North America

Relleno Negro: Yucatán Black Recado Stew with Egg-Stuffed Pork

Name: Relleno Negro: Yucatán Black Recado Stew with Egg-Stuffed Pork
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican / Yucatecan
Ingredients: 900 g Bone-in chicken thighs or drumettes; 1 1/4 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Lime juice; 1/2 tsp Black pepper; 1, 180 g Onion; 2, 300 g Tomatoes; 3 cloves, 15 g Garlic; 5 g Epazote; 50 g Black recado; 180 ml Lukewarm water; 900 ml Water or unsalted chicken stock; 1 tbsp Oil; 1 Bay leaf; 1/2 Habanero; 1/2 Lime; 2 tsp Achiote powder, or achiote seeds ground to powder; 1 tsp Allspice powder; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 1 tsp Dried oregano; 1/2 tsp Black pepper; a pinch Clove powder; 1 tsp Unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce; 2 tsp Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 150 ml Lukewarm water; 450 g Ground pork; 4 Boiled eggs; 1 Raw egg; 1, 150 g Tomato; 1/2, 90 g Onion

How to make relleno negro, the Yucatán black recado stew: chicken, a ground pork but with boiled egg, achiote, a black sauce that is not scorched, substitute ingredients, internal temperatures, storage, how it differs from chilmole, a home version for days without black recado, causes of failure, menus and an FAQ.

Published: October 25, 2026Total: 2 hr 5 minLevel: Intermediate

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 10

Work salt and lime into the chicken

8 min + 15 min resting

Working lime, salt, black pepper and black recado into the chicken — Season the chicken with salt and acidity before it goes into the black broth. A moist surface is enough

Cut any large pieces of 900 g chicken to about 5 cm and blot the moisture with paper. Rub in 1 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tbsp lime juice and 1/2 tsp black pepper all over, and rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. No heat is used in this step. The guide is a surface that has firmed up slightly and kept the aroma of lime. If using bone-in meat, remove any blood clots near the bones.

STEP 22 / 10

Mix the but meat mixture

12 min

Mixing ground pork, chopped egg whites, tomato, aromatics and black recado to make the meat mixture for the but — But is a pork stuffing mixed with egg and black recado. If it stays watery, make up the cohesion with potato starch

Separate 2 of the 4 boiled eggs into white and yolk, and chop only the whites into 5 mm dice. Set aside the 2 yolks for the center. In a bowl put 450 g ground pork, the chopped whites, 150 g tomato, 90 g onion, the garlic, epazote, 1 raw egg, 1 tbsp black recado, 2/3 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1 tbsp potato starch. No heat is used in this step. Mix for about 1 minute until the mixture is sticky and no watery liquid remains at the bottom of the bowl.

STEP 33 / 10

Wrap the yolks and tie in cheesecloth

10 min

Shaping the pork stuffing into a log on a cloth and wrapping the egg yolks — Wrapping the yolks at the center and supporting with the cloth keeps the shape from collapsing even in the black broth

Spread a dampened, wrung-out cloth on a cutting board and press the meat mixture into an oval about 18 cm long. Line up the 2 boiled egg yolks in the center, wrap the meat mixture around them, and shape a thick log. Roll it in the cloth and tie both ends with kitchen twine. No heat is used in this step. You need not make a perfect cylinder, but leave the thickness of the meat mixture at 2 cm or more all around. If the yolks are exposed, they tend to fall apart in the broth.

STEP 44 / 10

Dissolve the black recado in lukewarm water

6 min

Dissolving black recado in lukewarm water into a thick black sauce — Don't put the black recado straight into the pot; dissolve it first in lukewarm water. This prevents scorching and lumps

If using 50 g black recado, add 180 ml lukewarm water at 60 to 70°C a little at a time and thin it to a thick sauce. On days using the substitute paste, mix the achiote, allspice, cumin, oregano, black pepper, clove, unsweetened cocoa, soy sauce, vinegar and lukewarm water. No heat is used in this step. Lumps that remain tend to scorch on the bottom of the pot, so crush them with the back of a spoon until it falls heavily when scooped with a wooden spoon.

STEP 55 / 10

Brown the chicken and pour in the black broth

15 min

Pouring the black recado broth over browned chicken and aromatics — Warm the black broth slowly over medium heat so the black recado does not stick to the bottom

Put 1 tbsp oil in a heavy pot and warm it over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken skin side down and brown 3 minutes per side to a light color. It need not cook through. Add the onion, garlic and tomatoes and cook 4 minutes over medium heat. When the onion is translucent, add the dissolved black recado, 900 ml water or unsalted chicken stock, and the bay leaf. Trace the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon and warm over medium heat until small bubbles appear.

