Sancocho (Meat and Vegetable Stew)

Sancocho is a gluten-free meat and vegetable stew that’s common in Latin America. Each country has its own variation of the hearty stew, but this one is a compilation of many of them. A beef stock base adds more flavor to this sancocho than water alone. And a combination of meats and veggies assures you don’t leave your table feeling hungry. This is more of a Puerto Rican sancocho recipe than anything, but no matter which country’s stew you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed.

*This post was originally published in January 2022. Updates to the article and image sizes are the only changes.*

What is Sancocho?

Sancocho comes from the Spanish verb sancochar, which means parboil. So, it’s named for how it’s cooked. 

Sancocho is a Latin American stew made with chunks of meat, root vegetables, and other vegetables. Corn is one of the most common veggies added to the pot. Sancocho is made with many different proteins, depending on the country of origin. The stew base is chunks of meat boiled in a rich, flavorful broth, though, which means many countries share similar sancocho recipes. All are amazing soups, but I’m partial to this version.

Where Does Sancocho Come From?

Many people believe that sancocho came from the Spanish Canary Islands. There is a heavy African and Indigenous influence throughout the dish as we find with most recipes from Spanish colonies. The likelihood is that Canary Islanders began immigrating to other Latin American and Caribbean countries, and in doing so influenced the natives of the country to create their own version of stew. With the migration of Puerto Ricans and immigration of other Hispanic and West Indian peoples, sancocho made its way to the mainland United States. Thank heavens!

Many West Indian and Latin American countries have their own version of sancocho. Countries like Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, and Ecuador each add a different mix of vegetables and proteins to theirs.

What’s in Sancocho?

In Puerto Rico, sancocho is a catchall recipe. Most people make their stew with chunks of stew beef, the viandas (tubers) common to Puerto Rico, aromatic veggies, and corn. Puerto Rican sancocho is often made with chicken, beef, or pig’s feet. However, my stew is made with four different meats and even more tubers and vegetables.

You might find habichuelas (beans) added to the pot in the Dominican version. Dominicanos even have one that contains seven types of meat! Colombian sancocho often includes ribs. Those are just a couple of examples of what goes into the recipe around the Latin American world. 

Since sancocho is a true comfort stew, you can add whatever you want.

What Meats Go Into Sancocho?

You’ll find chicken, beef, pork, and ham in this Puerto Rican recipe for sancocho. If you don’t like one or more ingredients, replace them with those you like. 

I start with chicken leg quarters. It’s best to use dark meat in stews because it’s harder to dry out than white meat. You can replace the dark meat with white if you prefer, but add it to the pot later during the cooking. The same thing goes for using boneless dark meat.

Separate the leg from the thigh with a chef’s knife, then use a meat cleaver to cut them into 2-inch pieces. You can do this yourself or ask the butcher to do it. 

Do I Have to Add Pork to My Sancocho?

You can always add or omit the pork in sancocho recipes.

I use pork for carnitas in my sancocho because it’s flavorful and inexpensive. You can use that or boneless country ribs since both come from the pork shoulder.

Cut the chunks into 1-inch pieces or up to 2-inch pieces if you prefer a heartier stew. Don’t cut them any larger to ensure the meat cooks evenly in the sancocho.

Ham adds smokiness to sancocho, but only if you use cured ham. You don’t want to use fresh picnic ham here. It won’t add flavor to the stew. 

You can replace the pork in your sancocho with smoked turkey necks, tails, or wings and still achieve that smoky flavor. 

Puerto Rican sancocho is often made with pig feet. If you want to make it entirely with pig’s feet, buy salted pig’s feet and desalinate them in cold water for 3 hours before adding them to the pot. Change the water every hour to speed up the process. To use fresh pig’s feet, add to the pot with the other meats. If you add a smoked ham hock, you won’t need to cut it, but you will need to shred the meat from it after cooking. 

Can I omit or swap out the beef?

Beef cubes are another common ingredient in Puerto Rican sancocho. Actually, it’s the most common meat in Puerto Rican sancocho.

Cut a beef shoulder roast into 1 to 2-inch chunks since it’s cheaper than buying the meat already cut. First, trim off the excess fat from the roast, then cut the beef down to size.

You can use the shoulder roast (or chuck) as I do, or use a top round beef roast, sirloin (more expensive), or even oxtail (the most expensive). If you opt for oxtail, there is no need to cut them into smaller pieces. Just add them to the stew since they’ll break up as they cook.

What Other Meats Can I Add to Sancocho?

Other proteins you can add to your sancocho are:

• Beef short ribs, tripe, offal, oxtail, beef tips, beef stew meat, or shanks.
• Pork rib tips, sirloin chunks, or feet.
• Cured meats like smoked turkey necks, wings, or tails, smoked ham hock, longaniza, or Spanish chorizo.
• Various poultry, such as guinea fowl, cornish hen, or turkey. 

You must cut larger pieces of meat down to 1 to 2 inches, so everything cooks simultaneously. The sancocho will also take longer to cook with each meat added. The great thing about sancocho is it the more stuff you add, the better it tastes. 

