Cut bell peppers into strips about 1/4 inch wide and 2 inches long. You should have about 3 cups.

2. Pat chicken dry. Sprinkle all sides generously with salt. Heat a 7-quart French oven or large Dutch oven over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Add oil, then add the chicken pieces in a single, uncrowded layer. (You may need to work in batches.) Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove to a plate as the pieces brown. Repeat to brown all pieces.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add sweet onion and bell pepper strips to pan drippings. Cook until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

4. Stir in salsa, achiote, oregano, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir well to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir until thickened a bit, about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in rinsed black beans. Nestle whole hot chiles and epazote sprigs into the sauce. Then add the chicken pieces to the pan, skin side up. (They will not be completely immersed in the sauce.) Bake in oven uncovered until chicken juices run clear when pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, mix lime juice and red onion in a small bowl. Add salt to taste. Have chopped cilantro ready.

7. Remove and discard the whole habanero chiles and epazote sprigs. Sprinkle chicken with some of the red onion mixture and cilantro. Serve chicken spooned over rice. Pass warm corn tortillas.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2025 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.