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.

Stewed chicken legs with golden, crispy skin, surrounded by carrots, potatoes, olives, and herbs in a rich, colorful sauce evoke the comforting flavors of pollo guisado, garnished with fresh parsley.

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.

A blue Dutch oven filled with hearty Puerto Rican Pollo Guisado with chicken legs, potatoes, carrots, olives and peppers in a rich, tomato based sauce

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.

A raw chicken leg on a wooden board surrounded by potatoes, a carrot, parsley, red and green bell peppers, a tomato, onion, garlic, green olives, canned tomatoes, butter, and bowls of various spices on a light surface.

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.

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.

Side-by-side images show chicken legs in a pan: on the left, raw and seasoned; on the right, cooked to a golden brown with visible crispy skin and browned seasoning in oil.

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.

A collage of four images shows the process of cooking a vegetable stew: sautéing chopped vegetables, adding a green herb paste, mixing in potatoes and carrots, and simmering everything in a tomato-based sauce.

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.

Golden-brown chicken legs simmer in a pot with carrots, potatoes, green olives, and herbs in a rich, savory broth. Two bay leaves rest on top of the stew. Steam rises from the hot dish.

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.