Colombian Chicken Stew (Sudado de Pollo) with Simple Cooking Tips
Sudado de pollo has always been one of those meals that brings me right back to my mom’s kitchen. I can still picture her stirring the pot while the smell of onions, garlic, and tomatoes filled the air. She’d add chicken, red potatoes, and her favorite mix of spices, letting everything simmer slowly.
When I make it now, I always serve it with fluffy white rice to soak up the juices. It’s simple, hearty, and always reminds me of home.
Table of Contents
What is Sudado de Pollo?
The word sudado translates to “sweaty” in Spanish, but I don’t think that name really does this dish justice. For me, sudado de pollo is a traditional Colombian chicken stew made by slow cooking simple ingredients. As everything simmers, the spices and vegetables blend together into a rich and hearty meal.
I’ve seen different regions in Colombia put their own twist on it, but the basics stay the same. Tender chicken, a rich broth, and fresh ingredients always make this dish a favorite.
The Spices
The spices are what really bring this dish to life. For this recipe, I used organic cumin, adobo, and sazon to give it an extra kick.
Traditionally, the stew is made with just cumin, but I like to add a mix of spices and herbs to give it more depth.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this chicken dish. I’ve grouped the ingredients and included some swaps to keep it flexible.
The quantities and exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
Chicken and Vegetables
Chicken thighs and drumsticks, fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and red potatoes make up the base. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes work too. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes can replace red potatoes.
Seasonings
You’ll need tomato paste, bay leaves, sazon, cumin, adobo, and sea salt. No sazon? Use a mix of coriander, comino, and turmeric instead.
Broth Base
The broth uses water and vinegar. White vinegar is common, but apple cider vinegar works if that’s what you have.
Garnish
Cilantro is used for garnish. Parsley can work as a substitute if needed.
Instructions
Prep
Start by dicing your tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Don’t worry about getting them perfect—a rough chop is just fine. Set those aside. For the potatoes, peel and slice them, then place them in a bowl of cold water with a little salt. This keeps them from turning brown until they’re ready to go into the stew later.
Sear the Chicken
Heat up your Dutch oven over medium heat. While it’s warming up, season the chicken with salt. Once the pot is nice and hot, add some avocado oil and sear the chicken. You’re looking for a good golden color on all sides. This takes about five minutes per side. Add the bay leaves during this step to start building flavor. Once the chicken is browned, set it aside for now.
Cook the Veggies
In the same pot, toss in the diced onions, tomatoes (fresh and paste), and garlic. Give it a good stir and let it cook for about five minutes. Now’s the time to add the spices. Stir everything together so the flavors can start to meld.
After about 15 minutes, the onions should be soft, and the tomato paste will have started to caramelize a bit. That’s your signal to add the chicken back into the pot.
Build the Broth
Pour in the water and vinegar, then cover the pot and let everything cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. After that, uncover and let it simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll know the chicken is ready when it’s tender and practically falling off the bone. If you see any extra fat floating on top, skim it off with a spoon.
Tip: If you prefer your chicken without skin, now’s a good time to remove it.
Add the Potatoes
Drain the potatoes and add them to the pot. Stir them in gently and let everything cook for another 15 minutes. Check the potatoes with a fork—they’re ready when they’re soft enough to pierce easily.
Finish and Serve
Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve it hot over a bed of white rice, with some avocado slices and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top. If you’re in the mood for a little heat, add a spoonful of aji picante on the side.
And that’s it!
Top Tips
Take your time.
Stews cook slowly and carefully come together over low heat to develop flavor layers. The longer the stew cooks, the more you'll extract flavors from every ingredient.
Season at every turn.
Seasoning at every level is incredibly important because a stew is multi-dimensional. From where you sear the chicken to the sauteeing of the onion and tomato mix, there is an opportunity to truly level up the seasoning to create a yummy and delicate stew.
Skim the fat.
Before adding the potatoes, skim any excess fat. This is the perfect opportunity to remove the skin if you prefer to serve the chicken without the skin.
Leave the cilantro for last.
Cilantro is a delicate herb, unlike its cousin, culantro, which is used in sofrito, like Puerto Rican Sofrito, which is made to cook over time. Cilantro is ideally added at the end of a hot dish to prevent it from turning brown and overcooking. Cilantro is optional and based on personal preference.
What to Serve With It?
This dish is almost always served with a big scoop of rice (arroz blanco), usually something like freshly cooked white rice or cilantro lime rice. The rice soaks up all the delicious juices in the guiso broth, making every bite even better.
