Fresh Corn Stew (Pepián de Choclo)
A thick, golden northern Peruvian stew made by grinding fresh corn and simmering it with chicken until it turns creamy and sweet. Served with rice, a sharp red onion salsa and crunchy toasted corn, it's one of the great comfort dishes of Peru's north coast.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Brown the chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot (at least 6 liters/6 quarts) over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides, about 8 minutes, then lift it onto a plate.
- 1.2 kg chicken pieces
- to taste salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
✅ Done when: chicken is golden-brown on all sides
Make the sofrito
Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion in the same pot, stirring, for 6–7 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, , , cumin and oregano, and cook 2 minutes more until fragrant.
- 1 large red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
✅ Done when: onion is soft and golden, spices smell fragrant
Blend the corn
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Simmer with chicken
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Finish with herbs
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Serve the stew
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Brown the chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot (at least 6 liters/6 quarts) over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides, about 8 minutes, then lift it onto a plate.
- 1.2 kg chicken pieces
- to taste salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
✅ Done when: chicken is golden-brown on all sides
Make the sofrito
Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion in the same pot, stirring, for 6–7 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, , , cumin and oregano, and cook 2 minutes more until fragrant.
- 1 large red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
✅ Done when: onion is soft and golden, spices smell fragrant
Blend the corn
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Simmer with chicken
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Finish with herbs
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Serve the stew
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The Story Behind the Dish
Corn has been the backbone of northern Peruvian cooking since the Moche and Chimú civilizations farmed the valleys around present-day Lambayeque and Piura. Pepián de choclo grew out of that world: fresh corn ground on a stone and cooked slowly with whatever meat was at hand, thickened by the corn itself rather than flour or rice.
Over time it became a dish for gatherings and Sundays, often made with chicken or pork and finished with the region's own squash, loche, and fragrant herbs like huacatay. Every family in the north has its own version, passed down more by feel than by measurement.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It shows off fresh Peruvian corn at its best: sweet, starchy and full of flavor, turned into a thick, golden stew instead of a side dish.
💡 Fun Fact
The name pepián is shared with similar thick, ground-based stews found elsewhere in Latin America, such as Guatemala's pepián and Mexico's pipián, though Peru's version relies on fresh corn rather than seeds or nuts.
Lambayeque, northern Peru
-6.70°S, -79.91°W
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