Pollo Guisado – Hearty Puerto Rican Chicken Stew
, Published Oct 08, 2025
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This easy Pollo Guisado – Puerto Rican stewed chicken – is packed full of flavor from the sofrito, spices and tender vegetables simmered in a rich tomato-based broth. Comforting, hearty, and perfect for family dinners.
👉 Check out my Crockpot Carne Guisada recipe.
When it comes to comfort food, few dishes deliver quite like Pollo Guisado – a.k.a Puerto Rican chicken stew. Juicy tender chicken simmered with sofrito (a fragrant blend of onion, garlic, pepper and cilantro) and vegetables in a rich and richly spiced tomato-based sauce. Every bite is infused with bold flavor, warm spice, and homestyle comfort. Serve over rice to soak up the yumminess or just grab some crusty bread!
What’s Pollo Guisado?
Pollo Guisado (pronounced poy-yo gee-sah-doh) is a staple in Puerto Rican, Dominican and Latin Caribbean kitchens. Guisado means “stewed” – this rustic dish braises chicken in a flavorful sauce infused with spices and the aromatic backbone of sofrito. There are as many versions of this chicken stew as there are cooks, but at heart the recipe remains the same.
My recipe is a simplified version of the Puerto Rican dish, adapted to make it more accessible for those who are not able to source the ingredients used in the traditional recipe. I have stayed true to the authentic flavors as much as possible.
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Chicken: I used chicken leg quarters (legs and thighs attached), but you can also use a whole chicken cut into pieces or chicken thighs and drumsticks. Bone-in chicken adds richness and depth to the stew but you can remove the skin before searing if you like.
- Seasoning Blend – Traditional recipes call for adobo and sazón (see tip box). I have used the following to approximate the flavors: ground cumin, turmeric, oregano, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, and garlic powder. Ground annato (a.k.a anchiote) is a main component of sazón but can be hard to source – the paprika and turmeric here act as a substitute.
- Sofrito – This aromatic base uses a blend of peppers, onion, garlic, fresh herbs and sometimes tomatoes. You would need culantro and ajices dulces to make the authentic version, but if these are not available use green bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro (coriander).
- Tomatoes – Tomato sauce or canned finely chopped tomatoes create the rich sauce base.
- Veggies – Bell Peppers, carrots and potatoes cook with the chicken adding richness to the sauce and creating a well-rounded filling dish full of protein and vegetables.
- Green olives – Ideally pimiento stuffed, add tons of flavor, but you can skip them if you dislike olives.
- Chicken Broth – Our braising liquid that brings all the flavors together.
Lucy’s Pro Tip
Get to Know…
- Sazón (pronounced sah-ZOHN) is a vibrant all-purpose seasoning blend used in Puerto Rican, Dominican and Latin American cooking. It adds color (thanks to the annato), depth, and a distinctive savory flavor.
- Adobo Seasoning is a versatile dry rub that adds savory, garlicky flavor to all types of dishes. It typically includes salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, oregano and sometimes turmeric or cumin.
How to Make Puerto Rican Pollo Guisado
Make the sofrito and spice blend
- Blend chopped onion, green pepper, garlic cloves, cilantro and parsley in a food processor until you have a coarse paste.
- Combine all the ingredients for the spice blend or see notes to use adobo seasoning and sazón.
Sear the chicken
- Season the chicken generously with the spice blend on both sides and dust with cornstarch. Rest for five minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, skin-side down and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side for a further 5 minutes then set aside.
Make the stew
- Lower the heat and allow the skillet to cool down a little. Add the onions and cook for a couple of minutes then stir in the sofrito and peppers. Cook, stirring, for five minutes.
- Stir in the olives, carrots and potatoes, add the canned tomatoes and and broth and bring to a simmer.
- Return the chicken to the pan, add the bay leaves, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes or until the chicken is completely tender.
- You should not need to thicken the stew but if you can stir in some cornstarch slurry and simmer for a further five minutes if you like. Discard the bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Recipe Notes
- Serving suggestions: Serve over fluffy white rice or yellow rice to soak up all that delicious sauce or skip the rice and serve with crusty bread. Add a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro (or parsley) for a bright finish. For a heartier meal, pair with fried plantains (tostones) or a side of beans.
- Leftovers and storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days – the flavors will get even better with time! Freeze in portions (with sauce) for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth or water when reheating to loosen the sauce. You can also microwave for a couple of minutes, stirring in between, until the dish is piping hot.
👉 If you love this hearty chicken stew recipe, make sure to check out these dishes inspired by rustic stews from around the world: Kotopoulo Kokkinisto – Greek Chicken Stew, Chicken Cacciatore (Italian Chicken Stew), French Coq Au Vin Blanc, Persian Chicken Stew.
Did you make my Pollo Guisado recipe? Please leave a comment and rating if you try this recipe, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.
Pollo Guisado – Hearty Puerto Rican Chicken Stew
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the seasoning *see notes
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ onion powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground annato (optional)
For the sofrito
- ½ large onion , roughly chopped
- ½ green bell pepper , roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , peeled
- ⅔ cup (50g) cilantro leaves and stems (coriander)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley , chopped
For the stew
- 4 chicken leg quarters or 8 chicken thighs , bone-in and skin-on
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ large onion , diced (remaining half of onion in sofrito)
- 1 red bell pepper , sliced
- ½ green bell pepper , sliced (remaining half of pepper in sofrito)
- ½ tbsp brown sugar (optional)
- ½ cup (90g) green olives , pimiento stuffed ideally
- 2 large carrots , peeled and sliced into rounds
- 4 medium potatoes , quartered
- 1 cup (240g) canned chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 ½ cups (300ml) chicken broth or stock
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper , to season
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley , to garnish
Instructions
Make the sofrito and spice blend
- Combine all the seasoning ingredients together.1 tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 ½ onion powder, 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp ground annato
- Blend chopped onion, green pepper, garlic cloves and herbs in a food processor until you have a coarse paste.½ large onion, ½ green bell pepper, 4 cloves garlic, ⅔ cup (50g) cilantro leaves and stems, 2 tbsp fresh parsley
Sear the chicken
- Season the chicken generously with the spice blend and dust with cornstarch. Rest for five minutes.4 chicken leg quarters or 8 chicken thighs, 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken, skin-side down over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes and turn over and cook on the other side for a further 5 minutes. Set aside.2 tbsp olive oil
Make the stew
- Lower the heat and allow the skillet to cool down a little. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes then stir in the sofrito and peppers. Cook, stirring, for five minutes, adding any remaining seasoning.½ large onion, 1 red bell pepper, ½ green bell pepper
- Stir in the sugar, if using, olives, carrots and potatoes, add the canned tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer.½ cup (90g) green olives, 2 large carrots, 4 medium potatoes, 1 cup (240g) canned chopped tomatoes, 1 ½ cups (300ml) chicken broth, ½ tbsp brown sugar
- Return the chicken to the pan, add the bay leaves, cover and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes or until the chicken is completely tender.2 bay leaves
- You should not need to thicken the stew but if you can stir in some cornstarch slurry and simmer for a further five minutes if you like. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning as needed.salt and pepper
- Serve over fluffy white rice or skip the rice and serve with crusty bread. Add a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro (or parsley) for a bright finish.2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
Notes
- Instead of the spices specified, season the chicken seasoning with 3 teaspoons Adobo. Stir in one packet of Sazon when stirring in the vegetables.
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days – the flavors will get even better with time!
- Freeze in portions (with sauce) for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat.
- Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth or water when reheating to loosen the sauce. You can also microwave for a couple of minutes, stirring in between, until the dish is piping hot.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
