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Pollo Guisado

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stews•puerto rican•contains meat, gluten-free, dairy-free
75 minutes•4–6 servings•

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks – patted dry
  • 2 tsp adobo seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried oregano – crumbled
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Puerto Rican sofrito
  • 4 cloves garlic – minced
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 packet sazón con achiote
  • 1 leaf bay
  • 1 pound potatoes – peeled and cut into 1.5-inch chunks (~3 medium potatos)
  • 8 ounces carrot – peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (~4 medium carrots)
  • 1/2 cup pitted green olives – halved
  • 1 tbsp caper – rinsed
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup cilantro – chopped
  • white rice – cooked (for serving)
Pollo Guisado

Instructions

1. Season the chicken thighs and drumsticks with adobo seasoning, dried oregano, black pepper, and white vinegar; toss to coat and let stand 15 minutes while you prep the potatoes and carrots.

2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Brown the chicken in batches, skin side down first, turning until golden, 6–8 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the Puerto Rican sofrito and the minced garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant and slightly reduced, 2–3 minutes.

4. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook 1 minute. Pour in the water, then add the sazón con achiote, bay leaf, pitted green olives, and capers, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

5. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a lively simmer.

6. Add the potatoes and carrots, cover, and simmer over medium-low until the chicken is nearly tender and the potatoes yield to a knife, 25–30 minutes.

7. Uncover and continue simmering until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is fully tender, 5–10 minutes.

8. Stir in the kosher salt and cilantro, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

9. Serve hot with white rice.

Pollo Guisado is a comforting Puerto Rican braised chicken stew built on aromatic sofrito, warm oregano, and the gentle earthiness of annatto. Bone-in chicken simmers until tender in a tomato-forward broth, enriched with briny green olives and capers and made hearty with potatoes and carrots. The result is a silky, deeply savory sauce that begs to be spooned over fluffy white rice, delivering a balance of herbal, tangy, and umami notes in every bite.

Rooted in Puerto Rican home cooking, Pollo Guisado reflects the island’s layered culinary heritage. Spanish braising techniques meet Indigenous Taíno and African influences through sofrito and the use of annatto and plant-based aromatics. It’s a staple of weeknight tables and Sunday lunches alike, adaptable to what’s on hand yet anchored by sofrito, tomato, and bone-in chicken—a true emblem of Puerto Rican sazón and family-style hospitality.