Dominican Pollo Guisado (Braised Chicken)

Dig into Dominican Pollo Guisado, a delectable, easy-to-make braised chicken. This dish features tender chicken simmered in a rich tomato-based sauce with a blend of aromatic spices, served over rice and beans. A delicious and satisfying meal that will transport your taste buds to the Caribbean.

I have a deep love and nostalgic connection to this easy, classic Dominican braised chicken—called pollo guisado in Spanish. Having grown up in The Dominican Republic, my earliest memories are steeped in the fragrant, enticing aromas of this hearty, flavourful, and soulful dish.

With fall-apart meat nestled in a sauce of tender vegetables and tomato-enriched pan juices, this succulent chicken dish is ideal for a budget-friendly family meal. Satisfying, delicious and comforting, absolutely everyone that tries pollo guisado falls in love with it.

About Dominican Pollo Guisado

Arguably one of the most cherished dishes in Dominican cuisine, pollo guisado is the chicken that all Dominicans crave, even if they have been eating it all their lives. Bone-in chicken pieces are browned then braised with a simple pan sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, spices and bell peppers until fall-off-the-bone tender and irresistibly luscious.

Though full of complex, rich flavours, pollo guisado is made with very simple techniques and ingredients. As with many Latin guisado-dishes, pollo guisado can include olives. If you aren’t fond of olives you can leave them out but to me, they are a delightful briny addition.

Pollo guisado is also a popular dish in Puerto Rico, Cuba and other central Latin American countries, each with their own variations. In Puerto Rico, for instance, a delicious version of this dish includes diced potatoes.

A Few More Facts To Know About Dominican Pollo Guisado

1. Though loosely referred to as a stew, pollo guisado is not really a chicken stew. The chicken is slowly braised with a minimal amount of water added.
2. Bone-in chicken is best but many Dominicans like to remove the skin because it will just get soggy in the braise. I do too.
3. Though it includes tomatoes, it should not be a heavy tomato-based sauce.
4. When served with rice and beans and a green side salad, pollo guisado makes up a patriotic lunch lovingly referred to as La Bandera (the Dominican flag).

Key Ingredients And Notes

The list of ingredients may seem a little long but you likely have most of them in your pantry or fridge.

• Chicken – Bone-in chicken pieces are best here as they will undoubtedly make a tastier dish. If you prefer to use boneless, make sure you stick to chicken thighs which will not dry out like chicken breasts. You can use all bone-in chicken thighs or a mix of thighs and drumsticks. Most Dominican cooks like to remove the chicken skin so the sauce isn’t as greasy. I do the same.
• Lime juice – This adds flavour to the marinade and also “washes” the chicken—something Dominicans always believe in when preparing chicken.
• Onion – We are using some of the onion, finely chopped, to marinate the chicken for just a few minutes. The rest of the onion is added to the braise later. You can use a white, red or yellow onion.
• Garlic – I use 3 large garlic cloves but you can use 2 if you don’t love garlic as much as we do.
• Bell peppers – You can use any colour of bell peppers here, but I always include at least one green pepper. Their herbal, less-sweet flavour adds complexity to the base of this braise. Again, here we are using some of the peppers, finely chopped, to marinate the chicken and the rest of the peppers are added to the braise later.
• Fresh tomatoes – You will need two large Roma tomatoes, or 3 vine tomatoes, to make this pollo guisado. Even when not in season, I always use fresh tomatoes to make my pollo guisado. In a pinch, you can use just a 1/4 cup of a light tomato sauce.
• Tomato paste – Just a smidge is used here to deepen the colour and flavours of the sauce.
• Cilantro – If you have culantro available where you live, that is what you would use here instead of cilantro. Culantro is an herb that tastes and smells similar to cilantro but the flavour is stronger and holds up well when added to sauces. To make things easy, this recipe calls for cilantro which is available everywhere.
• Green olives – Optional, but I love the salinity and acidity the briny flavour lends to pollo guisado. I use Spanish manzanilla olives but any green olives will work.
• Spices – Here we are using a mix of dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika. If you are familiar with Latin cooking and have some adobo and/or sazón, go ahead and use that instead with just a pinch of oregano added. A bay leaf is optional but it does add a nice floral fragrance to this dish.
• Bouillon cube (sopita) – Optional, but for extra flavour Dominicans always add a chicken bouillon cube to pollo guisado. I use one teaspoon low-sodium Better Than Bouillon.
• Kosher salt and black pepper – Omit the salt if using adobo or sazón.
• Sugar – Dominicans always add a pinch of sugar to the pan in order to help caramelize the chicken. It is a very small amount so it will not make your chicken taste sweet. If you’re avoiding sugar, feel free to skip this step.

