• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Dominican Cooking logo

  • START HERE
  • RECIPES
  • COOKERY
  • CULTURE
  • COOKBOOKS
  • ❤
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start here
  • Recipes
  • Cookery
  • Culture
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Our free content is supported via ads and affiliate links. Thanks!

    Chenchén (Dominican Cracked Corn Pilaf)

    Cjenchen (Dominican cracked corn pilaf) recipe.

    En Español Recipe ↆ

    Chenchén (Dominican cracked corn pilaf) originates from the southwest provinces of the Dominican Republic and is a delicious substitute for rice in our diet. If you're looking for something new, this is a great candidate to bring a "tierra adentro" treasure to the table.

    Chenchén dominicano con coco (creamy, savory, corn).
    Chenchén (Dominican cracked corn pilaf).

    JUMP TO: show ↓
    1. Why we ❤️ it
    2. What is chenchén?
    3. Origin
    4. Variations
    5. Top tips
    6. About this recipe
    7. Video
    8. Recipe

    Why we ❤️ it

    If I had a penny for every time someone wrote to me requesting we added this recipe, I'd have... exactly 13 cents. Not a lot, mind you, but the point is: this recipe, although uncommon outside of its birth region seems to be very popular among our readers. And I can see why.

    What is chenchén?

    Chenchén is a savory cracked corn-based dish. Depending on the cook's taste, it can be described as having a pilaf-like to risotto-like texture.

    Please do not confuse chenchén with chacá, a corn-based dessert, also from the same Dominican region.

    Origin

    This dish hails from the Southwest of the Dominican Republic – the opposite point of my family's place of origin – and although northwestern cuisine shares some common dishes and ingredients with neighboring Haiti (notably the use of thyme in our cuisine, which seems very rare outside the region), the Southwest has even more in common with our neighbors.

    In Haiti, a similar dish – with some differences in ingredients – is called mais moulin [1].

    Chenchén con chivo y arepitas de yuca (cracked corn pilaf).
    Chenchén (cracked corn pilaf with spicy shrimp and avocado).

    Chenchén with braised goat and with shrimp.

    Variations

    Generally, there are two ways chenchén is found: a creamy, milk and coconut based dish, or a pilaf-like dairy-free one. The latter is made with coarse chenchén (the kind you can more easily obtain by hand-grinding the corn), and it's considered the more humble option [2]. It is the former we present here.

    In the end, each cook have their own little secrets.

    Top tips

    • For this recipe, you need to find cracked corn similar to grits, coarser than polenta. Cracked corn is available under different names. For example, the type used for chacá is a bigger grain than the one used for this dish.
    • You can find the finer one needed for this dish under the names "crushed corn" and "coarse cornmeal" or "coarse ground cornmeal".
    • Some people prefer a creamy, porridge-like consistency, some prefer a pudding-like consistency (by leaving all the liquid to evaporate), and some prefer a pilaf-like consistency. For the latter, use a coarser grain, do not add water, and cook at medium-high temperature throughout so it stays firmer (graneado).

    About this recipe

    Please keep in mind that every family seems to have their preferred version of this dish. It is most commonly made with milk and/or coconut milk, though not everyone does. It varies in texture and consistency. I would love to hear what version you prefer.

    If you have a different way of making this dish, please share it in the comments.

    Buen provecho!

    Tia Clara

    Video

    Recipe

    This awesome free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, we receive a small commission from any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

    Chenchén dominicano con coco (creamy, savory, corn)
    Keep screen on while cooking

    Chenchen [Recipe + Video] Dominican Cracked Corn Pilaf

    By: Clara Gonzalez
    Chenchén (Dominican cracked corn pilaf) originates from the southwest provinces of the Dominican Republic and is a delicious substitute for rice in our diet.
    4.91 from 22 votes
    Save for Later Send by Email Print Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 55 mins
    Course Lunch
    Cuisine Caribbean, Dominican
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 555 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup chenchén , (coarse grind cracked corn) (see notes)
    • 1¾ cup evaporated milk, [400 ml]
    • 1¾ cup coconut milk, [400 ml]
    • 1 cups vegetable broth, unsalted
    • 2 tablespoon butter , (salted)
    • 2 clove garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
    • 1½ tablespoon salt, or to taste, divided
    • 2 tablespoon minced parsley, to garnish, optional

    Instructions
     

    Rinsing

    • Rinsing the corn
      Rinse the corn in abundant water to get rid of stray peels and excess starch.

    Cooking

    • Stirring the corn while it boils
      Combine the rinsed corn, evaporated milk, coconut milk, 1¾ cup [400 ml] of water, broth, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt in the pot.
      Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid has reduced to about half, stirring every five minutes or so to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
      Once reduced to half, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until it reaches the desired consistency (see notes). Be careful with splatters at this stage, and use a splatter cover if you have one.

    Seasoning

    • Corn ready to serve
      Once it reaches your preferred consistency, season with salt to taste. Remove from the heat.
      The garlic has probably dissolved by then, but check and remove any chunk left, if any.

    Serving

    • Adding parsley
      Sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot with chivo guisado, bacalao guisado, or – for a non-traditional combination – with spicy shrimp.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 555kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 14gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 28gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 3036mgPotassium: 704mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 736IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 321mgIron: 5mg

    Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.

    READERS SEARCHED FOR broken corn recipe, chen chen dominican food, chenchen dominicano, crack corn recipe
    More recipes with: coconut, corn

    References

    1. Savory Thoughts - Mais Moulin
    2. El Fogoncito - Brisas del Sur: Chenchén con Chivo

    Published Mar 27, 2012, revised Mar 9, 2023

    More The Best Dominican Side Dishes

    • Queso Frito (Easy Fried Cheese)
    • Yuca Frita (Easy Yuca Fries or Cassava Fries)
    • Molondrones Guisados (Dominican Stewed Okra)
    • Habichuelas (Frijoles) Negros (Stewed Black Beans Recipe)
    Edited: Mar 9, 2023 | Publish: Mar 7, 2023

    ¡Hola! I am Tía Clara, your host. Thanks for visiting.
    - Any questions or comments about this?
    - Made our recipe? Follow and tag me on Instagram.
    - Subscribe to receive our recipes by email.

    Recipe Rating




    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    20 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Tia Clara's Dominican Cooking
    is the oldest and largest Dominican cooking website, with a 20-year collection of traditional Dominican recipes, and recipes inspired in the Dominican cuisine.
    More about us ➜

    • Facebook page
    • Instagram account
    • Youtube channel
    • Pinterest account
    La Bandera Dominicana free ebook.

    Don't miss

    • Batida de Lechosa (Papaya Milkshake)
    • Dominican Bizcocho Cupcakes
    • Guineítos or Guineos en Escabeche (Savory Green Bananas)
    • Dulce de Leche Dominicano (Dulce de Leche Candy)

    Most popular Most recent

    Footer

    featured on

    Lee este contenido

    En Español

    SIGN UP and receive emails,
    updates, and surprises!

    Or follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    • Google News

    Made in 🇩🇴 with ❤️

    © 2022 · LUNCH CLUB BOOKS, LLC
    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    DO NOT reproduce without authorization.

    As Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. READ...


    ↑ BACK TO TOP | ABOUT US | BLOG | CONTACT US | WE GIVE | POLICIES | STORIES | PORTFOLIO

    wpDiscuz
    You are going to send email to

    Move Comment