This pollo guisado recipe is a flavorful braised chicken stew popular in Caribbean and Latin American cuisines, with loads of chicken, so easy to make!
If you're looking for a chicken stew recipe that is huge on flavor with lots of seasonings and hearty ingredients, look no further than Pollo Guisado, my friends. This is the chicken stew you've been searching for.
Chicken stew is an easy choice for simple weeknight cooking. This is true in American where we can season up some inexpensive cuts of chicken, toss it into a pot with vegetables and liquid, then braise it until it's ready to enjoy.
It's also true of many Caribbean and Latin American countries, where Pollo Guisado is the standard. You'll find variations of this recipe from Dominican, Spanish, El Salvidor, Mexico and elsewhere. Ingredients vary from country to country and cook to cook.
This is more of a Puerto Rican Pollo Guisado, and the results are wonderful. You'll get so much flavor with this dish. It is so easy to make.
Let's talk about how we make pollo guisado, shall we?
Pollo Guisado Ingredients
- Chicken. Use a whole chicken for this recipe, cut up, about 2-1/2 pounds. You can use boneless, skinless chicken, but you'll get much more flavor with bone-in chicken.
- Seasonings. Use 2 tablespoons adobo seasoning and 1 tablespoon sazon seasoning, very popular seasonings in Latin American cuisine. Also bay leaf for the simmering.
- Oil. 2 tablespoons olive oil for browning the chicken.
- Vegetables. Use 1 small onion, 1 small bell pepper, (or use hotter peppers to your taste), 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup olives and 3 medium potatoes.
- Sofrito. I use 1/4 cup sofrito, though you can use more or less to your personal tastes. Try this homemade sofrito recipe.
- Liquid. Use 8 ounces tomato sauce and 1 cup chicken broth
- Garnish. Spicy chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley
How to Make Pollo Guisado - the Recipe Method
Season and Brown the Chicken. Season the chicken pieces with adobo and sazon seasoning. Be sure to get all sides. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes to brown all sides, flipping half way through.
Vegetables and Liquid. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and sofrito. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the olives, potatoes, bay leaves, tomato sauce and chicken broth.
Boil, then Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and fall-off-the-bone. It should register 165 degrees internal (minimum) when measured with a food thermometer.
Garnish and Serve. Garnish with red pepper flakes and fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Boom! Done! Pollo guisado is ready to serve! Looks delicious, doesn't it? I'm ready to dig right into this amazing chicken stew. Such a great recipe.
Serving Suggestions for Pollo Guisado
Serve your pollo guisado in a bowl as a hearty chicken stew with some crusty bread to sop up the wonderful sauce. Or, serve it over rice.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Chicken. It is best to use bone-in chicken for the overall flavor. Chicken skin is optional. I usually keep it on. This recipe does work with boneless chicken, however, so feel free to use boneless chicken breast, thighs, or your favorite cuts.
- The Seasonings. I use both adobo seasoning and sazon seasoning, popular in Puerto Rican and Latin American cuisine. Feel free to use others, such as cumin or chili powders.
- The Vegetables. You can easily stretch this recipe with more potatoes, or use other ingredients you might have on hand, such as carrots, rutabaga, peas, corn, or root vegetables.
- Slow Cooker Pollo Guisado. You can easily use a slow cooker or crock pot to make your pollo guisado. Just be sure to brown the chicken in a pan first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for about 1.5 - 2 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. This is not a traditional method, but it works great.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this pollo guisado recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. You can make it as spicy as you'd like.
Cookbook Recommendations
I've been learning a lot about Puerto Rican cooking from several different cookbooks. Here are links to 2 Puerto Rican cookbooks I highly recommend. They are great. These are affiliate links, my friends!
