Sancocho (Colombian Chicken and Yuca Stew)

About This Recipe

Sancocho is the Colombian definition of abundance: a vast, steaming pot of whole chicken pieces, yuca (cassava), green plantain, corn cobs, potatoes, and criolla small potatoes simmered in a broth made golden-fragrant by fresh cilantro, spring onion, cumin, and colour paste (hogao base). Every Colombian region has its own sancocho — the Valle del Cauca makes theirs with seven meats (sancocho de siete carnes); the coast adds coconut milk; Antioquia makes it with pork and dry beans — but sancocho de gallina (hen stew) is the form shared across the entire country and the one served at every major celebration: weddings, Mother's Day, weekend reunions. The dish is built in layers of timing: the older, tougher chicken (gallina, not pollo) goes in first and cooks for 90 minutes until the broth is deeply flavoured; then the root vegetables go in sequentially according to how long they take to cook. The result is a clear broth that has absorbed the character of everything in it, and a bowl that is a full meal: protein, starch, fat, and herb in one. It is served with white rice, hogao, avocado slices, and ají (chilli sauce) on the side.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1.5 kgwhole chicken or gallina (stewing hen), cut into pieces
• 400 gyuca (cassava), peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 largegreen plantains, peeled and cut into rounds
• 300 gpapa criolla (small Andean yellow potato)(or small yukon gold)
• 300 gwhite potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 cobsfresh corn, cut into rounds
• 1 largewhite onion, quartered
• 8 clovesgarlic, whole
• 1 largebunch cilantro (coriander), whole
• 1 bunchspring onions (scallions), whole
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsazon with achiote(or 0.5 tsp annatto powder + 0.5 tsp garlic powder)
• 2 tspsalt
• 2.5 litrescold water

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the chicken broth

   Place chicken pieces in a large pot with cold water, quartered onion, whole garlic, half the cilantro bunch, spring onions, cumin, sazon, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam, then reduce to a steady simmer.

2. 2

   Simmer the chicken

   Cook uncovered 45–60 minutes (90 minutes if using gallina/stewing hen) until chicken is very tender and the broth is golden and flavourful.

3. 3

   Remove chicken and strain

   Remove chicken pieces. Strain the broth, discarding the cooked aromatics. Return the clear broth to the pot. Add chicken pieces back in.

4. 4

   Add plantain and yuca

   Add green plantain rounds and yuca chunks to the broth. Bring back to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Add corn and potatoes

   Add corn rounds, white potato, and papa criolla. Continue simmering 20–25 minutes until all vegetables are fully cooked — yuca should be tender all the way through (test with a fork).

   Yuca has a fibrous core that runs down the centre; once cooked, the flesh around it is tender but the core string can be removed when serving.

6. 6

   Add final cilantro

   Add the remaining fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, and adjust seasoning. Simmer 2 more minutes.

7. 7

   Serve

   Ladle into deep bowls ensuring each bowl gets chicken, yuca, plantain, corn, and both potato types. Serve with white rice, avocado, hogao, and ají picante on the side.

Variations

• •

  Sancocho de siete carnes (Valle del Cauca): add beef ribs, pork ribs, longaniza sausage, and hen in layers.

• •

  Sancocho de mariscos (coastal): replace chicken with shrimp, fish, and crab; use coconut milk as part of the liquid.

• •

  Sancocho de frijoles (Antioquia): add pre-cooked pinto beans in the last 15 minutes for a heartier, more filling version.

Storage

Refrigerate sancocho up to 3 days — it deepens in flavour overnight. When reheating, bring to a full boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes. Freeze for up to 2 months (freeze without the yuca, which becomes grainy; add fresh yuca when reheating).

Frequently Asked Questions