Description
Pollo Guisado is a traditional Puerto Rican chicken stew featuring tender bone-in chicken simmered slowly with vibrant seasonings, sofrito, vegetables, and olives. This rich and comforting dish is perfect served over fluffy white rice and offers a delicious taste of Caribbean home cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 4-5 pounds bone-in chicken legs and thighs, skin removed (optional), trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Aromatics and Seasonings
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- ¼ cup sofrito, homemade or store-bought
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon sazón seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, or regular oregano
- 1 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon, optional
- 2 bay leaves
Vegetables and Add-ins
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1½ pounds yellow potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup Spanish olives, optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for browning)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine chicken with lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, adobo seasoning, cumin, and onion powder. Toss to coat evenly, cover and let marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate if preparing in advance.
- Brown the chicken: Heat a heavy-bottom pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. In batches, sear chicken pieces for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Avoid crowding to ensure searing instead of steaming. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Sauté aromatics: In the same pot, cook diced onion and bell pepper over medium heat until softened and lightly golden, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add sofrito and garlic: Stir in sofrito and minced garlic, cooking for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add seasonings: Mix in sazón, tomato paste, oregano, and optional chicken bouillon; cook for about 1 minute until aromatic and tomato paste darkens slightly.
- Build the stew: Nestle browned chicken pieces into the pot on top of the sofrito mixture. Add bay leaves and pour in enough water (4-6 cups) to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Simmer low and slow: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes to infuse flavors and partially cook the chicken.
- Add vegetables and continue simmering: Stir in carrots, potatoes, and olives if using. Cover again and simmer for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is nearly falling off the bone.
- Thicken the broth: Uncover and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes to reduce and thicken the stew to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lime for brightness.
- Serve: Serve hot over fluffy white rice, optionally garnished with fresh chopped cilantro for a bright herbal note.
Notes
- This recipe yields 6 to 8 hearty servings. For larger appetites, plan on 6 generous servings; with side dishes like rice and salad or plantains, it can serve 8.
- Use Goya or Loisa brand seasonings such as Adobo with Pepper and Sazón con Culantro y Achiote for authentic flavor.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated up to 4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight containers.
- Reheat gently over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Removing the chicken skin reduces fat but keeping it will add richness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/8th of recipe without rice)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
