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!
Pollo Guisado Recipe (Chicken Stew)
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
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.
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.
Storage Information
Leftover pollo guisado will last in the refrigerator up to 5 days in a sealed container. You can easily reheat it in a pot on the stove top to enjoy again.
You can also freeze it for 3 months or longer in freezer containers.
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.
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
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
LM says
Made this for my Puerto Rican husband. He loved it. He said it tasted like his mom used to make it. Thank you so much.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! So great to hear this! Thanks so much for sharing, and I'm very happy you both enjoyed it.
Mary A Cruz says
Can this be made in a crock pot? If so, how? Thank you in advance.
Mary
Mike H. says
Mary, you can easily use a crock pot. Make sure to sauté the chicken in a pan until golden brown before transferring everything to the pot. Cook on low for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the chicken is tender and fully cooked. While this method may not be traditional, it can be effective.
Sahara says
This recipe is so good!! I've made it several times and everyone devours it!
Mike Hultquist says
Great to hear, Sahara! Thanks for sharing this!
YOLANDA MCDOWELL says
this about my 3rd time making this dish, excellent
Mike H. says
I am very happy to hear that, Yolanda. Thank you very much!
Lilibeth A says
Thank you for your amazing recipe! It worked so perfect. I intuitively even added jalapenos to my sofrito for a little kick. This was the most perfect recipe to make my FIRST pollo guisado and it was a HIT! It will definitely be one to keep for years to come! Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Lilibeth! Glad you enjoyed it!
Scott Swanbery says
This is probably my family's favorite Chili Pepper Madness recipe. Made it again last night and substituted El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce for tomato sauce and green chilis for bell pepper. It was dynamite last night - leftovers should be even better !! Thank you Mike and keep up the good work !! Your recipes are typically not overly spicy allowing for a little personalization when the family demand more heat !!BTW does Mrs. Hulquist enjoy spicy food also? Or are you relegated to the garage to eat this stuff?
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, THANKS, Scott! I appreciate it. Very happy you're enjoying the recipes! Yes, Patty loves spicy food, too, though it took me many years to get her to adapt! She doesn't cook, so had little choice! Haha! =)
Roxana Duong says
My kitchen smells amazing and the flavor is so good. I have been craving some good pollo guisado and this hits the spot. I am excited to make it again and added to my list of favorites.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Roxana!
victoria says
i loved this! i will make again.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Victoria!
Jennifer says
This recipe was just the flavor I was craving! I made a few minor changes. Replaced the potatoes with sweet potatoes and added a can of drained white beans along with 2 cups of water and 1 packet of chicken bouillon powder. I also kept the chicken thighs whole, browned them first, removed, added all other ingredients, then added chicken back in. Ended up cooking for about 50 minutes total.
Mike H. says
Awesome, Jennifer. I am glad to hear that you've customized it to your liking!
Greicy says
Can I leave the potatoes out? Can I still follow the same recipe or is there anything i should cut back on?
Mike H. says
Yes, Greicy, you can.The absence of potatoes won't require fundamental changes. Enjoy!
Shahran Spears says
Absolutely AMAZING! Very authentic. A tad bit salty, would cut back on olives and Adobo just slightly.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Shahran!
Steve D says
Made this twice after I tasted a friend's Pollo Guisado for the first time. Wow this is fantastic!!! I gave some to my friend and she said I nailed it! I took the suggestion of 1tbs of Adobo. I also added carrots and some frozen peas. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, Steve. Enjoy and come back for more! 😉
RM says
My family absolutely loves this recipe. I’m not Spanish, but my younger half brother is mixed Puerto Rican & White. When we were younger his family would make a variation of this, as well as pastelitos and they started my love for Spanish food. As we got older we lost touch with his side of the family but I would always crave the meals they used to make us. Soooo happy I found this recipe it was exactly what I was needing and it has become my family’s favorite hearty meal, especially perfect for cold weather months. I like to add red beans and a generous amount of olives and capers. We also do ours with chicken thighs. Sometimes we just do baby potatoes too cause they’re easy! Either way it’s always delicious and packed with flavor and makes the whole house smell divine. 10/10 looking forward to trying out other recipes.
Mike H. says
Thank you for sharing your story, RM. It was a great read. Enjoy the recipes! =)
Gail says
What can you use in place of the Sofrito and the Sazon too many chemicals and allergens for me.
Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Gail, sofrito and sazon can be made homemade so you can avoid any chemicals. In place of sofrito, use fresh onions, peppers, garlic, maybe tomato. Check out my Homemade Sazon Recipe so you can use the different elements as desired: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/sazon-seasoning/
Irene says
Amazing recipe! I have been looking for years to find a chicken stew like my grandma made and this taste just like it!
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Glad you find it here, Irene! Thanks!
Mama Hink says
Soooo good, tastes just like my abuela’s
Le Verne says
great dish with those olives!!
Mike Hultquist says
Yeah! I agree!
Seena says
Can't wait to try this! Can this be Made in a crock pot and can chicken breast be used instead?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes to both, Seena. Let me know how it turns out! Enjoy!
Rachel Peery says
I've made your recipe several times, and it is packed with flavor. I add chopped up hot cherry peppers and some of the juice. I also add fire roasted tomatoes. So good!!
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds perfect to me, Rachel!
Andrea k says
Delicious
I reduced the Adobo to 1 1/2 teaspoons in the season to 1 1/2 teaspoons
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Andrea.
Steve says
Had a similar dish made by a friend's 80yr old mom. So I was on a mission to find similar. Picked your recipe after much research. Never made Puerto Rican food before. This was absolutely amazing!!! I read reviews and decided to cut back to 1tbs of Adobo and used 1 sweet potato and 1 russet. My mouth is still partying! Made sofrito for the first time. Can't wait to use it now in many other dishes. Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Great to hear, Steve! Very happy you enjoyed it!