How Do You Flavor Sancocho?

Sancocho is flavored with typical Latin American spices and seasonings like sofrito, sazón, pepper, adobo, white wine vinegar, and dried oregano leaves. 

Make the marinade for the meat by mixing all of these together in a large mixing bowl. Add the meats (except the ham) to the marinade in the bowl and toss them well to season. 

How Long Do I Marinate the Meat?

Marinate the meat for sancocho overnight or for at least 2 hours. Cover the container and refrigerate the meat while it marinates.

Freezing the meat after you marinate is also a fantastic way to cut down on same-day prep. Transfer the meat to a freezer-safe container after tossing it in the marinade. Freeze the meat for up to 6 months. Thaw the meat in the fridge once you’re ready to make the sancocho and use it as instructed. 

What Are the Traditional Vegetables Used in Sancocho?

Puerto Rican sancocho contains several vegetables like malanga coco (also called cocoyam or big taro), potato, calabaza (kabocha squash), yautía (American taro root), guineo verde, green plantain, yuca, ñame (yam), and batata (white sweet potatoes or boniato). 

I also like to include onion, garlic, and corn.

Where Do I Find These Vegetables?

Guineos (green bananas) are the most important vegetable, next to frozen or fresh corn, to add to Puerto Rican sancocho. They’re ungassed cooking bananas, which you can often find in an African or Latin market.You can often find them in a well-stocked Asian market, too.

You don’t need much else except the onion, garlic, and corn as long as you have the guineos. 

Use what you can find on the list above. If you can only find large pieces of each vegetable, use what the recipe calls for and freeze the rest. You can also use the excess vianda to make Serenata (Codfish and Tuber Salad). 

Peel and cut the vegetables into 1 to 2 inches chunks as you did with the meats. The sancocho will cook more efficiently if all vegetables and meats are cut uniformly. 

Can I Replace the Fresh Vegetables in My Sancocho with Frozen?

Cities and towns with large Hispanic/Latin American populations may have stores selling viandas for sancocho pre-cut and bagged. If frozen vegetables are more convenient, by all means, use those. Usually, one bag is enough for this recipe.

The final ingredients in sancocho are beef stock or broth (or chicken broth or stock), bay leaves, capers, sazón, adobo, manzanilla olives, sofrito, tomato sauce (or tomato paste), and black pepper to taste.

You need to cook this sancocho in a large dutch oven, I recommend a 16-quart or larger stockpot or caldero, because it makes a lot of stew. 

Remove the marinated meat from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Because cold meat extends your cooking time and contributes to tougher meat, it’s best to let it warm up for a little while before cooking it.

How Do I Prepare the Sancocho?

Add a tablespoon of achiote oil (or olive oil) to your pot and heat it over medium-high heat.

Brown the marinated meat in the hot oil for 10 minutes. You’re not trying to cook the meat all the way through; just brown it, which adds flavor to the sancocho.

After 10 minutes, add the sofrito, yellow onion, garlic cloves, adobo, sazón, oregano, and bay leaves to the pot. Sauté them with the meat for 4 minutes, stirring the ingredients frequently to keep them from burning. If they start to darken too much, reduce the heat to medium.

Add the tomato sauce and beef broth or stock to the pot after 4 minutes. Next, add the cured ham and the viandas (tubers).

Bring the liquid in the pot up to a boil, then decrease the temperature to medium-low heat and give it a stir. Cover the pot and simmer the mixture for 30-35 minutes.

Add the corn to the pot after 30 minutes of simmering. If you’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, add them now.

Allow the mixture to come back to a simmer, then cover the pot. Simmer the sancocho for another 20 minutes. Give the broth a taste, and add black pepper and more adobo to suit your taste.

Once the cook time is up, you can serve the stew or keep it warm on the stove. Sancocho tastes better with time; just keep it over a lower heat.

How Is Sancocho Served?

The traditional way to serve Puerto Rican sancocho is with steamed white rice, tostones, and slices of ripe avocado. Because it’s a meal on its own, you don’t need to serve it with anything else. I definitely need to have a side of white rice, though. Ladle the hot sancocho into individual bowls and serve. 

Can I Make Sancocho In the Slow Cooker?

To make sancocho in the slow cooker: 

1. First, divide the recipe in half. Since this makes a lot of sancocho, it won’t all fit in even the largest slow cooker. 
2. Heat the achiote (or olive) oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the marinated meat to the oil when it starts to shimmer in the pot. Brown the meat for 8-10 minutes, frequently stirring to keep it from burning.
3. Add the sofrito, onions, and garlic to the pot with the beef and sauté them for 3-4 minutes. Once the onions are glossy, pour in the beef stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. 
4. Pour the contents of the pot into a large slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine them. 
5. Cook the sancocho on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high heat for 4-6 hours.

Can I Make Sancocho in a Pressure Cooker?

To make Instant Pot sancocho, first, divide this recipe in half. 

