This Dominican pollo guisado recipe is packed with juicy flavorful chicken and the meat just falls off the bone. The chicken is seasoned then cooked in a stew until tender. This traditional Dominican recipe is commonly served with rice, avocados and even a side salad. My husband loves eating his pollo guisado with homemade tostones as well. If you enjoyed this Dominican pollo guisado recipe which was inspired by my mother in law then you must try this Mangu Con Los Tres Golpes recipe as well.

This authentic Dominican pollo guisado recipe is packed with flavor.

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An Explanation Of The Ingredients

Chicken – Use a whole chicken to make this recipe or buy whichever chicken parts you prefer.
Vinegar – Clean the chicken with water and vinegar.
Adobo – Season the Chicken with adobo.
Garlic Cloves – Finely mince the garlic cloves.
Salt & Pepper – Add salt and pepper to taste.
Oregano – Use Dominican oregano for this recipe.
Chicken Bouillon Cube – Use half of the cube.
Tomato Paste – Add to the chicken with water.
Bell Pepper – Use red, green or whatever you have on hand.
Cubanelle Pepper – Seed and chop the cubanelle pepper.
Onion – Chop the red onion into fine strips.
Lime Juice – Squeeze fresh lime juice into the chicken stew before serving.

This is how you season the chicken to make Dominican pollo guisado.

How To Make Dominican Pollo Guisado

First, start by cleaning the chicken with vinegar and water. Once you’re finished, drain the vinegar and water from the chicken and prepare the seasonings you will need.
Mash the garlic cloves.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, adobo, oregano and mashed garlic cloves. Rub the seasoning blend into the chicken well, making sure to get under the skin as well. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Chop the cubanelle pepper, bell pepper and red onion into fine strips. Set aside for now.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. You want the oil to be very hot before adding the chicken in.
Add the chicken pieces into the pot one by one. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Keep the extra marinade to use later.
Add water to the marinade bowl and add the water and marinade mixture to the chicken in the pan. Make sure there is enough water to cover the chicken.
Add the tomato paste and chicken bouillon cube to the pot.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a medium low and simmer. Add the chopped peppers and onion.
Cook the chicken for 45 minutes to an hour or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Stir the chicken occasionally to ensure even cooking. Use a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken which should reach 165 degrees F once it’s ready.
The liquid will reduce quite a bit. Add more water to the pollo guisado if it dries up too much.
Squeeze fresh lime juice over the chicken stew once it has finished cooking.
Finally, serve the pollo guisado with your favorite side dishes and enjoy!

Chicken stew recipe traditionally from the Dominican Republic.

Tips & Variations

Season the chicken according to taste. Some people like using Sazon as well.
You may use a whole chicken cut into pieces for this recipe or simply use whatever pieces of chicken you have on hand. I prefer bone-in chicken for this Dominican chicken stew.
Some people use a little bit of sugar to brown the chicken. However, you can still reach the same results without sugar as long as the oil is very hot.
For the bell pepper, you may use any color you prefer or have on hand. I used a red bell pepper for this recipe.

Dominican Pollo Guisado

This Dominican pollo guisado (chicken stew) recipe is perfect for any day of the week. The chicken is cooked in a stew until tender, juicy and falling off the bone.

5 from 1 vote

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Keyword: dominican pollo guisado, dominican chicken stew, pollo guisado dominican recipe

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Marinate Time: 30

Total Time: 1 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 373kcal

Ingredients

2.5 lbs chicken bone-in
1/2 cup vinegar
6 garlic cloves mashed
3 tsp adobo or to taste
2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
1 tsp Dominican oregano or to taste
1 tbsp oil
water enough to submerge chicken
1/2 chicken bouillon cube
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 red onion
1 cubanelle pepper
1 bell pepper
1 tbsp lime juice 1/2 of a lime

Instructions

First, start by cleaning the chicken with vinegar and water. Once you're finished, drain the vinegar and water from the chicken and prepare the seasonings you will need.
Mash the garlic cloves.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, adobo, oregano and mashed garlic cloves. Rub the seasoning blend into the chicken well, making sure to get under the skin as well. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. This step is optional but will help the chicken absorb all the flavors.
Chop the cubanelle pepper, bell pepper and red onion into fine strips. Set aside for now.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. You want the oil to be very hot before adding the chicken in.
Add the chicken pieces into the pot one by one. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Keep the extra marinade to use later.
Add water to the marinade bowl and add the water and marinade mixture to the chicken in the pan. Make sure there is enough water to cover the chicken.
Add the tomato paste and chicken bouillon cube to the pot.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a medium low and simmer. Add the chopped peppers and onion.
Continue cooking the chicken for 45 minutes to an hour or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Stir the chicken occasionally to ensure even cooking. Use a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken which should reach 165 degrees F once it’s ready.
The liquid will reduce quite a bit. Add more water if it dries up too much and the chicken is not done yet.
Once the chicken is finished cooking, squeeze fresh lime juice over it.
Finally, serve the pollo guisado with your favorite side dishes and enjoy!

Notes

Season the chicken according to taste. Some people like using Sazon as well.
You may use a whole chicken cut into pieces for this recipe or simply use whatever pieces of chicken you have on hand. I prefer bone-in chicken for this Dominican chicken stew.
Some people use a little bit of sugar to brown the chicken. However, you can still reach the same results without sugar as long as the oil is very hot.
For the bell pepper, you may use any color you prefer or have on hand. I used a red bell pepper for this recipe.

Nutrition