Pollo Guisado Guatemalteco: Chicken Stew with Recado

If there is one dish that represents the everyday Guatemalan kitchen, it is pollo guisado. Not the elaborate pepian or the ceremonial kak’ik – just chicken, stewed in a good tomato sauce with whatever vegetables are on hand. This is what most Guatemalan families eat on a regular Tuesday evening.

Walk into any comedor at lunchtime and you will see it on the menu board: pollo guisado con arroz y tortillas. It costs Q25-30, it comes out fast, and it is reliably good. The sauce gets its color from achiote, its body from roasted tomatoes, and its depth from slow simmering with the chicken.

The beauty of pollo guisado is its flexibility. Some cooks add chayote instead of potatoes. Others throw in a handful of green olives. The base – roasted tomato, onion, garlic, achiote – stays the same, and everything else adapts to what is fresh and available.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 8 chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work best)
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Sauce

• 4 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 large white onion, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon achiote paste (or 1 tsp annatto powder)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups water or chicken broth

Vegetables

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 1 cup green beans (ejotes), cut into 2-inch pieces
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the sauce. Roast the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion quarters, and garlic on a hot comal or under the broiler until well charred on all sides – about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender. Add the achiote paste, cumin, oregano, and 1 cup of water. Blend until completely smooth.

Step 2: Brown the chicken. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. The browning creates flavor. Remove chicken and set aside.

Step 3: Build the stew. Pour the blended sauce into the same pot, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom (that is flavor). Add bay leaves and the remaining 1 cup of water. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, nestling them into the sauce.

Step 4: Simmer. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Cover again and continue cooking for 20 more minutes until the vegetables are fork-tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Step 5: Serve. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the chicken and vegetables. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve hot with white rice and fresh corn tortillas.

Como Lo Hacemos en Guatemala (Local Tips)

Achiote is color and flavor. The distinctive orange-red color of pollo guisado comes from achiote. Without it, the dish looks and tastes different. A tablespoon of paste dissolved in the sauce is all you need.

Bone-in, skin-on chicken is non-negotiable. The bones release gelatin into the sauce, making it silky. The skin adds richness. Boneless chicken breast in a guisado is not the same thing.

Use what vegetables you have. Potatoes and carrots are standard, but chayote (guisquil), green beans, and even small pieces of corn on the cob are common additions. The sauce embraces everything.

This is a one-pot meal. The rice is served alongside, but the guisado itself is complete. It has protein, vegetables, and a sauce that ties everything together. Simple, balanced, satisfying.

Find Ingredients in the US

Approximate Nutrition (per serving)

More Guatemalan recipes: Pollo en Crema (Chicken in Cream) | Pepian (National Dish) | Carne Guisada (Beef Stew)

Related: Guatemala Food Guide | Food Prices in Guatemala | Cost of Living