Authentic Pollo Guisado: Puerto Rican Chicken and Potato Stew 🇵🇷

What is Pollo Guisado?
– Chicken simmered in tomato sauce with bell peppers and potatoes, infused with a blend of herbs and spices, a traditional chicken stew from Puerto Rico.

Recipe Intro

Pollo Guisado, translating to “chicken stew,” is a staple dish in Puerto Rican cuisine that reflects the island’s diverse culinary influences. Its origins lie in a blend of Spanish, African, and indigenous Taíno culinary traditions. Typically, the dish consists of chicken simmered in a tomato-based sauce with onions, bell peppers, garlic, and a mix of herbs and spices like cilantro, oregano, and cumin. Pollo Guisado is enjoyed across Puerto Rico as a comforting, hearty meal, often served with rice and beans or fried plantains. Similar variations of chicken stew can be found throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, each with unique regional adaptations and ingredient preferences.

Pollo Guisado Chicken Stew Ingredients

• chicken – Use chicken legs or a mix of breasts and legs. Chicken legs contain more flavour due to their darker meat and are ideal for simmering in dishes like Pollo Guisado. Leaving the skin on adds depth and richness to the sauce.
• peppers – Buy a mix of bell peppers for their sweet flavour and vibrant colours. If you can find it, buy aji dulce sweet peppers to enhance the dish with authentic flavours.
• potatoes – When selecting potatoes for this dish, buy a waxy variety. This type holds its shape well during cooking, ensuring a satisfying texture in the stew and it will not fall apart or turn into mush.
• chopped tomatoes – You can use a can of chopped tomatoes for convenience or use fresh, ripe tomatoes.
• onions – Use yellow onions.
• garlic – Prepare with fresh garlic, don’t use powdered.
• olive oil – If olive oil is not available, sunflower or vegetable oil can be used as alternatives.
• lemons – Use fresh lemons, not bottled lemon juice. You can substitute with limes.
• sugar – Use plain white caster sugar, it helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

Herbs & Spices

• coriander (cilantro)- Use only fresh coriander leaves
• parsley – fresh
• bay leaf – dry
• oregano – dry or fresh
• cumin – powdered
• paprika – Ensure to have three types on hand: sweet, hot, and smoked, to achieve a balanced and flavourful profile in this dish.

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How to make Pollo Guisado Chicken Stew?

Chicken

1. To start with your Pollo Guisado, first pat dry the chicken pieces. This ensures better browning, prevents splattering and enhances the texture and flavour of the dish. Next, season the chicken generously with salt and pepper for added flavour.
2. Once seasoned, add oil to a larger pot, heat over medium-high and sear the chicken pieces until they develop a golden brown crust, about 4 minutes, 2 mins on each side. This step helps lock in juices and adds depth to the dish. My pot wasn’t large enough so I did it in two batches.
3. After searing, set the chicken on a plate and cover to keep warm while you prepare the next step.

The Sauce

1. In the same pot, fry finely chopped onions and strips of peppers until they’re softened and aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic towards the end to infuse its flavour into the dish.
2. Deglaze the pot with water and a chicken stock cube, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom for extra flavour. Return the chicken to the pot. It should be covered with broth. If needed add more water. Sprinkle a blend of sweet, smoked, and hot paprika. Let it simmer gently for about 40 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together.
3. While the chicken simmers, peel and dice the potatoes into small cubes. Add them to the pot approximately 20 minutes after the chicken starts cooking, along with fresh parsley, coriander, bay leaf, and oregano. Also include cumin, sugar, tomato paste, and chopped tomatoes. Stir everything thoroughly and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened, which should take about an additional 20 minutes. In total, the chicken should cook for around 40-45 minutes.

Finish off the Pollo Guisado by adding more fresh parsley and coriander, and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Let it rest for at least half an hour before serving.
This dish is at its best when prepared a day in advance and allowed to sit overnight in the fridge, this way the flavours meld and intensify, resulting in an even more delicious meal.

How to serve Pollo Guisado?

In Puerto Rico, it is traditionally served over a bed of white rice, accompanied by slices of ripe avocado and sometimes sweet plantains (maduros) on the side.

You can also serve it as a hearty stew in a bowl with crusty homemade bread for dipping.

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