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
LC says
I think that using cubed skinless chicken thigh is easiest and doesn’t sacrifice anything for the stew.
I usually need more broth/stock to cover the ingredients in my pot, so then I also add in more sofrito and tomato sauce so I’m not diluting flavor.
I also tend to add a bit more olives because they’re such a good part of this stew.
This has so much good flavor. I love it! So do my husband and kids - even the one who doesn’t eat ANY soup or stew.
Mike Hultquist says
I love this, LC. GREAT way to make it. I want a bowl, too! =)
Krisite says
Could I make this in crock pot? If so how long to cook?
Mike Hultquist says
You can, Krisite. I have a section in the post about this:
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.
Mandii says
Delicious, the family agrees.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent!! Glad you and your family enjoyed it, Mandii!
Puja says
Tried this recipe today, half of given quantity as only for my son. Served it with steamed jasmine rice and crackers. He liked it, so cheers to you!! I have tried many of your recipes as we love spicy foods.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Puja! Thanks for sharing!
Greenma says
Very tender and flavorful. Wish the Sofrito recipe made about half.
Janet says
Greenma - I make his sofrita recipe and freeze it in 1/2 cup portions. Works great and I always have it on hand!
Pamela Westerman says
A coworker brought this to work one day and I absolutely fell in love with it I'm trying this recipe now and will get back to you with pictures and just how well everything went I'm excited learning and cooking a new recipe it sounds delicious and it brings back good memories I don't think even I could mess this recipe up thank you for the yummy recipe be back with you later for more
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Pamela! I hope you love it.
BillBixby says
I want to make this for some family but there are several people who refuse to eat dark meat. if I use half dark, bone in, and half chicken breasts, should I put the chicken breasts in later or take them out sooner?
Mike Hultquist says
I would put them at the same time and let them stew.
Rae Ann says
I was looking for a basic pollo stew and this recipe was just what I wanted! The twist I did was adding in carrots! what a delicious meal this was! followed the recipe and when it was time to add the potatoes I added the carrots in too! This was a hit at the dinner table! Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Rae Ann! Carrots are PERFECT for this! YUM!
Charm says
I made this for the first time a week ago and I'm making it again today. I've been craving it ever since and my family loved it. I made my own sofrito and paired it with Arroz con Gandules. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Very happy you enjoyed it! Homemade sofrito really makes it stand out.
Victoria Smith says
I love this dish but it was way too salty with sazon and adobe seasoning. Making it second time around but cut down on the seasonings and added carrots. Good stuff!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Victoria. That's why I like to make my own spice blends, to help control the salt levels. Glad you enjoyed it.
Kellie says
this was so easy to make and and absolutely delicious. my husband said I definitely need to save this recipe. thank you!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!! Glad you enjoyed it, Kellie!
Sharon says
I love Puerto Rican food but find it laden with sodium. I wonder if there is a substitute for sazon? I bypass recipes that ask for it
Mike Hultquist says
Sharon, yes, you can make your own homemade sazon seasoning, but skip or reduce the salt. Check out my recipe here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/sazon-seasoning/