Place the potatoes on the side, and if you’d like, sprinkle a little fresh cilantro on top. It’s simple and looks just as good as it tastes. You can also add slices of avocado, the combo with the sauce from the caldo de pollo is delish!
Variations
Make it spicy:
Make it spicy by adding cayenne pepper or hot sauce, and adjust it based on your preferred level of spiciness. For an extra kick, add freshly diced jalapeños.
Colombians will traditionally add hot sauce or aji picante that is slightly spicy and tangy with tons of cilantro parsley and not overbearingly spicy. It's so perfect!
Slices of Avocado:
Top the rice and stew with perfectly ripened avocado slices with a pinch of salt and lime juice.
Seafood and Chicken Blend:
Add shrimp, mussels, or clams along with the chicken to make a delicious blend of seafood flavors.
Lemon Chicken Stew:
Load this stew with lemon or lime juice like a Greek lemon chicken soup for a citrusy and tangy version.
Veggie & Chicken Stew:
Add cauliflower, broccoli, or mushrooms to make a delicious veggie and chicken stew.
Experiment on your own for the best version of this dish. Add ingredients that you love to this dish. Add bell peppers (adding a red bell pepper are perfect for this recipe), carrots, or green plantains (chopped).
Swap The Chicken with Beef
Sear the beef in a large dutch oven and follow the recipe until the beef is fork tender.
FAQs
What is the best cut of chicken for the perfect sudado de pollo?
The best cut is either thigh, drumstick, or both. These cuts are ideal for stews because the leg of the chicken requires a longer cooking time and has a higher fat content, allowing these cuts to retain moisture.
Can I freeze leftover Colombian chicken stew?
Yes, if you want to store leftovers and save them for longer, you can store them in the freezer. Use an airtight container to store the leftover sudado de pollo in the freezer.
How can I make this sudado de pollo spicy?
You have several options. You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper, red chili pepper flakes, or a fresh spice pepper like fresh red chili pepper or jalapeño.
Can I make this Colombian chicken stew without the skin?
Absolutely, you can remove the skin for this recipe before searing the chicken.
What can I serve with this dish?
Serve this dish with a fresh side of white rice. A ripe avocado, patacones (twice-fried plantains) or air fryer plantain chips.
Can I substitute the adobo and sazon with different spices?
Substitute the adobo and sazon mix with comino, coriander, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, black pepper, onion powder, turmeric, and sal.
Tell Me All About It
I’d love to hear from you. Have you made this recipe, or is it your first time trying it? Does your family make something similar, or did you add your own twist?
Share how it turned out or any changes you made—I always enjoy hearing different ideas and experiences. Let me know your thoughts below!
Colombian Chicken Stew (Sudado de Pollo)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Dice:The tomatoes, onion, garlic, and set aside. A rough chop works well.Peel:Peel the potatoes, slice them, and set them aside in a bowl of cold water and salt to prevent them from browning. These will be added to the stew later.
- Set the Dutch oven on medium heat.Salt the chicken. Once the Dutch oven is hot, add the avocado oil, and pan-sear the chicken on all sides (roughly 5 minutes on each side).Brown on all sides to develop good flavors, and add the bay leaves.Once the chicken is golden brown, set aside.
- Add the diced onions, tomatoes (fresh and tomato paste), and garlic to the dutch oven and stir for 5 minutes.
- Then add the spices to the sauteed garlic, onion, and tomato mix.
- After 15 minutes, or once the onions are slightly translucent and the spices and tomato paste have caramelized, add the chicken back into the pot.
- Fill the pot with six cups of filtered water, add the vinegar, and place the cover on for 10 minutes. Continue to cook on medium heat.Uncover, then cook for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is fork-tender.Tip! Remove any excess fat with a large spoon. If you prefer chicken without the skin, remove the skin before serving.
- Drain the potatoes and add them to the chicken stew. Continue to cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. Test the potatoes with a fork. Once they're fork-tender, the stew is ready to serve!Season as desired. Enjoy on a bed of white rice, slivers of avocado, and fresh cilantro. Add a spoonful of aji picante for an extra kick!
Delicious and easy. I loved the spices, too. This was my first time cooking with Loisa’s sazon.
Perfect! So happy to hear.
Delicious and easy to make. Love the spice brand. Glad to add spices other than Goya.
Wonderful, happy to hear.
Perfect. My granddaughters are from Columbia and I am learning to cook their favorite foods. Only been a year and I have mastered 3 recipes. Hope to continue making these two teenagers feel more at home. Thank you
That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing.