Sancocho Recipe (Latin American Stew)

5 from 3 votes

Sancocho Recipe (Latin American Stew)

This sancocho recipe is the ultimate Latin American stew with loads of root vegetables, different cuts of meat and more simmered until tender, so hearty and delicious.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Caribbean, Colombian, Puerto Rican

Keyword: beef, butternut squash, chicken, pork, pumpkin, stew

Servings:

Calories: 428kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bell pepper chopped
1 large onion chopped
4 aji dulce peppers chopped (use other ajis to your preference, or use small sweet peppers as a substitute)
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 pound boneless beef chuck cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound boneless pork shoulder cut into bite-sized pieces
2 pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 ears corn cut into thirds or quarters
1 large yuca about 8 ounces, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large yam about 8 ounces, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound butternut squash or use pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 green plantains peeled and quartered
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 cups water or use chicken, beef or vegetable stock - or enough to cover the ingredients

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat and add the peppers and onions. Cook for 5 minutes to soften, stirring.
Add the garlic and cilantro and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the beef, pork and chicken pieces with the oregano. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to brown the meats.
Add the corn, yuca, yam, squash and plantains (and any other root vegetables you're using).
Add tomato sauce and enough water or stock to cover. Adjust with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the meats are very tender.
Remove the plantains from the stew and mash them slightly in a separate bowl. Return to the pot and cook another 2 minutes.
Serve with white rice and crusty bread.

Notes

The Root Vegetables. This is largely a root vegetable stew made with local ingredients. Typical root vegetables include yautia root, name root, taro, pumpkin, yuca, yams, squash, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and others. You can easily swap them for others available to you.

The Meats. Sancocho is often made with a variety of traditional stew meats, though you can focus on a single protein if you'd like. I have seen many recipes for chicken sancocho, beef sancocho, pork sancocho, or a mix.

Serving. Sancocho is traditionally served with white rice, though it is perfectly fine on its own. Serve some crusty bread on the side, or even try it over other grains or noodles.

Nutrition