Sancocho Recipe

This hearty and absolutely delicious stew with meat, vegetables, and tubers is a soul-satisfying meal on its own. And it's perfect for this fall season!

Course Main

Cuisine Puerto Rican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Calories 583kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1 pound chicken thighs, skinless and cut into bite-size chunks
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into chunks
½ pound andouille sausage, cut into thick slices
Salt (just enough to marinate)
1 packet Sazon (without achiote) OR 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1-2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons sofrito
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
6 cups water or broth, adjust to desired taste
1 large green plantain, peeled and cut into chunks
1 ears corn, cut into bite-size (about 2-inch) chunks
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 cup Caribbean pumpkin (calabaza or butternut squash)
1 yuca, peeled, the taproot removed, and cut into 2-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Season meat (chicken and beef) on both sides salt and season. Or just use your favorite spice mix. Then let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add oil to the pot.
Then add the meat (do so in batches if desired) or brown the beef and chicken separately. Let it sear for about 2 minutes before turning the chicken over.
Cook for about 6 minutes or until brown. Then add the sausage and cook for another two minutes.
Add sofrito, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, and sazon. Sauté until fragrant, about a minute. Then add onions, and cook for about 5 minutes.
Pour in water or broth. Return the meat to the pot and bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, depending on your cut of beef. Cook less if only using chicken.
Next, add root vegetables, starting with the one that needs the most time to cook – in this case, green plantains. Cook for about 10 minutes before adding the yuca, squash, potatoes, and corn.
Continue simmering the stew for 10 minutes until the meat and veggies begin to soften.
Season with salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste.
Continue cooking until root vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes. The stew should be thick and hearty; if not, mash up a few root vegetables to thicken it.
Serve in large bowls, and top with chopped cilantro.

Notes

Cook the starchy veggies longer if you want a thicker, mushier sauce. But if you want textures and crunch, cook them until they are just fork-tender.
Since we're dealing with root veggies, adding them in the order from the ones that take the longest to cook to the one that has the shortest cooking time ensures everything cooks evenly.
You can make your own super easy homemade sofrito for an even better sancocho.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition