Go Back

Puerto Rican Sancocho (Puerto Rican Stew)

Sancocho is a traditional Puerto Rican hearty meat and tropical root vegetable stew that will just warm you up. Trust me, once you try this, it’s going to be one of those go-to recipes
Print Recipe
Puerto Rican sancocho that has corn rounds and hot vegetables cooking in Dutch oven
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour 15 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 Large Dutch Oven Or Large Stock Pot
  • 1 large spoon
  • 1 ladle

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Stew Beef you can also use pork, chicken, or mix all three
  • 2 tbsp Sofrito
  • 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp minced garlic 
  • 16 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 packet Sazón
  • 1 tbsp beef bouillon
  • 1/4 cup cilantro or recao
  • 2 green bananas
  • 2 plantains
  • 2 lbs yucca (cassava)
  • 2 lbs yautia/name (taro root)
  • 2 ears of corn, sliced into rounds
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Additional Salt and adobo to taste

Instructions

  • In a bowl, add your meat with 2 tablespoons of sofrito, 1 tablespoon of adobo, 1 teaspoon of oregano, and 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Give everything a good mix so the meat is well coated and ready to absorb all those amazing flavors.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot—Dutch ovens work great for this. Once the oil’s hot, brown your marinated meat on all sides.
  • Now that your meat is browned, pour in 16 cups of water, 2 bay leaves, a packet of Sazón, and 1 tablespoon of beef bouillon. Stir it all together and bring the broth to a rolling boil. 
  • Once it’s bubbling, cover the pot, lower the heat, and let it simmer for about 45 minutes so the meat gets nice and tender.
  • Peel and slice the green bananas and plantains, and chop up the yucca and yautía into bite-sized chunks. (put the sliced bananas and plantains into water to keep them from turning black) 
  • Once your meat’s had its 45-minute simmer, taste the broth and if it needed add some salt or adobo.
  • Add in the yucca, yautía, bananas, plantains, and corn rounds. 
  • Raise the heat to medium and let the whole pot simmer together for about 30 minutes. The broth will thicken naturally as the root veggies cook and break down.
  • Once everything’s perfectly cooked, turn off the heat and let the Sancocho sit for a few minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy with a bowl of white rice, avocado, bread, or tostones.

Video

Notes

*If the pot starts looking a little too full, you can scoop out some broth and save it for later. 
*If you like a super thick broth, you can mash a few of the root veggies or potatoes and stir them back in.
*The flavors just get richer overnight, making this the perfect dish to enjoy again the next day. Simply place in the fridge in an air tight container and eat within 2 days.
Servings: 10