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5 from 29 votes

Pollo Guisado (Chicken Stew)

The best pollo guisado recipe with bone-in chicken, potatoes, spices, and olives, cooked until tender. A Puerto Rican chicken stew that is packed with flavor and super easy to make.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Servings: 4
Calories: 418kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs chicken bone-in
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 potatoes peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1/4 cup sofrito
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp adobo
  • 1 tsp sazon
  • 1/2 cup olives
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • oil

Instructions

  • Begin by seasoning the chicken with adobo, sazon, salt, and pepper. Heat some oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Make sure to work in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside. Add the onions and peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Season with a pinch of salt. Stir in the fresh garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the sofrito, tomato sauce, and bay leaf.
  • Add the chicken back to the pot and cover with 3 cups of water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes are up, add the potatoes and olives. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through and the potatoes are fork-tender. 
  • Cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes and let the sauce thicken a bit. Check for seasoning and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • If you don't have sazon and adobo seasoning on hand, simply season the chicken the way you normally do. A blend of granulated garlic, paprika, oregano, cumin, and onion powder will add lots of flavor. You can also season it with this chipotle seasoning.
  • Although I prefer bone-in skin-on chicken legs and thighs you may certainly use boneless skinless chicken breast instead.
  • Want to make it spicy? Add some finely diced green chilies or cayenne pepper.
  • To thicken the sauce, simply cook uncovered. However, if you want the sauce really thick, remove the chicken, potatoes, and olives from the pot and set it aside. Increase the heat to high and cook the sauce uncovered until it reduced by half, stirring frequently. No cornstarch or flour necessary!

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1569mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1079IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg