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
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!
Paula says
It’s not the first time I make this Pollo Guisado it’s delicious lots off flavors veggies my family loves this wonderful meal.Thank You for the recipe
Mike Hultquist says
Glad your family love it, Paula! I appreciate it!
Traci Vilez says
I can not wait to make this. I can tell that your recipes will be flavorful because a lot of recipes use tsp instead of tbsp, but I always add more because I want to taste the seasoning. Looks so good. I am excited to make it. I should have looked at this recipe earlier because it is 1:03 am and I want to cook this now. LOL
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, enjoy, Traci! Yes, I LOVE lots of extra flavor, too.
Dawn Fontanez says
I made this tonight and it was very good! My husband loved it! However, I would probably use one tablespoon of Adobo instead of two next time. I found it to be a bit too salty so I just added a little water to the pot and it was just fine! Will definitely make this again! @ChiliPepperMadness
Mike H. says
Thank you and I am so glad that you customized it to your preference!
Marti Fernandez says
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I did have to adjust the Adobo seasoning as it is very salty (learned the hard way!). I make Puerto Rican red rice and beans with it and it beyond delicious.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Marti!
Susan Jevaltas says
I cannot wait to make this in a few days. But I have a 5.5 lb. chicken. I assume I ought to just double the other ingredients. What do you suggest otherwise?
Mike Hultquist says
Susan, yes, you can easily double the ingredients to make a bigger batch. Just make sure the chicken cooks through. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
Nichole says
Mike, this recipe was delicious! My husband is Puerto Rican has been begging me to learn how to make pollo guisado. Your recipe was the closest I found to how his mom makes it! The first time I made it, it was a bit too salty. that was because I was using store bought adobo, which I'm assuming is much more salty than yours. Every time after that I adjusted the amount of adobo, and it is now one of our favorite recipes! thanks so much for this!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks so much, Nichole!
Debra A Johanson says
I used jalepenos and half fried the potatoes in oil before adding. Yumm!!
Mike Hultquist says
Boom!! I love it!
Mary says
Hi, where can I buy the sofrito already made. If I don't want to make it myself. what brand is best to use? thnx
Mike Hultquist says
Mary, I don't really see it in many U.S. supermarkets, though I don't really look for it, as I make my own. I would try Amazon.
Traci says
I am with you Mike, much better homemade, but I love to cook so there you go.
Gwendolyn Branch says
Goya makes it. Look in the international section or Goya aisle
Lena says
hey.. it's super easy to make and the jarred stuff doesn't taste that great, but any supermarket should have it where the Spanish food isle is.
Andrea says
I buy mine at Giant, in the produce section. it's typically over by the tofu and single serving, prepackaged veggies/fruits. It says
Feliciano's Puerto Rico Sofrito on the containerl.
Nicole Allen says
I use the Goya one in the white tub. I get it home and pour it into an ice cube tray. Once frozen, I pop them into a freezer bag and can use them easily whenever I need sofrito
Mike Hultquist says
Great.
Deanna says
Walmart freezer section. Goya its the green one.
Vanessa says
I’ve found Goya and Iberia brand at both Walmart and Save a Lot
Nichole says
I know this comment is old, but in case anyone else might be looking for it also.. Goya makes a sofrito that comes in a little tub. I find it in the freezer section with the other Goya frozen food products like the tostones and empanadas. It's very good! I much prefer the frozen one over the one that comes in the glass jar. Hope that helps!
Nicole says
They have it in stores in a jar in the international isle or in the goya frozen section
Yoli says
try etsy
Sandra De Leon says
@ Mary You can find it at Walmart and Goya makes it in the frozen section