Pollo Guisado

Name: Pollo Guisado
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Ingredients: 1.5kg chicken pieces, bone-in; 3 tbsp sofrito; 2 tbsp tomato sauce; 1 packet sazon seasoning; 1 tsp adobo seasoning; 2 potatoes, cubed; 10 manzanilla olives; 1 tbsp capers; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 bay leaf; 1 cup water; Salt and pepper to taste

Pollo Guisado (POH-yoh gee-SAH-doh)

Puerto Rican Chicken Stew

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 486 kcal

Tender chicken pieces braised in a rich sofrito-based tomato sauce with potatoes, olives, and capers, served over white rice.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 38.0g

Carbs 34.0g

Fat 22.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free gluten-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

caldero or Dutch oven wooden spoon knife

Presentation Guide

Vessel: deep plate

Garnishes: cilantro

Accompaniments: white rice, habichuelas guisadas

Ingredients

1.5kg chicken pieces, bone-in
3 tbsp sofrito
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 packet sazon seasoning
1 tsp adobo seasoning
2 potatoes, cubed
10 manzanilla olives
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1
Season chicken with adobo and sazon. Let marinate twenty minutes.
2
Heat olive oil in a caldero over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on all sides until golden, about four minutes per side.
3
Add sofrito and tomato sauce, stir and cook two minutes until fragrant.
4
Add water, bay leaf, olives, and capers. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
5
Add cubed potatoes, cover and cook thirty minutes until chicken is tender and potatoes are soft.
6
Adjust seasoning and let sauce thicken five more minutes uncovered. Serve over white rice.

💡

Did You Know?

Every Puerto Rican family claims their pollo guisado recipe is the best, and the secret always lies in the quality of the homemade sofrito.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

caldero or Dutch oven
wooden spoon
knife

Garnishing

cilantro

Accompaniments

white rice, habichuelas guisadas

The Story Behind Pollo Guisado

Pollo guisado is the quintessential everyday Puerto Rican meal, reflecting the island's Spanish colonial heritage adapted with Caribbean ingredients. The dish showcases sofrito, the aromatic base of recao, peppers, garlic, and onions that defines Boricua cooking. The addition of olives and capers reveals the direct Spanish influence, while the caldero (heavy aluminum pot) used to cook it has become an icon of Puerto Rican kitchens. This is the dish that feeds families night after night across the island.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed everyday dinner 📜 Origins: Spanish colonial era

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