- Puerto Rican Cuisine in America: Nuyorican and Bodega Recipes, by Oswald Rivera
- Puerto Rican True Flavors, by Wilo Benet
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Cajun Baked Chicken Thighs
- Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork)
- Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo
- Arroz con Gandules
- Puerto Rican Pique
- Cuban Sandwich Recipe (Cubano Sandwich)
- Coconut Curry Chicken
- Chicken Paprikash (Paprika Chicken)
- Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa)
- Harissa Chicken
- Chicken Mole
- Arepas Recipe
Try Some of These Other Great Stews
- Brunswick Stew
- Burgoo
- Booyah (Chunky Midwestern Stew)
- Carne Guisada (Beef Stew)
- Sancocho (Latin American Stew)
- Cajun Baked Chicken Thighs
- Albondigas Soup (Caldo de Albondigas)
Also check out my story on Pollo Guisado Chicken Stew.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Pollo Guisado Recipe (Chicken Stew)
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 pound chicken cut up, skin on
- 2 tablespoons adobo seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sazon seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 small bell pepper chopped (or use hotter peppers to your taste)
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/4 cup sofrito
- 1/2 cup olives
- 3 medium potatoes halved and quartered
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- FOR GARNISH: Spicy chili flakes fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Season the chicken with adobo and sazon seasoning. Be sure to get all sides.
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes to brown all sides, flipping half way through.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and sofrito. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the olives, potatoes, bay leaves, tomato sauce and chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and fall-off-the-bone. It should register 165 degrees internal (minimum) when measured with a food thermometer.
- Garnish with red pepper flakes and fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Maddie says
Hi Mike, I make your Adobo and Sazon Seasoning recipes, plus your Sofrito recipe, to use in this recipe…the result…spectacular! I make many more of your great recipes but have been too busy to respond to each. Thank you.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Maddie! Glad to be helpful!!!
Michael says
I doubled the recipe for International Sunday at church. I hope everyone likes it. Everything came together as the recipe said. Haven't tasted it yet.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I hope it was enjoyed, Michael.
Karen says
We really liked it! Immediately saved it and will be making it again.. yum!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice! I appreciate it, Karen. We love this one! So good.
Christine says
Mike! You did it again. This is a winner. Like many of the others, I didn't add sofrito and I did add carrots. Being of middle European descent I served it over wide egg noodles. I have one question. What kind of olives? I only had pimento stuffed and actually forgot to add them. I'm not sure what you used in photo.
Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Thanks, Christine! I used green olives here and love it. I appreciate the comments! Glad you enjoyed it!
Halima says
I literally want to dive into my screen and mop that sauce up. Don't even want the chicken, just the sauce LOL.
We don't have Sazon seasoning here in SA, and I looked at your recipe and we don't get annatto here either. What can I substitute it with please
Thank you Mike
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Haha, thanks, Halima. Annato is quite a unique ingredient so it could be worth ordering some online, but for subs (mostly for color), you could use paprika with a touch of turmeric, or saffron. Enjoy!
Kort says
Sounds D lish, thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Kort! So good!!
Natasha says
We discovered this recipe last winter and now make it at least once a month. My children love it and they are not soup lovers. It's easy to make a large pot and freeze for the week. Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Glad you love it as much as we do, Natasha! I appreciate it!
Mickey B. says
Hands down the best PR recipe I've found online! I just made an awesome pernil I found online but it's no comparison to the authentic flavor and ease of making like this guisado. Thanks for sharing
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome to hear! Glad you enjoyed it, Mickey. High praise indeed!
Genoveva says
I am half Puerto Rican and always go to this Puerto Rican restaurant to get pollo guisado… although good… imo it was too salty. Yet the best I could get in the town I am in… so I was excited to try this recipe.. all my ingredients were organic with the exception of the sofrito.
There is even a organic adobo seasoning which honestly is no comparison to the other brand. Definitely high quality seasoning with no chemicals.
I have made this recipe twice now and it is hands down my favorite and I can’t even see myself eating out anymore because I can make it better at home.
Something just hits different when your ingredients are organic. Including organic chicken.
No additives or preservatives or added color blah… just all organic all real food along with this recipe makes the perfect pollo guisado.
Hands down the best I’ve ever had and some picky eaters in my family think so too! Totally cleaned the bone.
Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, Genoveva! Very high praise! Super happy you found this one and enjoy it. So good for sure!
Renee Thomas says
Delicious! I added some sliced carrots as a reviewer suggested. Perfection!
T says
Was wondering if I could do this in a crock pot
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Absolutely! Enjoy.
Ashley says
I’ve made this recipe about a dozen times since my sister sent it to me and it just does not disappoint. This is the first pollo guisado recipe that actually reminds me of the one my abuelita used to make when I was a child. This recipe is an absolute keeper and I am so glad my sister stumbled upon your site. Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad you enjoy it, Ashley! We love this recipe.
