Pollo Guisado (Dominican Stew Chicken)

Dominican stew chicken (pollo guisado) served in a white dish.

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Pollo Guisado (Dominican Stew Chicken)

Pollo guisado is the Dominican version of stew chicken, featuring drumsticks and chicken thighs simmered in a flavorful sauce with onions, olives and peppers. Serve with rice, beans and fresh green salad, as part of a traditional Dominican meal!

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Caribbean/Latin American

Servings: people

Calories: 628kcal

Author: Crystal DaCruz

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken drumsticks and thighs
½ cup white vinegar
1 lime juiced
2 tbsp sofrito store-bought or homemade
2 tsp soy sauce
2 teaspoon adobo
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1.5 teaspoon sazon with azafran (yellow packet)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large bouillon cube
1 yellow onion sliced thin
1 cubanelle pepper sliced
½ red bell pepper sliced
¼ cup green olives

Instructions

Remove the skin from the chicken by gripping it firmly and pulling it back from the meat. It should come off the thighs easily. For drumsticks, hold the thick end and pull the skin down toward the bone, then use a knife or kitchen shears to cut where it's attached at the bone. Discard the skin.
Clean and tenderize the chicken by placing it in a large bowl, adding vinegar, lime juice, and enough cold water to cover the chicken. Let soak for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Season the chicken with sofrito, sazón, soy sauce, adobo, oregano and cumin. Toss until coated evenly, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Heat the oil and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan, over medium heat. Stir occasionally, letting the sugar caramelize (the oil will start to turn brown).
Brown the chicken in batches, starting with drumsticks and flipping as needed. Be careful not to crowd the pan, because the chicken won't brown as nicely. Once brown on all sides, transfer the drumsticks to a plate and repeat this process with the thighs.
Set the chicken thighs aside with the drumsticks. Make sure to keep the drippings left in the pan. Use a large or wooden spoon to start to loosen the bits stuck to the bottom; these bits adds flavor to the sauce.
Make the sauce by adding ½ cup of water to pan along with any juices left over from seasoning the chicken. Over medium heat, continue loosening the bits from the pan using a spoon. Add the tomato paste and bouillon, stirring until the sauce is smooth and dark in color.
Braise the chicken by putting it back in the pan with 1 additional cup of water, or just enough to cover it. Bring to a simmer, then cover and let it cook in the sauce for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally—flipping the chicken as needed, making sure the sauce doesn't dry out or burn. Add a few splashes of water if the liquid level gets too low.
Add the peppers, onions and olives, topping off with a little water if needed, then cover and let simmer 5-10 minutes more, until they're tender but still slightly firm. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Tips and tricks:

Caramelizing the sugar makes the chicken deep-brown in color. This step is explained in the directions, but it's optional if you're not comfortable with it.
Strain off any liquid from the chicken before browning it: You can reserve the juices and add them to the pot later.

Reheating leftovers:

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, warm the chicken in a small saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Cover and simmer until heated through.

Nutrition