STEP 66 / 10

Add the but and simmer over low heat

35 min

Simmering the cloth-wrapped but and chicken over low heat in black recado broth — Simmer the but quietly over low heat. Boiling the black broth hard tends to toughen the meat

When the broth comes to a quiet boil, put the cloth-wrapped but in the center of the pot. If using habanero, add the half whole and set the lid slightly ajar. Keep the temperature at 85 to 95°C, from low to medium-low heat, and cook for 30 minutes. The surface should tremble quietly, with a small bubble rising about once every 2 seconds. Twice during this, gently trace the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Boiling hard breaks the but and toughens the chicken.

STEP 77 / 10

Add the tomato and onion finishing aromatics

10 min

Briefly warming tomato and onion to make finishing aromatics to return to the black broth — Keep the finishing aromatics short over medium heat. They add the tomato's acidity to the weight of the black sauce

In a separate small pot or frying pan, take 2 tbsp of the broth and add 80 g tomato cut in thin strips, 60 g thinly sliced onion and a little cilantro or epazote. Warm over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the tomato corners are rounded and the onion is wilted. Return this to the main pot and let it blend over low heat for 5 more minutes. Local methods vary in how the aromatics are added, but in a home kitchen, returning a little at the end keeps the black broth from getting too heavy.

STEP 88 / 10

Adjust the thickness of the broth

8 min

Adjusting the thickness of the black recado broth with a little dissolved potato starch and a wooden spoon — Keep the thickening light. Black recado broth tends to scorch if made too thick

If the broth is too thin, dissolve 1 tsp potato starch in 2 tsp water and add only half to the pot. Warm over low heat for 2 minutes to a light thickness where a line drawn on the bottom with a wooden spoon fills back in at once. Making it too thick lets the black recado stay on the bottom of the pot, so stop at a level like: thin on days you pour it over white rice, slightly heavier on days you catch it with tortillas. Add salt at the end, 1/6 tsp at a time.

STEP 99 / 10

Check the internal temperature

5 min

Taking the but simmered in black recado out and checking its center temperature with a cooking thermometer — Stop the pork stuffing by its center temperature. Do not judge doneness by the darkness of the color

Take the but out of the pot and insert a thermometer into the center through the cloth. At 71°C or above at the center it is cooked. For the chicken, check 74°C at a thick part not touching bone. Without a thermometer, cut the end of the but into a half-moon about 1 cm thick, and check that no red raw meat remains at the center and the juices are close to clear. If not, return the cloth and cook 5 more minutes over low heat, then check again.

STEP 1010 / 10

Slice the but and plate

8 min

Slicing the cooked but and checking the cross-section of the egg yolk and the black recado sauce — Rest the but a little before slicing. The yellow of the yolk in the black broth is the showpiece of the table

Rest the but 5 minutes, remove the cloth, and slice 1.5 cm thick. In a deep bowl put 1 to 2 pieces of chicken, 2 slices of but, and the reserved boiled eggs cut in half. Pour in the black broth up to 80% of the height of the ingredients, and scatter a little cilantro or epazote. Serve with corn tortillas, white rice and lime, and those who want more heat can use a few drops of habanero sauce at the table.

0 / 0

Ingredients

1 / 3

Chicken and the black broth

Ingredient	Amount	Substitutes & notes
Bone-in chicken thighs or drumettes	900 g	Same amount of turkey. With boneless thighs, 750 g and a shorter simmer
Salt	1 1/4 tsp	To season the chicken
Lime juice	1 tbsp	2 tsp lemon juice also works
Black pepper	1/2 tsp	Coarsely ground
Onion	1, 180 g	1 cm dice
Tomatoes	2, 300 g	1.5 cm dice. With canned diced tomatoes, 200 g
Garlic	3 cloves, 15 g	Minced
Epazote	5 g	If you have none, 5 g cilantro stems and 1/4 tsp dried oregano
Black recado	50 g	Store-bought. If it is a hot type, start from 35 g
Lukewarm water	180 ml	To dissolve the black recado
Water or unsalted chicken stock	900 ml	Enough to cover the chicken to 70%
Oil	1 tbsp	For searing the chicken
Bay leaf	1	May be omitted
Habanero	1/2	Put in whole just to pass on the aroma. Omit for less heat
Lime	1/2	For finishing