Jose says
Very Puertorican . Recaito culantro cilantro adobo Sazón. What more can you want? Delicious. +++ I added a few leafs of recao brujo. Loved it. Almost an asopao. I made it in the magic pot. My wife is puertorican and I am Cuban. The taste is definitely different than the Cuban fricasé. Can’t say which is better. Love them both. ((No paprica or comino or oregano.)
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jose. I greatly appreciate it.
Arpita Patel says
Made this last night. It was delicious!! Added some peas and some thyme. Definite keeper!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice! Thanks, Arpita!
Christie Z says
For Puerto Rico style Pollo Guisado, I start by rubbing the chicken with a crushed mixture of as many garlic cloves as I want + 4 peppercorns + 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp oregano. I let that season for up to 3 days. I cannot stress the importance of sofrito enough. Here's a quick recipe for it from Oswald Rivera's book Puerto Rican Cuisine in America: 8 leafy stems cilantro + 1 medium green bell pepper + 1 clove garlic crushed + 1/4 aji dulce peppers (if you can find them) - sliced in 1/2 and seeds removed + 6 whole leaves recao (if you can find it). Otherwise use everything but the aji dulce and recao. Goya makes sofrito and recao too it's just not that great. I just made it last night with skinless/boneless thighs and am convince that bone in/skin on brings out the best flavor. I also add carrots. But one of my favorite additions is one habanero pepper floating around - don't cut it - let it float while you are cooking the stew. It gives it a nice little zing.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice.
yami says
Delicious!!! I didnt use bay leaf I was so excited to see this simmering... taste super delicious
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice! Thanks, Yami.
Cara says
I’m making this tonight for the second time this month. One word...AMAZING.
This dish is so easy to make and so packed with flavor. I used chicken drums and thighs and threw some peas in at the end (hubbs doesn’t like olives). It is so simple but tastes like it’s been cooking for hours an hours!! SCORE!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes! Love to hear it, Cara. Glad you are enjoying it. Big flavor right here!
Wendy says
What if it’s more than 2 1/2 pounds of chicken?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Wendy, you can fit more chicken in the pot. No problem! Let me know how it turns out for you.
Elaine says
Diana and Michael: Great recipe! Thanks for sharing Michael! I don't care for a whole lot of chopping or cleaning up of the food processor, and had the same observation as Diane that most of the ingredients in sofrito, or all depending upon the version of sofrito, are already covered. Glad to read about the exchange between the two of you about sofrito. Always looking for ways to simplify a bit without sacrificing too much taste. Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Elaine! I appreciate the comments. Thank you very much for sharing. I'm super happy you liked it!
Kt says
This was delicious. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I already had. This is a keeper, thank you.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect with boneless chicken thighs! I love to hear it, KT. Glad you enjoyed it.
Diana says
I give this five stars, even though it's still on the stove right now. It's in that last stage where you have to simmer 30 minutes.
I had to change a couple things up.
I used boneless thighs because my 20 year-old has recently revealed to me that the bones-on gross him out. (Which I never knew all the time I was serving him bones-on. I love bones-on, but he is 20 and so he knows everything.)
I also didn't do the sofrito because I don't want to make a quart of it and it seemed like everything in the recipe was sofrito ingredients anyway. For that step, I substituted 1/4 cup of cilantro and called it a day. I can tell by the way it's cooking, it will be great. Bones-on would have been better, but...
Anyhoo, it seems to be turning out well. I'm really happy with it right now.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds great, Diana! I hope you love it as much as I do!
Gloria says
Mike - once again you nailed a recipe that my PuertoRican abuelita (and mom too) used to make. Kudos to you!! It's only missing one thing: sliced carrots. Try it one time; I think you'll like that addition. 🙂 Once again, thanks so much for sharing these recipes from the Caribbean.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Gloria! I am DEFINITELY going to use carrots next time! I love them! They would be so perfect here. Cheers to your abuelita, and mom!
Rick says
Mmmm good flavor. We find the finest quality most spicy recipes from Chili Pepper Madness... thanks for the ideas
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Rick! I appreciate it!
Jérémie says
I love meals with olive in it! Soooo much flavors here!!! Dear Mike, this is very very good (again).
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jérémie! Yes! I really love this one. Tasty!