Pollo Guisado (Pollo en Salsa)
Costa Rican stewed chicken braised on the bone with sweet pepper, onion, tomato, and cilantro in a light, savory sauce — simple, economical, and on the table all over the country.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
- 2 tomatoes (diced)
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
- 4 clovesgarlic (minced)
- 2 tbspSalsa Lizano
- 1 tspcumin
- 1 cupchicken broth
- 1/4 cupcilantro (chopped)
- 2 tbspoil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Season bone-in chicken pieces with salt, pepper, garlic, and a little Salsa Lizano; let them sit 30 minutes if you have time.
30:00 - 2
Brown the chicken in oil over medium-high heat until golden on both sides. Skin-on browns best and enriches the sauce. Remove and set aside.
- 3
Sauté onion, sweet pepper, and garlic with the cumin until soft, then add diced tomato and cook down 5 minutes into a sofrito.
05:00 - 4
Return the chicken, add the Salsa Lizano and broth, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30 minutes, turning once.
30:00 - 5
Stir in cilantro, taste for salt, and serve with white rice and black beans to soak up the sauce.
Notes
Bone-in, skin-on chicken makes a far richer sauce than boneless — and costs less. Brown well; that color is flavor. Add a diced potato or carrot in step 4 to stretch it into a one-pot meal. Photo: Juan Emilio Prades Bel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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