Pollo Guisado Variations

1. Add some sazón. Though not essential, this classic Latin seasoning will add more authentic flavour and rich colour to your pollo gusiado. It is hard to find in stores unless you live near a Latin American market but you can easily make your own with easy to find spices. Simply mix until combined: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon achiote powder (or paprika), 1/4 teaspooon salt, 1/4 ground coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Tip: Double or triple the batch to sprinkle on so many other dishes such as taco meat, picadillo, chili, arroz con pollo, etc.
2. Use beef. The exact same recipe can be made using cubes of stewing beef in which case you’d be making what we call carne de res guisada. Just add a little more water and let the meat simmer for until completely tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Add more veggies. Not as traditional in a Dominican pollo guisado, but if you wish you can add chopped potatoes, chopped carrots, or even chopped zucchini towards the end.
4. Make it vegan. Though I haven’t tried it, I suspect a vegan version of this guisado would be quite easy to make. Make the sauce first using vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, then add shredded jackfruit or tofu and simmer for 15 minutes. Yum!

Easy Steps For Making Dominican Pollo Guisado

At a quick glance, the steps involved in making pollo guisado may seem a little confusing or intimidating. But I promise this is a very easy dish that anyone can throw together and the result will delight you.

If you use a large enough skillet, and your chicken pieces aren’t too large, you can easily fit 8 pieces. Sometimes I squeeze in 10. Because we aren’t trying to get crispy skin on the chicken, it’s okay to slightly cram them in.

Here is the easy step-by step:

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and add the lime juice, spices and seasonings, chopped bell peppers, chopped onion and garlic. Toss to combine and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes, one hour is best.

Heat oil in a large skillet that has a lid over medium-high heat. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar in the pan (if using) and let the sugar brown slightly. As soon as the sugar starts to turn brown, carefully, add the chicken pieces, leaving behind as much of the chopped vegetables and marinade as possible. Do not discard the marinade. Cook, undisturbed, until chicken pieces have browned slightly, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add 1/4 of water to the bowl with the leftover marinade and mix to combine. Sprinkle the mixture all over the chicken. Cover, and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring the chicken around once or twice, about 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the tomato paste, chicken bouillon, if using, and 1/4 cup water.

Remove the lid and add the chopped tomatoes, sliced onion and bell peppers. Drizzle in the tomato paste mixture, cover, and simmer again until the vegetables have slightly softened and the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes more. 

Add the olives and a few tablespoons of olive brine. At this point you can add 1/4 cup more water if you feel it needs it, I rarely do. Cook, uncovered, to allow the olive flavours to meld with sauce, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings with a little salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh cilantro and serve with rice and beans, if desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

Dominicans love to serve this dish with white rice, stewed beans, a few slices of avocado and tostones (smashed fried plantains). A wonderful feast like no other, if you ask me. Pollo guisado is also wonderful with this Moro de habichuelas — a delicious one-pot rice and bean dish.

But I have been making this dish for my family for over 30 years and more often than not, I keep things simple with just a side of white rice and an avocado, or leafy green, salad. Simple, yet utterly delicious.

TIP: If you have leftovers, stretch them out by removing the meat from the bone and chop it into small pieces. Serve it over egg noodles or in wraps with rice and beans—so good!

Storing Suggestions

Pollo guisado makes fabulous leftovers for lunch or even a next-day second dinner.

• To store: Place pollo guisado leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• To reheat: Whether you have a small or large amount of pollo guisado, I recommend reheating it on the stovetop. Place the pollo guisado in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water and heat until chicken is completely warmed through.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes To Try

***If you give this Pollo Guisado (Dominican Braised Chicken) recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!