Pollo Guisado (Dominican Style Stewed Chicken)

This Pollo Guisado recipe is one that’s near and dear to my heart. It’s the dish that reminds me most of home and one I crave any time that I’m in need of some comfort. It’s dish that’s loved by many and one you can find in kitchens everywhere in Latin America and the Caribbean. I mean who doesn’t love a good ol’ stewed chicken?

This dish however holds a special place in Dominican households as it’s known to be a part of our national dish- La Bandera. This dish is representative of our flag and is the pride and joy of Dominicans. The red color in the flag is represented by the beans, the white color is represented by the white rice, and the blue color is represented by the meat which is usually Pollo Guisado.

You can find this dish being served frequently for lunch and dinner in Dominican homes. I should know. My mom made this at least once a week. I used to be so tired of it but now it’s a dish I crave all of the time. It’s something about the flavors in a stew that make it so comforting.

This is a dish is also something you can try at your local Dominican restaurant. It’s rare for it not to be a daily offering on the menu.

The secret to this dish is the Sazon! Every family's Pollo Guisado is unique because of the Sazon used to add flavor. Every family’s recipe will be different because of this. You’re in luck because my famil'y’s Sazon is one of the best. Seriously, I’m being unbiased here. I’ve tried many and none of them come close. You can find the recipe here and use to make this dish.

Ok, before we get started let’s touch on a few need to knows:

• I used boneless chicken breasts here but you can use any part of the chicken to make this dish. You can use chicken thighs, bone-in chicken breasts, a whole chicken cut up, and even all drum sticks. The recipe process is the same.

• Caramelization is key! Caramelizing the sugar in this dish is what creates the ideal flavor in this dish. Once you add the sugar to your pot, you’ll want to keep a close eye on it. The sugar caramelizes fairly quickly and you don’t want to risk burning it. My preferred color is a caramel brown to rich brown

• I grew up cleaning the chicken with citrus and acid so that’s what I’m going to keep doing. But you do as you please! To clean the chicken, submerge the chicken in water and add in vinegar and lime juice. Massage the chicken, rinse, and drain. Rinse with water and drain once more.

• The skin should be removed! You’ll want a nice caramelization on the chicken and soggy skin in a braise or stew is just not it. Trust me on this one!

• Reserve the leftover marinade and veggies! Add the chicken pot only and reserve the leftover marinade and veggies to add later. We’ll want to reintroduce these flavors towards the end of the cooking process to build our gravy and wake up the flavors in the chicken after braising.

• I love adding wine to this! It creates a unique flavor and helps build a nice gravy. My secret? Anytime you drink a bottle of red wine and it’s no longer to it’s best quality don’t discard it! Use it in braises and stews! Alternatively, you can use red cooking wine. The one typically used in a recipe like this is Leon Vino Tinto. If you can get your hands on this one, buy it! It’s great for cooking.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs of chicken (chicken breasts, thighs, or a whole chicken) cut up, skin off, and cleaned

• 2 tablespoons of homemade Sazon/Sofrito

• 1 teaspoon of Sazon seasoning

• 1 teaspoon of low-sodium soy sauce

• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely diced or mashed

• A quarter of an onion, sliced

• A quarter of a Cubanelle pepper (or red/green bell peppers), sliced

• 1 teaspoon of Dominican Oregano

• 1 tablespoon of red dry wine (optional) like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet

• Juice of half of a lime

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons of water, for cooking

• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil

• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

Directions:

First we prep the chicken. After the chicken has been cleaned, add the chicken to a large bowl. Then, add the lime juice to the chicken and toss to ensure that it’s combined.

Next, we season the chicken. In the bowl, add the homemade Sazon, Sazon seasoning, soy sauce, garlic, Cubanelle pepper, onion, Dominican oregano, cooking wine, and salt & pepper. Toss the chicken in your bowl while stirring to ensure that all of the flavors are incorporated and that the chicken pieces are well coated.

Cover and marinate for at least 15-20 minutes!

It’s time to brown our chicken. Add oil and sugar to a large pot on medium to high heat. You’ll want to caramelize the sugar until its a nice brown color. This step is one you’ll want to be fully present for as the sugar browns fairly quickly and if not fully presented and watching over it, can burn very easily. The color you’re looking for here is a nice golden to rich brown. Once the sugar has reached this color, add in your chicken while reserving the leftover marinade and veggies in your bowl for later use.Toss the chicken in the caramelize sugar until your chicken is nicely coated and brown in color.

Now we braise/stew the chicken. Add the 1/3 cup of water to the pot along with the chicken and mix to ensure that all of the flavors are combined. Cover and simmer at medium heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally to ensure that your chicken is nicely coated with the gravy in your pot and to continue building the gravy overall. You’ll want to watch this as you stir. If additional water is needed, add by the tablespoon to prevent your chicken from burning and to continue braising/stewing.

After the chicken has stewed in the cooking liquid, i’ts time to add in the veggies and leftover marinade. Add two tablespoons of water to the leftover marinade and veggies leftover in the bowl where the chicken was marinating. Mix to combine. Then, add in this marinade mixture into the pot with the chicken. Bring heat down to low and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

At this point your chicken should be falling off the bone, you should have a nice thick gravy, and your veggies should be cooked through.

It’s time to serve! I love to accompany this dish with a side of white rice, beans, and tostones but it’s also great as a base for a bunch of other dishes. Use this recipe as a filling for empanadas, to top tostones for a nice appetizer, in a sandwich, and even with a side of Mangu (mashed plantains). The possibilities are endless!