Pollo Guisado

Meaty one-pot meals are common across Latin America, and in some cases, the same dish can have hundreds of regional variations. Pollo guisado, a well-seasoned chicken dish with plenty of veggies, is a great example. It’s popular in the Dominican Republic, Cuba and many other countries throughout Central and South America. This particular pollo guisado recipe originated as a Puerto Rican recipe.

While some translate guisado strictly as “stew,” the term also implies that a dish is homey and comforting, like Danish hygge in a bowl. Adding to the cozy allure of this meal is the combination of tangy tomato and briny olives, plus the use of a pair of popular spice blends, adobo and sazon. As is common in Latin dishes, this one is built around a sofrito—lightly cooked vegetables that form a flavorful base.

Ingredients for Pollo Guisado

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• Canola oil: A neutral cooking oil like canola oil distributes the spices without overpowering them. Healthy oils to use in place of canola include avocado, grape seed or sunflower.
• Sazon: This Puerto Rican spice blend is a staple in Caribbean cooking and typically includes cumin, coriander, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and achiote or annatto, which gives it a deeply hued red color. This pollo guisado recipe specifies Goya-brand sazon with coriander and annatto, but any sazon will do.
• Adobo seasoning: Adobo powder is considered an all-purpose spice mix in Latin countries and often includes garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, turmeric and salt. In the Philippines, adobo has a different meaning; there, it’s a sauce made of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves.
• Whole chicken: Buying and cutting a whole chicken into pieces is more economical than buying individual pieces. You can use a broiler or fryer chicken (a broiler is typically younger and smaller).
• Sofrito: Chopped onion, green pepper and tomatoes are the base of Puerto Rican sofrito, which is the building block of many traditional dishes like this one.
• Potatoes: Seek out waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or red bliss potatoes, as they’ll hold up better than starchy ones during the long cooking time.
• Cilantro: The green leaves of this herb lend a bright, refreshing flavor to this pollo guisado recipe. If you don’t like cilantro, leave it out.
• Chicken stock: Homemade chicken broth is always excellent for stews, but if you don’t have any on hand, stick with a good store-bought chicken broth brand.
• Tomato sauce: Choose plain tomato sauce without additional herbs and flavorings for authentic flavor.
• Pimiento-stuffed olives: Green olives give each bite of guisado de pollo a briny zing. Turn any leftovers into green olive tapenade.
• Bay leaves: Add these for their bitter floral quality, which works beautifully in stews.

Directions

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

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In a large bowl, reusable container with a lid or resealable plastic bag, combine 1 tablespoon of oil with the Goya sazon and adobo seasonings. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight.

Step 2: Sear the chicken

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Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is browned, four to five minutes per side. Remove it from the skillet and set it aside.

Editor’s Tip: A well-seasoned cast-iron Dutch oven is a good nonstick option.

Step 3: Make the stew

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Stir in onion, green pepper, tomatoes, potatoes and cilantro. Cook and stir for three to four minutes. Add stock, tomato sauce, olives, if desired, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

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Return the chicken to the pan. Cover the pan and cook until the chicken is tender and internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 45 to 60 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. If desired, top the dish with fresh cilantro.

Editor’s Tip: The brown bits stuck to the pan after cooking the chicken are called fond, and they add tons of flavor to any stew. Use a wooden or silicone utensil to scrape them up as you cook the vegetables.

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Pollo Guisado Variations

• Change the meat: To make this dish with turkey, beef or pork instead of chicken, cube the meat, marinate it as in the recipe, and let it stew until tender.
• Add more veggies: For extra vitamins, add hearty greens to your pot of pollo. Kale, collards, chard and spinach would all be great flavor matches. The tougher the green, the longer you should let it cook. Collards might take up to an hour, while baby spinach will be ready in under a minute.
• Swap starches: Use cubed winter squash, plantain or yucca instead of potatoes in your Puerto Rican stew.

How to Store Pollo Guisado

Store leftover guisado de pollo in airtight containers in the fridge for up to four days. Glass containers are a better option than plastic ones due to the annatto, which may discolor plastic containers.

Can you freeze pollo guisado?

Like most stews, pollo guisado freezes well. Store it in airtight containers in the freezer for two to three months. Prior to freezing, remember to label your stew with the date.

How do you reheat pollo guisado?

You can reheat this Puerto Rican stew in a pot on the stovetop over low heat until the poultry pieces are heated through. Only reheat as much as you plan to eat. Heating it in the microwave will work, too. Make sure to cover the dish so it doesn’t splatter.

Pollo Guisado Tips

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What’s the best way to cut up a chicken?

Cutting up a whole chicken may seem intimidating, but once you learn how to do it, you’ll appreciate how much money you can save with your DIY butchering skills! You’ll need a nice sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears for this task. If you’re attentive, you’ll be able to see where to cut by seeking out the bendy parts of joints and noticing where different muscles meet.

Begin by removing the wings by cutting around them. Then, bend the legs back to pop the thigh joint and cut right through it. Next, sever the joint between the thigh and the drumstick. Finally, slide your knife along the breastbone to remove each breast. Save the carcass for homemade chicken broth.

Can you make sazon from scratch?

As with many spice blends, making sazon from scratch ensures freshness and helps you avoid unwanted ingredients like food coloring and anti-caking agents. For homemade sazon, whisk together salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, garlic powder, cumin and a smidgen of turmeric.

What can you serve with pollo guisado?

Perfect side dishes for this Puerto Rican stew include rice with pigeon peas and plantain fritters. For dessert, a tropical coconut pudding is just the thing.