Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Chicken Stew) is a traditional, highly common dish made with simple ingredients and cooked in a savory broth. Perfectly tender fall off the bone chicken in a scrumptious delicious sauce with carrots and potatoes. Serve with white or yellow rice and serve comfort food at its best.
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Looking for total comfort food tonight? Here it is!
Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Chicken Stew) is a dish I grew up with and by far is one of my favorite comfort foods to eat! It’s a delicious, one pot chicken dish wonder made with simple ingredients and is highly flavorful!
Pair it up with white or yellow rice and you have total comfort food at it’s best!
Origination, Translation and Different Names
Pollo stands for chicken in English while Guisado in English stands for stew, hence, pollo guisado!
This dish is also known as guisado de pollo or guiso de pollo and is a popular and very common dish in Puerto Rico as well as Cuba and Dominican Republic.
My mami would make this meal at least once a week, whereas if you grew up living with my aunt Jeanette, you were definitely eating this fall off the bone chicken stew two three times a week! Definitely one of her top favorite Puerto Rican meals!
As for me, well you can guarantee to find me making pollo guisado several times a month in my home!
Show up unexpectedly at my home and don’t be surprised to find a large pot of Puerto Rican chicken stew on the stove.
I just love how easy it is to put this dish together. Put all ingredients in one pot….chicken, carrots, potatoes, olives and spices, cook for 30-40 minutes and done.
Ingredients to Make Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Chicken Stew)
3 pounds whole chicken or wings, thighs, drumsticks
1 cup potatoes
1/2 – 1 cup carrots
12 olives stuffed with pimientos
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 cups water
2 tbsp oil
Spices
1 packet of Sazón seasoning with Annatto (found in the Latin section of supermarket)
1/2 tsp oregano
adobo seasoning sprinkled on chicken pieces (found in Latin section)
2 garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tbsp Puerto Rican sofrito (homemade or store bought)
chicken bouillon (2 cubes if large cubes) and (4 cubes if small cubes)
1/4 cup of tomato sauce
1-2 dried bay leaves (depending on how large they are)
salt and pepper to taste
*NOTE: Making homemade sofrito is really easy and only takes 5 minutes to make. What’s great is once you have it made you can store it in a jar and keep in refrigerator for future Puert Rican meals such as:
Arroz Mamposteao (Dirty Rice and Beans)
How to Make Pollo Guisado
Rinse chicken and season with adobo.
In a caldero or dutch oven over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil for a 2 minutes.
Add chicken pieces, sofrito, sazon packet, fresh chopped garlic (or garlic powder), oregano, chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, olives, bay leaf and water.
Bring to a boil and cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes covered.
Then add carrots.
*NOTE: If using a whole chicken, do not add chicken breast pieces now (they will dry out by the time the pollo guisado is done, add at the last 10-15 minutes of cooking).
Add potatoes. Add cilantro. Cover again.
Cook on medium heat for an additional 30-40 minutes.
Top with additional cilantro. Done!!
Chicken will be falling of the bone and stew will be absolutely scrumptious. The flavor of the broth will be heavenly and chicken perfectly tender.
Serve with white or yellow rice.
What to Serve Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Chicken Stew) With
- Serve with white or yellow rice
- Mashed potatoes
- Garlic crusty bread
Pollo Guisado Recipe in a Slow Cooker
Put everything in the pot and cook for 2 hours on high.
Chicken Stew in Pressure Cooker
Put everything in pot and cook for 25 minutes.
***For more delicious recipes you will love these as well.
Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
Chilaquiles Verdes with Chicken
Authentic Mexican Chicken Enchiladas in Red Sauce
Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Chicken Stew)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs whole chicken or combination of wings, thighs and drumsticks whole chicken cut up and chicken breast cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1 cup potatoes cut into large chunks
- 1/2 -1 cup carrots depending on how much carrots you want in your stew
- 12 olives stuffed with pimientos
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp oil
Spices
- 1 packet Sazón seasoning with Annatto found in the International or Latin section
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- adobo sprinkled on chicken pieces
- 2 garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2-3 tbsp Puerto Rican sofrito homemade or store bought
- 2 large chicken bouillon cubes or 4 small cubes
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1-2 dried bay leaves depending on how large they are
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse chicken and season with adobo.In a caldero or dutch oven over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil for a 2 minutes.
Add chicken pieces, sofrito, sazon packet, fresh chopped garlic (or garlic powder), oregano, chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, olives, bay leaf and water.
NOTE: do not add chicken breast pieces now or they will dry out by the time the pollo guisado is done, add at the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. - Bring to a boil and cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes covered.Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add carrots, potatoes and cover with lid.Cook on medium heat for an additional 30-40 minutes.
- Top with additional cilantro. Done!!Serve with white or yellow rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Love fixing one pot meals during the busy work week. This looks absolutely delicious and love the fact that all the veggies and potatoes can all be thrown in the pot at the same time. Add some rice to soak up all the gravy and this is one meal that would satisfy the whole family.
Thank you Linda! Yes that’s one of the things I love about this dish is the fact that everything could be thrown in a pot and a hyper delicious meal is the outcome!! Yummy wholesome goodness!!
I have never had stew with olives before but I’m sure it adds the perfect saltiness to the dish. I’m excited to try this new recipe.
The olives taste delicious in this stew, I think you will love them here!
I can’t wait to make this recipe using my own herbs and spices this spring. Everything is better fresh!
Fresh herbs! Perfect!
This really is a perfect comfort and warming meal. The kind of thing you’d look forward to after a busy day, especially on a cold day. Full of wholesome goodness.
Thanks Helen! Yes it is!! It’s just perfect!
This recipe is so easy and has so much flavor! It’s a new go-to!
Great Kim! So happy to hear that!
I made this recipe tonight and it turned out SO good. I did not make any changes to the ingredients, and I used my Instant Pot (Manual 25mins). After I let the pressure out, and within 25 mins it was ready to eat. We paired it with rice, and the kids (ages 8,6,3) LOVED it! I’m Costa Rican, and we have a similar way to make this. It’s the PERFECT comfort food. Will be on my recipe rotation moving forward. SUPER RICO!!!
Hello Stefany! So happy to hear all of you enjoyed it so much! I have made it in the instant pot several times myself and love it too! So much faster and you’re not losing quality of taste in the dish! YUM! Would love to make it Costa Rican style! Let me know if you have any suggestions! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how much you and your family enjoyed it and rating it! Appreciate you much!