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Sudado de Pollo on a plate
Olga

Colombian Chicken Stew (Sudado de Pollo)

5 from 2 votes
Sudado de Pollo is a traditional Colombian stew with chicken, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes, cooked together and served with rice to enjoy all the sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 5 people
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Colombian
Calories: 584
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 10 pieces Chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 2 whole Tomatoes
  • 1 whole Onion
  • 6 cloves Fresh Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Tomato Paste
  • 3 whole Red Potatoes
Spices and Salt
  • 3 leaves Fresh or Dried Bay Leaves
  • 1/4 tsp Sazon with Salt
  • 1 tsp Salt-free Sazon
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Adobo
  • 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
Water and Vinegar
  • 6 cups Filtered Water
  • 1/4 cup White Distilled Vinegar
Garnish
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven
  • 1 Chef Knife or Pairing Knife
  • 1 Potato Peeler
  • 1 Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Large Spoon

Method
 

Prep
  1. 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.
    Diced Tomatoes on cutting board for Colombian Chicken Stew
  2. 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.
    Seared Chicken for Colombian Chicken Stew
  3. Add the diced onions, tomatoes (fresh and tomato paste), and garlic to the dutch oven and stir for 5 minutes.
    Diced Onions on cutting board.
  4. Then add the spices to the sauteed garlic, onion, and tomato mix.
    Spices in a bowl for Sudado de Pollo
  5. 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.
    Sauteed Onion Mix Sudado de Pollo in dutch oven
  6. 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.
    Sudado de Pollo in dutch oven
  7. 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!

Nutrition

Calories: 584kcal

Notes

Top Tips for the Best Colombian Chicken Stew

Take your time.

Stews cook slowly and carefully come together over low heat to develop flavor layers. The longer the stew cooks, the greater the chance of extracting flavors from every ingredient.

Season at every turn.

Seasoning at every level is incredibly important because a stew is multi-dimensional. From the point at which 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 robust and delicate stew.

Skim the fat.

Before adding the potatoes, skim any excess fat. If you prefer to serve the chicken without the skin, this is the perfect opportunity to remove the skin of the chicken.

Leave the cilantro for last.

Cilantro is a delicate herb, unlike its cousin, culantro, used in sofrito like Puerto Rican Sofrito, which are ideal for cooking 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 your personal preference.

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