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Pollo Guisado aka chicken stew, brings the flavor and flair every time I make it. I keep this dish in my rotation because it’s not just delicious, it’s easy to pull together. I toss everything in one pot, let it simmer, and end up with a meal that’s vibrant, hearty, and comforting.
If you’re looking for something bold, colorful, and downright satisfying, Dominican Pollo Guisado delivers every time.
What is Pollo Guisado?
Pollo Guisado is a traditional chicken stew popular in Latin cuisines, featuring tender chicken simmered in a rich, flavorful sauce.
Growing up in NYC I would eat a lot of puerto rican pollo guisado and Dominican pollo guisado. Both are amazing but I slightly enjoy the Dominican style one a bit more. My favorite place to get it from is called El Castillo de Jagua in Brooklyn.
This recipe follows the Dominican way of cooking guisado de pollo.
Ingredients for pollo guisado
- Chicken legs: The dark meat stays tender and flavorful during the slow cooking process.
- Adobo: Adds a savory and well-rounded flavor to the chicken.
- Sazon: Brings that signature vibrant color and enhances the seasoning.
- Sofrito: The heart of the dish; it infuses every bite with bold, herby flavors. Try my Puerto Rican Sofrito Recipe.
- Garlic: Adds depth and aromatic richness.
- Sugar: Helps create a caramelized coating on the chicken.
- Tomato paste: Adds a slight tang and thickens the sauce.
- Bell peppers and onions: Bring sweetness, crunch, and color to the dish.
- Green olives with pimento: Optional, but they add a salty, briny kick.
- Bay leaf: Adds an earthy aroma and flavor.
- Cilantro: Finishes the dish with a fresh, herbaceous touch.
How to make pollo guisado Dominicano
Marinate the chicken with adobo, sazon, sofrito, and garlic. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. I like to do this while cutting the onions and peppers.
Brown sugar in oil, then sear the chicken until golden. This will help give the chicken a nice color and flavor.
Add water, tomato sauce (or tomato paste), peppers, bay leaf, onions, and olives, and simmer covered until tender.
In the last 5 minutes, I like to let it cook on high boiling uncovered. This will allow for a thicker gravy to form.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with rice or plantains for a comforting, flavorful meal.
The full written recipe with measurements is below on the recipe card.
Commonly Asked Questions
You can use any part of the chicken for chicken stew. However, if using white meat, you will have to reduce the cooking time.
Absolutely. The flavors develop even more after sitting overnight, making it perfect for meal prep.
Rice is the classic choice, but it also pairs wonderfully with plantains, beans, or a fresh salad. I like sliced avocado as well!
Please remember to leave a review if you make this recipe. The feedback helps me to become a better cook and develop amazing recipes for you.
Pollo Guisado (Chicken Stew)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks , READ NOTES BELOW on how to make this recipe a small batch!
- 2 tsp adobo
- 2 tsp sazon , or 1 packet
- 2 tbsp sofrito
- 1 tsp dried oregano , or Italian seasoning
- Ground black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Water, about 2 cups
- 1/4 c tomato sauce, or 3 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1 red onion , sliced
- 1 red bell pepper , sliced
- 1 green bell pepper , sliced
- ½ cup green olives stuffed with pimento, optional
- 1 Bay leaf
- Cilantro fo garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken with water, vinegar & lime in a large mixing bowl. Remove the skin if it isn’t skinless. Empty the water and pat dry the chicken. Keep it in the same bowl.
- To the bowl with the chicken add the adobo, sazon, sofrito, pepper and garlic. Mix together well and let marinate for about 15 minutes.
- In a large pan over medium high heat add the oil and once hot add in the sugar. Once the sugar starts to brown, add in the chicken and brown on all sides for about 5 minutes. You want to get a nice rich brown color.
- Add water to the bowl you marinated the chicken in. Pour just enough water in the pan to slightly cover the chicken. The water should reach up to the sides of the chicken.
- To the same pot add the tomato sauce, red onion, olives, & bell peppers. Give it a nice stir and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Let simmer for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove the lid and give everything a good stir. Bring the heat back up to medium high and the liquid should begin to boil. Let it boil for 5-10 minutes so the sauce thickens up a bit.
- Turn the heat off, top with chopped cilantro & let cool a bit and serve with your favorite sides. I like to serve with maduros and white rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this today! This stew chicken recipe was fantastic! It was so easy to follow, yet the flavors were incredibly rich and well-balanced. The seasoning was perfect, and the chicken came out tender and juicy. I love how something so simple to make could taste like it took hours of effort—truly delicious!
Thank you so much Carolyn!! I’m so glad you loved this recipe. It’s one of my favorites.
Delicious receipe and easy to cook. The chicken was tender, juicy, and perfectly.
Thank you so much Tiffany!
Absolutely delicious! My family loved this 😍🤤
Thank you! It’s one of my faves to make.
Absolutely incredible flavors. I need to make this at least once a month!
Thank you!!
Made this tonight! I’m a beginner with cooking and not only was this easy and tasty but boosted my confidence in the kitchen! Can’t wait to try more recipes. I didn’t change anything and it was perfect. Oh & the smaller portion guidelines was so helpful!
Wow! I’m so happy to hear this recipe boosted your confidence in the kitchen. =) Thank you for trusting the recipe and I hope you check out more on the blog.
Can I use olive oil (for the 2tb oil) or should I use vegetable oil? Thank you so much!
If it is an olive oil that is not extra virgin then it should be ok. If it’s extra virgin olive oil don’t use it and use vegetable oil or any high smoke point oil. Avocado oil works well too if looking for a healthier alternative.
I made this recipe, and it came out so freaking mouthwatering amazing!! Flavors on point, make this
I don’t want to give a poor rating due to it being user error, just wanted to share that this was the palest chicken I’ve ever seen, I don’t know what I did wrong. Lol everything was measured to a T but for me to even remotely cover the chicken I needed ALOT of water, and it’s a soup. I’ll try another recipe, couldn’t follow this one for some reason.
Hi Anthony, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t go exactly as planned. The searing part is very important to add the color to the chicken. Also perhaps you used too large of a pot for the amount of water this recipe calls for, I believe I used a 10 inch pan. But, without being present I’m not sure what went wrong. I hope the flavors were still good at least! Thank you for the feedback it is always appreciated.