Pollo guisado is a savory stew made with braised chicken, potatoes and vegetables in a rich tomato sauce. It’s made different ways all over Latin America but what remains consistent about this dish is that it’s always comforting and delicious! Along with white rice, beans, tostones, and avocado this dish is the ultimate Puerto Rican comfort food. Save my pollo guisado or chicken stew recipe for a delicious weeknight meal the whole familia will enjoy!

When I was a child, I remember my mom cooking pollo guisado quite often. My siblings and I sometimes complained because we had to eat it all the time but eventually I grew to love it and now it’s one of my favorite meals to cook for my kids. I have adopted the Dominican method of caramelizing sugar to brown the chicken before stewing it. I think it adds depth of flavor and elevates the dish to new levels!

Ingredients for making pollo guisado:

• Chicken drumsticks and thighs, skinless
• adobo
• sazón
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• ground oregano
• black pepper
• granulated sugar
• sofrito
• tomato sauce
• chicken bouillon
• garlic
• red onion
• bell pepper
• tomato
• pimento stuffed olives
• carrots
• potato
• bay leaves
• cilantro + culantro
• lime juice

I usually make my own homemade seasoning blends but I also use Healthy Rican Adobo and Sazón. They are free of harmful ingredients like MSG and dyes. Use my code: madewithsazon for 10% off your order!

How to make pollo guisado

To make pollo guisado, start by cleaning the chicken thoroughly with cold water and white vinegar. Season the chicken and brown it in caramelized sugar. This method allows the chicken to brown beautifully. You’ll want to take your time with this step. The more you brown the chicken the more richness you will add to the dish, just be sure not to burn. Once your chicken is turning dark brown, you’ll know it’s ready for the next step.

This is when we slow-cook the chicken in a fragrant, sofrito sauce with potatoes and vegetables. Add sofrito, chicken bouillon and then tomato sauce to the pot. Then add the vegetables and water. Simmer until everything is juicy and tender, then you are ready to serve and enjoy. The end result is magical, trust me!

How to cook pollo guisado in a pressure cooker?

Follow the same steps in the recipe up until browning the chicken. Then in a pressure cooker, add sofrito, chicken bouillon and tomato sauce. Sauté until fragrant and then add the chicken along with the vegetables and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and add bay leaves, cilantro and culantro. Close the pressure cooker and cook on medium-high heat for 25 minutes. The pressure cooker will cut down about 20-25 minutes of cook time as opposed to using the traditional method. The method would be similar if you have an instant pot as well. Enjoy!

What to serve with pollo guisado?

Pollo guisado is typically served with white rice, beans and salad. Some popular side dishes include tostones, platano maduro and also avocado. Other side dishes that compliment this dish well are macaroni salad or potato salad.

This dish stores well in the refrigerator for excellent leftovers you can enjoy the next day! Just warm on the stove over low heat and it’s just as delicious as it was the day before.

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Pollo Guisado Recipe

Pollo guisado is a savory chicken stew made with potatoes and vegetables in a rich tomato sauce.

5 from 13 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 lbs chicken drumsticks and thighs skinless
• 1 tsp adobo
• 1 tsp sazon
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp ground oregano
• salt to taste
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp granulated sugar for browning chicken
• 2 tbsp sofrito
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better Than Bouillon
• 1 tsp hot sauce optional
• 2 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 red onion halved
• 1/2 green bell pepper halved
• 1 plum tomato halved
• 1/4 cup pimento stuffed olives
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 2 carrots sliced
• 1 potato cubed
• 1 lime juiced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3-4 sprigs cilantro
• 3-4 culantro leaves optional

Instructions

 

• Clean chicken with cold water and white vinegar or lemon juice. Remove skin and any excess fat.
• Season the chicken with all of the spices. *See notes for pressure cooker method.
• Add oil to a large pot over medium high heat. Add sugar and allow it to brown.
• Add chicken and brown on all sides. Allow the chicken to turk dark brown but be careful not to burn. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
• Add sofrito, garlic, chicken bouillon, tomato sauce and hot sauce, if using. Cook until it becomes fragrant.
• Add the chicken, vegetables, olives, and enough water to cover the chicken fully. Stir the pot and bring to a boil.
• Add bay leaves, cilantro and culantro.
• Cover the pot, set the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken and vegetables are tender.
• Remove the aromatics. Taste the sauce, and adjust seasoning as necessary. I like to add a splash of lime juice at this point to enhance the flavor. If the sauce is too runny, crank up the heat and allow it to reduce a bit. You can also thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water).
• Serve and enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!

Video

Notes

How to cook pollo guisado in a pressure cooker?

Follow the same steps in the recipe up until browning the chicken. Then in a pressure cooker, add garlic, sofrito, chicken bouillon and tomato sauce. Sauté until fragrant and then add the chicken along with the vegetables and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and add bay leaves, cilantro and culantro. Close the pressure cooker and cook on medium-high heat for 25 minutes. The pressure cooker will cut down about 20-25 minutes of cook time as opposed to using the traditional method. The method would be similar if you have an instant pot as well. Enjoy!

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Keyword pollo guisado, puerto rican chicken stew, Puerto Rican recipes, puerto rican stewed chicken

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