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Puerto Rican Chicken Stew Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 114 reviews

This Puerto Rican Chicken Stew is a hearty and flavorful dish featuring tender bone-in chicken simmered with a blend of traditional seasonings, sofrito, and fresh vegetables. The stew is richly aromatic and perfect for serving over fluffy white rice, delivering a comforting taste of Puerto Rican home cooking.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken Marinade

  • 4–5 pounds bone-in chicken legs and thighs, skin removed (optional), trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Stew Base

  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
  • ¼ cup sofrito, homemade or store-bought
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon sazón seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, or regular oregano
  • 1 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon, optional
  • 2 bay leaves

Vegetables and Extras

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1½ pounds yellow potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup Spanish olives, optional

Additional Oil

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for browning)

Instructions

  1. Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces with lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, adobo seasoning, cumin, and onion powder. Toss well to coat all the chicken evenly. Cover the bowl and let it marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate if preparing ahead of time.
  2. Sear the Chicken: Heat a heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the chicken pieces for 4-5 minutes on each side until they are nicely browned. Remove the chicken and set aside to prepare the stew base.
  3. Cook the Vegetables: In the same pot with the chicken drippings, sauté the diced onion and bell pepper over medium heat until softened and lightly golden, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
  4. Add Sofrito and Garlic: Stir in the sofrito and minced garlic, cooking for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant to build a deep flavor foundation.
  5. Incorporate Seasonings and Tomato Paste: Add the sazón seasoning, tomato paste, oregano, and optional powdered chicken bouillon to the pot. Cook this mixture for about 1 minute until it becomes aromatic and the tomato paste darkens slightly, enhancing complexity.
  6. Add Chicken and Liquids: Nestle the browned chicken pieces back into the pot on top of the sofrito mixture. Add the bay leaves and pour in 4 to 6 cups of water—just enough to barely cover the chicken. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat to start melding flavors.
  7. Simmer the Chicken: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes. This infuses the chicken with the stew’s flavors while beginning the cooking process.
  8. Add Vegetables and Continue Cooking: Stir in the peeled carrots, potato chunks, and Spanish olives if using. Cover the pot again and simmer for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is nearly falling off the bone.
  9. Reduce and Final Seasoning: Remove the lid and let the stew simmer uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes to reduce the liquid to your preferred consistency. Taste the stew and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lime juice to brighten the flavors.
  10. Serve: Serve the hearty chicken stew hot, ideally over fluffy white rice. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro if desired, for a fresh herbal note that complements the rich stew.

Notes

  • Removing the chicken skin reduces fat but leaves enough flavor from the marrow-rich bone-in pieces.
  • If you can’t find sofrito, a homemade blend of onions, peppers, garlic, and herbs works well as a substitute.
  • Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick or soupy you prefer your stew.
  • For additional heat, add some chopped chili peppers or a pinch of cayenne when cooking the sofrito.
  • Spanish olives add a nice briny contrast but are optional depending on your preference.
  • Leftover stew tastes great the next day as flavors continue to develop.

Keywords: Puerto Rican chicken stew, pollo guisado, Puerto Rican recipes, chicken stew with vegetables, Caribbean stew, sofrito chicken stew

Find it online: https://mjrecipe.com/puerto-rican-chicken-stew-recipe/