Colombia's great hearty stew — chicken, yuca, plantain, corn and potato simmered in a golden, herb-scented broth. Sunday lunch across the nation.
Sancocho is the heart of Colombian home cooking, a thick, sustaining stew that appears at Sunday family lunches, after football matches, and at outdoor barbecues (sancocho de campo). Every region has a version: Bogotá's uses hen and papa criolla; Valle del Cauca uses fish; the coast uses three meats. The common thread is guiso — a soffrito of tomato, onion, spring onion and garlic — and a trio of root vegetables that melt into the broth, thickening it naturally. Cilantro and hogao (cooked tomato-onion sauce) are essential finishers.
Serves 6
Place chicken in a large pot with water, onion, spring onions, garlic, tomatoes, tied cilantro bunch, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer 20 min.
Add yuca, plantain and corn. Simmer 20 min.
Add papa criolla and simmer a further 20–25 min until all vegetables are completely tender and yuca begins to soften the broth.
Remove chicken pieces, shred meat and discard bones. Return meat to pot. Remove and discard the tied cilantro bunch. Taste and adjust salt.
Ladle into deep bowls. Top with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with white rice, avocado slices and hogao (tomato-onion sauce) on the side.
Eating sancocho with rice inside the bowl is correct — the starch absorbs the broth beautifully.
Don't rush: long simmering is what thickens the broth naturally via yuca starch.
Papa criolla (small yellow-fleshed Colombian potato) melts faster than regular potatoes and gives the broth a golden colour.
Three-meat sancocho: add chorizo and pork ribs
Coastal version uses fish or seafood instead of chicken
Bogotá style uses only hen (gallina vieja) for a richer, more intense broth
Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Broth thickens considerably when cold — add water when reheating.
Sancocho derives from the Spanish verb 'sancochar' (to parboil). The dish arrived with Spanish colonisers but absorbed indigenous root vegetables — yuca, plantain, papa criolla — to become entirely Colombian in character. It is considered the unofficial national dish.
Yes — frozen yuca is pre-peeled and works perfectly. Add it directly from frozen, just allow a few extra minutes of cooking time.
Per serving · 6 servings total
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