Pollo de San Marcos is a homestyle chicken from the city of Aguascalientes. The pieces are browned and then slowly cooked in a tomato, onion, and garlic sauce seasoned with cinnamon, clove, oregano, and a pinch of sugar. Many recipes add white wine and dried fruit, such as dried peach and pear, which give the sauce a sweet-savory flavor.
The name comes from the Feria Nacional de San Marcos, the city’s big annual festival held between April and May around the San Marcos neighborhood and garden. The chicken is served at the fair’s food stalls and is also called pollo de Aguascalientes. There are different versions: in some, the chicken is served with potatoes, carrot, onion, and chiles en vinagre, without the fruit.
The combination of meat and fruit appears in other dishes from the state, like chile de Aguascalientes, and reflects the region’s fruit-growing tradition, known for guava and grapes. Pollo de San Marcos is family-and-festival food, prepared at home year-round and especially sought after during the fair.