2 / 3

Substitute paste for days without black recado

Ingredient	Amount	Role
Achiote powder, or achiote seeds ground to powder	2 tsp	Color and earthy aroma
Allspice powder	1 tsp	The warm aroma of Yucatán and the Caribbean side
Ground cumin	1 tsp	Earthiness
Dried oregano	1 tsp	Herbal feel
Black pepper	1/2 tsp	Heat and aroma
Clove powder	a pinch	Too much tastes medicinal
Unsweetened cocoa powder	1 tsp	Blackness and bitterness. Sweetened drinking cocoa will not do
Dark soy sauce	1 tbsp	Color and saltiness. A home substitute, not a local ingredient
Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar	2 tsp	The outline of the recado's acidity
Lukewarm water	150 ml	60 to 70°C

3 / 3

But: egg-filled pork stuffing

Ingredient	Amount	Substitutes & notes
Ground pork	450 g	Mixed beef and pork also works. Only ground chicken tends to firm up
Boiled eggs	4	2 with the whites chopped and the yolks used at the center of the stuffing. The other 2 for serving
Raw egg	1	As binder
Tomato	1, 150 g	Lightly seeded, 5 mm dice
Onion	1/2, 90 g	Minced
Garlic	1 clove, 5 g	Grated
Epazote or cilantro	5 g	Minced
Black recado or substitute paste	1 tbsp	To put a black aroma into the meat
Achiote powder	1/2 tsp	May be omitted on days when you use the substitute paste
Salt	2/3 tsp	For the ground meat
Black pepper	1/4 tsp	For the ground meat
Potato starch	1 tbsp	Helps it hold together. A home insurance, not a local ingredient
Clean cheesecloth or muslin	1 piece, 30 cm square	To wrap the meatball and keep it from falling apart
Kitchen twine	60 cm	To tie the cloth

0 / 0

The yellow of the egg sinks into the black broth

The moment you lift the lid of the pot, relleno negro is a dish that makes you a little uneasy. It is supposed to be a chicken dish stewed with tomato and onion, yet the broth is black as ink. But when you cut the pork stuffing that holds a white-and-yellow egg, a yellow yolk peeks out from the black liquid. This visual strength and the slow aroma of spices are what make it feel like the Yucatán table.

Relleno negro is a black recado stew eaten on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Locally it is often made with turkey, but in a home kitchen bone-in chicken thighs or drumettes are easier to handle, and it is easier to check that they are cooked. The heart of the black color is recado negro, also called chilmole, a black seasoning paste. Because it combines charred chilies, achiote, pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic and so on, it is not simply hot; smoke, bitterness and earthiness mix.

This article takes the case where you have store-bought black recado as the main line, and also shows a home version for days when you can't find it, steering the direction with achiote, allspice, cumin, oregano and a little unsweetened cocoa. It does not use the method of charring chilies black in your own kitchen. It easily produces harsh smoke, and a range hood alone is not safe.

If you have already read about Belize's chimole (in Japanese), it is easy to understand as a relative in the black recado family. Chimole is a home dish leaning toward a black chicken soup. Relleno negro adds a pork stuffing holding egg, a large meatball locally called but, and so has the density of a festive dish. Among other Mexican dishes, reading on to mole poblano, which layers the depth of chilies and seeds, and tamales (in Japanese), wrapped in corn husks, shows the difference between the sauce cultures of Yucatán and central Mexico.

Sorting out the names

In Spanish it is Relleno Negro, and in Japanese the spelling varies, in katakana several ways. In the Yucatec Maya context it is sometimes introduced as boox but', spoken of in the sense of a black stuffing or black meatball. This article uses "Relleno Negro" in the headings for easy searching, and in the text gives Relleno Negro, recado negro, chilmole and but together.

The difference between relleno negro and chimole

Dishes using black recado overlap in name and form across Yucatán, Belize and Guatemala. In travel writing and English-language recipes, chilmole, chimole, Relleno Negro and Black Dinna sometimes appear side by side as similar dishes. When writing about them, we separate them as follows so the reader does not get lost in the kitchen.

What to look at	Relleno negro	Chimole
Main region	Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico	Belize and the Caribbean side
Local names	Relleno Negro, boox but', in a context close to chilmole	Chimole, Chirmole, Black Dinna
Center of the dish	Chicken or turkey stewed in black recado, with an egg-filled but	A chicken soup stewed in black recado
Meat stuffing	Ground pork, egg and aromatics bound together	Some households add it, but it is often omitted in the soup type
Hard part at home	The internal temperature of the but, and not scorching the black recado	Getting black recado, and not scorching the black broth

The interest of relleno negro lies less in the black sauce itself than in the chicken, black recado, pork stuffing and egg layered on one plate. Think of it not as a dish where you eat black broth but as a dish where black broth holds layers of meat together, and the order of work becomes visible.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Chicken, ground pork, eggs, black recado, achiote, chilies and aromatics laid out as the ingredients for relleno negro — Separating the black recado, chicken, ground pork, eggs and aromatics beforehand keeps the sequence of simmering and stuffing from falling apart

Made with turkey it is closer to the local version, but in a home pot cooking through and availability become difficult. This article uses bone-in chicken thighs or drumettes, and makes the ground pork but separately to simmer together. On days when you can't get black recado, make only the black direction with a substitute paste, and do not force chilies to carbonize.

