Dominican Pollo Guisado (Dominican chicken stew) is a traditional dish that packs big flavor into an easy-to-make meal. Our slow cooker version is perfect for an easy, flavorful meal.

Why You Will Love This Recipe
How about something new and exotic for dinner? If so, Dominican pollo guisado is definitely an easy option! This traditional dish from the Dominican Republic combines succulent chicken with tantalizing spices, potatoes, peppers, and more – all simmered together in a delicious sauce.
Not only can it be enjoyed as part of your weekly dinner rotation, this simple yet nourishing entrée is sure to bring smiles and satisfy tummies around your family’s table.
- Hands-off cooking. Once you have the ingredients in the slow cooker, you can set it and forget it. The slow cooker does all the cooking, so you can get on to other things.
- Budget-friendly meal. All of the Pollo Guisado recipe ingredients are relatively inexpensive, so you can make a delicious and hearty meal without on a tight grocery budget.
- Delicious. This Dominican chicken stew is a hearty meal that is perfect year round, but especially on cold or chilly days.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Dominican Pollo Guisado Ingredients
- How to Make Dominican Pollo Guisado in a Crockpot
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Food Safety
Dominican Pollo Guisado Ingredients
There's nothing quite like a warm, hearty stew to warm up to. This slow cooker chicken stew is made with tender chicken, flavorful vegetables, and a rich, savory sauce. It's the perfect comfort food for any occasion.
- Chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Potatoes - Russet, peeled and diced.
- Onion - Diced.
- Carrots - Diced.
- Tomato sauce - One small can.
- Sofrito sauce - Sold in the Hispanic aisle, a blend of simmered bell peppers, onions, and garlic.
- Garlic - Minced.
- Chicken stock - Or, you can use water and bouillon cubes.
- Oregano - Dried, or fresh.
- Cumin - Dried
- Sazon Goya Seasoning - Get the Coriander and Annatto flavor, in the peach box.
- Green Olives - Manzanilla whole green olives with red pimento stuffing.
- Cilantro - Fresh, chopped for garnish, optional.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Dominican Pollo Guisado in a Crockpot
Savory and flavorful, this easy-to-make Crockpot recipe for Dominican Pollo Guisado is sure to become a favorite in your home cook repertoire! Best of all, it takes minutes to prep before popping everything into the crockpot.
Prepare The Chicken
- Remove any skin for the chicken thighs, even if you've opted for bone in. Add the chicken thighs to the crockpot.
Dice and Add the Vegetables
- Dice or chop the potatoes, onion, carrots, and the garlic. Add on top of the chicken in the crockpot.
Blend The Sauce Ingredients
- Using a medium size bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, sofrito, chicken stock, Oregano, ground Cumin, and the Sazon seasoning.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Add the olives last, on top of the chicken stew.
Slow Cook The Dominican Pollo Guisada
- Cover the crockpot and set to HIGH and slow cook for 7 hours.
- You can shred the chicken in the stew, or serve as is, in chunks. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, and serve with hot rice, quinoa, or just as it is, a hearty chicken stew.
Serving Suggestions
Pollo guisado is a traditional Dominican dish that is often made for special occasions. However, it's such an easy meal to prepare, especially with a crockpot, that you can enjoy it anytime.
Some great ways to serve this pollo guisado stew is over rice, pasta, or potatoes. It can also be served with tortillas or bread.
- Whole Wheat Tortillas
- Cilantro Lime Rice (Rice Cooker)
- Aroma Rice Cooker Instructions
- Garlic Vermicelli Rice Pilaf (DIY Rice a Roni)
- Sourdough Naan
- Instant Pot Quinoa
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations when making this Dominican Pollo Guisado recipe:
- You can substitute bone-in, skin-on chicken for the boneless, skinless chicken. Just increase the cooking time by about 30 minutes.
- If you don't have chicken broth, you can substitute water, or water and some bouillon cubes.
- Sweet potatoes are a delicious substitute for the white or russet potatoes.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this slow cooker Pollo Guisado recipe.
Storage and Reheating
- This Dominican chicken stew can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw the stew overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Tips for Success
- For a richer flavor, brown the chicken in the skillet before adding it to the slow cooker.
- If you don't have a slow cooker, you can make this chicken stew in a Dutch oven or large pot on the stovetop. Just cook it over low heat for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the stew is thickened.
- If you want a spicier stew, you can add a dash of cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. If you use bone-in, skin-on chicken, increase the cooking time by about 30 minutes.
The chicken will slow cook and become 'fall of the bone'. You can use and instant read thermometer an verify the chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit also.
If you want to thicken the stew, you can add a cornstarch slurry. To make a cornstarch slurry, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir the slurry into the stew and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the stew has thickened to your liking.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Dominican Pollo Guisado
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Chicken skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 3 large Potatoes Russets, peeled and diced
- 1 Onion diced
- 3 Carrots diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 8 oz Tomato sauce
- 4 oz Sofrito sauce homemade or store bought
- 3 cup Chicken stock
- 2 teaspoon Oregano dried
- 2 teaspoon Cumin ground
- 2 packet Sazon Goya Coriander and Annatto flavor
- 4 oz Olives Green Pimento stuffed
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro Fresh, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Remove any skin for the chicken thighs, even if you've opted for bone in. Add the chicken thighs to the crockpot.3 lbs Chicken
- Dice or chop the potatoes, onion, carrots, and the garlic. Add on top of the chicken in the crockpot.3 large Potatoes, 3 Carrots, 1 Onion, 3 cloves Garlic
- Using a medium size bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, sofrito, chicken stock, Oregano, ground Cumin, and the Sazon seasoning.8 oz Tomato sauce, 4 oz Sofrito sauce, 3 cup Chicken stock, 2 teaspoon Oregano, 2 teaspoon Cumin, 2 packet Sazon Goya
- Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Add the olives last, on top of the chicken stew.4 oz Olives
- Cover the crockpot and set to HIGH and slow cook for 7 hours.
- You can shred the chicken in the stew, or serve as is, in chunks. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, and serve with hot rice, quinoa, or just as it is, a hearty chicken stew.1 tablespoon Cilantro
Notes
- For a richer flavor, brown the chicken in the skillet before adding it to the slow cooker.
- If you don't have a slow cooker, you can make this chicken stew in a Dutch oven or large pot on the stovetop. Just cook it over low heat for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the stew is thickened.
- If you want a spicier stew, you can add a dash of cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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