Allergy and food-poisoning prevention

This dish includes chicken, pork, eggs, and seasonings that may contain soy. Cook the ground pork but through to the center, and if you have a thermometer, confirm 71°C or above at the center. The guide for chicken is 74°C at the center. Do not leave the stuffing mixed with raw egg at room temperature for long; as soon as it is shaped, move on to simmering.

Black recado and shopping

Black recado, achiote, dried chilies, a mortar and a cooking thermometer laid out in a kitchen as shopping supplies — Worth looking for specially: achiote to stand in for black recado, a mortar to crush the spices, and a thermometer to check how cooked the meat is

Buy the chicken, ground pork, eggs, onion and tomatoes nearby. The things worth looking for farther afield are achiote, to build the aroma when you have no black recado, a mortar for crushing hard spices, and a thermometer for checking the center temperature of the ground meat. If you can get the black recado itself, that is best, but outside Mexico its distribution is unreliable. Just because you can't find it, there is no need to burn chilies black at home.

Achiote does not fully create the blackness of relleno negro. Even so, it gives the aroma that is the base of recado-style dishes of Yucatán and Central America. It also carries over to tamales (in Japanese) and tacos al pastor, so it is easier to use up the more you go on cooking Mexican food.

When making a black-recado-style substitute paste, crushing achiote seeds, black pepper and oregano coarsely in a mortar brings out the aroma. It takes more work than mixing powders alone, but the grittiness of the paste decreases and it dissolves into the soup more easily.

Because this is a dish that stews chicken and ground pork in the same pot, it is important not to leave any worry about doneness. A thermometer is insurance for checking the center of the stuffing and the part of the chicken near the bone.

Method: layer the black aroma without scorching it

The steps look many, but the order is simple. Season the chicken. Make the pork but. Dissolve the black recado first. Brown the chicken and aromatics and stew slowly in the black broth. Finally slice the stuffing and serve. Not hurrying keeps the black sauce from getting rough.

Where it tends to go wrong

Smooth black recado broth compared with scorched, gritty broth — Failures with relleno negro tend to show up as scorched black recado, a but that falls apart, and under-cooking

A black dish hides its warning signs because the color is so dark. It is black when scorched and black when cooked. So judge by aroma, the way bubbles rise, temperature and the cut cross-section.

Problem	Cause	How to fix
Strong bitterness	The black recado scorched on the bottom of the pot	Don't scrape the scorch; move the broth to another pot and thin with 100 ml water and 1 tsp lime juice
The but broke	Boiled over high heat, or the meat mixture was watery	Next time keep low heat at 85 to 95°C. This time return the crumbled meat to the broth and thicken it slightly
The center is red	The but is thick, or not simmered long enough	Return it in the cloth, cook 5 to 8 more minutes over low heat, and check the center temperature again
The chicken is tough	Boiled long, or boneless meat was cooked for the same time	With boneless, check step 6 at 20 minutes. This time, eat with plenty of broth spooned over
The color is pale	Too little black recado, or the substitute paste's color is weak	Dissolve 2 tsp more black recado, or 1/2 tsp achiote, in a separate dish before adding
Too hot	The habanero broke, or the black recado is a hot type	Remove the habanero and add 100 ml water, 1/2 tomato and 1 boiled egg, and simmer 10 minutes over low heat

Articles on making black recado from scratch describe charring chilies quite black. But imitating that indoors at home makes the smoke and irritation far too strong. For the first time, make it with store-bought paste or the substitute paste, and add heat and bitterness at the table, which is safer.

How it is eaten locally, and menus

At a Yucatán table, relleno negro is served in a deep bowl, and the turkey or chicken, the but, the egg and the black broth are eaten together. Use a tortilla to pick up the filling and scoop the broth. Pour it over white rice. Break the yolk a little into the black soup. It looks strong, but the way of eating is quite homely.

Menu	A day it suits	How to pair
Relleno negro, corn tortillas, lime	A holiday Yucatecan menu	Take up a little of the but and chicken at a time with tortillas
Relleno negro, white rice, cucumber dressed with lime	A dinner easy to make at home	Spoon the black broth over rice and cut it with a sour side
Relleno negro, tamales (in Japanese), tomato salad	A day to line up Mexican dishes	Compare the corn dough with the black broth
Relleno negro, a little chimole (in Japanese), lime	A day to compare black recados	Compare the same black stews with and without the stuffing

For a home-style dinner, white rice is fine as the staple. But the aroma of the broth is strong, so rather than piling the rice up like a donburi, putting a little at the edge of the deep bowl to soak up broth is easier to eat. If you buy tortillas, choose corn rather than wheat, which connects the charred aroma of the black recado with the sweetness of corn. For sides, rather than rich cheese dishes, small dishes that cool the mouth, such as cucumber squeezed with lime, thinly sliced onion, tomato and chopped cilantro, keep it from feeling heavy to the end.

If you go on to cook more Mexican food, a big-pot soup like pozole rojo (in Japanese), or a dish like tlayuda (in Japanese), where a toasted tortilla carries the toppings, widens the relation among corn, chilies and meat.

Storage and reheating

Relleno negro broth, but and boiled eggs divided into shallow storage containers — It contains chicken, but and eggs, so cool it quickly in shallow containers, and store the eggs separately so they are not overheated

Relleno negro contains chicken, ground pork and eggs, so cool it quickly once the heat has gone. Put the chicken and broth in separate shallow containers, and put the but uncut in another container. Eggs tend to harden on reheating, so combine with broth only the amount to be eaten the next day, and leave them out of what you freeze.

Refrigerated, 2 days is the guideline. If freezing, portion only the chicken, broth and but, without eggs. To reheat, put 1 portion and 2 tbsp water in a small pot and warm over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes. It is enough when the edge of the broth is bubbling and the chicken is hot through to the center. In the microwave, warm at 600 W for 2 minutes, stir once, and add 1 more minute. Warm the eggs briefly, cut in half.

The next day the aroma of the black recado has gone into the meat and the edges are softer than the first day. If the broth has become too thick, add 50 ml water and cook 5 minutes over low heat. If the saltiness seems strong, a few drops of lime cut the heaviness.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make it without black recado?

You can, but strictly it is relleno negro style. The charred chili and spice aroma peculiar to black recado cannot be replaced. The substitute paste in this article is meant to steer the direction with achiote, allspice, cumin, oregano and a little bitterness and acidity. If you like it, the next step is to look for black recado.

Is chicken instead of turkey fine?

At home chicken is enough. Turkey is closer to the local version, but outside Mexico availability and pot size get difficult. Bone-in chicken thighs or drumettes bring savoriness to the broth and are easier to check for doneness. If you make it with boneless thighs, check once at about 20 minutes into the simmer in step 6.

Can I make it with just chicken, without the but?

You can. But then it becomes a black chicken stew close to chimole. What makes it relleno negro is that the black broth, the chicken and the egg-filled pork stuffing are on the same plate. If it is too much work the first time, divide the but into 4 small meatballs and serve the boiled eggs separately to lighten the work.

How hot is it?

It varies with the kind of black recado. It is not necessarily as fiery as it looks, but with a hot paste or a habanero it quickly gets strong. On days when the family eats it, leave the habanero out of the pot and add pepper sauce at the table, which is easier to adjust.

Is it a failure if the black broth is bitter?

A light bitterness is part of the dish's character, but if scorched bitterness comes to the front, the black recado has scorched on the bottom of the pot. Scraping the scorch spreads the bitterness, so move the clear upper part to another pot and thin it with water and lime. Next time dissolve the black recado in lukewarm water, don't boil it hard, and proceed from low to medium-low heat.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. However, eggs tend to harden on reheating and do not suit freezing. The guideline for chicken, broth and but is 2 days in the refrigerator and 3 weeks in the freezer, and finish the eggs the same day or the next. Reheat slowly over low heat. Boiling hard toughens both the chicken and the but.

Local and English-language sources consulted

Yucatán Today: Recipe for Relleno Negro: Consulted for boox but', recado negro, the makeup of the but, and how turkey, chicken and pork are used.
Yucatán Today: The best types of Recado in Yucatán: Consulted for the ingredients of recado negro, charred chilies, spices and uses in Yucatán.
En Yucatán: Receta del Relleno Negro: Consulted for how to make the but, the egg, ground pork and the flow of wrapping in cloth.
Wikipedia: Relleno negro: Consulted for basic information such as the dish's region, turkey, pork, chilmole and egg.
FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures: Consulted for safe internal temperatures of 74°C for chicken and 71°C for ground meat.