1. Add the achiote oil (or olive oil) to the Instant Pot and press the “sauté” button. Heat the oil until it shimmers, then add the marinated meat. Stir the meat frequently to brown it on all sides for 3-4 minutes. 
2. Next, add the sofrito, onions, and garlic to the pot. Sauté these for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are glossy.
3. Add the beef stock to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. 
4. Add the tomato sauce, spices, bay leaves, olives, and capers to the pot, followed by the tubers. Don’t add the corn yet. Turn the Instant Pot off to reset it. 
5. Close the lid and steam valve. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally before doing a quick release. 
6. Stir the corn into the sancocho and cover. Allow the residual heat from the sancocho to cook the corn through. 

Can I Divide This Recipe in Half?

You can divide this sancocho recipe in half, since it does make a lot. My theory is: the more prep I have to do to make a recipe, the more I want to get out of it. Sancocho freezes so well, so I prepare the whole recipe and freeze half of it. Similarly, I have also shared half a pot with my neighbor. This is a great recipe to bring to someone sick, who just had a baby, or is an elder who can’t get out much. 

How Do I Store Leftovers?

Store leftover sancocho in an airtight container in the refrigerator after allowing it to cool slightly. Sancocho can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To reheat sancocho, portion out the amount you want to eat and reheat it in the microwave on high until warmed through.

Can I Freeze Leftovers?

Sancocho can be frozen for up to 3 months. Transfer the cooled stew to a freezer-safe container and allow it to freeze completely. 

Thaw the frozen sancocho in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the microwave or in a pot with a small amount of water over medium heat. 

You have to try this Sancocho recipe since the cold weather and rainy days are here. This is a true Puerto Rican comfort stew that will warm you inside and out. Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

As always, remember to pin it to your stew board and tag me @senseandedibility when you make it!

Sancocho

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 31 votes

Sancocho is a stew of meat and tubers popular in many Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Prep time includes a 1 hour marinating time, but I recommend marinating the meat overnight or for at least 6 hours.

Servings: 16

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

marinating time 1 hour hr

Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Equipment

• large stock pot (at least 12-quarts)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Meat Marinade

• 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup (65 grams) sofrito
• 1 tablespoon adobo
• 2 teaspoons sazón
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 each (1 1/2 kilograms) chicken leg quarters thigh and drumstick separated and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces
• 2 pounds (1 kilogram) beef chuck roast cut in 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks
• 2 pounds (1 kilogram) boneless pork shoulder cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks

For the Viandas

• 3 guineos verdes (ungassed green cooking bananas), peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch slices
• 1 pound (around 450 grams) calabaza (kabocha squash), rind removed and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound (about 450 grams) yuca (cassava) peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound (about 225 grams malanga coco (cocoyam or big taro), peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound (about 225 grams) ñame (yam), peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 large Russet potato peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 medium batata (boniato) peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 small yautía (hairy taro root) peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks

For the Sancocho

• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) achiote oil or olive oil
• marinated meat
• 1/2 cup (130 grams) sofrito
• 1 large (about 3 cups) yellow onion peeled and sliced
• 6 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon adobo plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons (2 packets) sazón
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 2 large bay leaves
• 4 cups (90 milliliters) beef stock plus up to 2 cups more as needed
• 1 cup (250 milliliters) tomato sauce
• 10 manzanilla olives optional
• 1 tablespoon capers optional
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
• 1 1/2 pound (650 grams) ham steak cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 ears sweet corn cut into 2-inch thick slices

Optional (Serving Suggestions)

• steamed white rice
• tostones
• sliced avocado

Instructions 

Marinate the Meats

• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the white wine vinegar, sofrito, adobo, sazón, dried oregano leaves, and pepper until smooth.

  Add the meats (except the ham) to the marinade in the bowl and toss them well to coat completely. 
• If you mixed the marinade in a metal bowl, pour the marinated meat into a non-reactive (ceramic or glass bowl or into a food storage bag).

  Cover or seal the container and place it into the refrigerator. Marinate the meat overnight (or 12 hours) or for at least 1 hour. You can also marinate the meat for up to 24 hours. . 

Prepare the Sancocho

• Thirty minutes before starting the sancocho, remove the marinating meat from the fridge.

  Allow the meat to sit out a room temperature while you gather and prep the rest of the ingredients for the sancocho.
• First, add the achiote oil (or olive oil) to a 16-quart (or larger) stockpot or caldero.

  Bring the oil up to medium-high heat. 
• Add the marinated meat to the pot and brown it for 10 minutes. The meat will not be cooked all the way through in this step.

  After 10 minutes, add the sofrito, onion, garlic, adobo, sazón, oregano, and bay leaves to the pot. Stir these in with the meat to sauté them.

  Sauté the contents of the pot for 4 minutes, still on medium-high heat. Stir the ingredients frequently to keep them from burning. If you find they are starting to darken too much, reduce the heat further to medium. 

Add the Tubers

• After 4 minutes of sauteing, pour the beef stock and tomato sauce into the pot.

  Once you stir them into the meat and vegetables, add the cured ham, guineos, calabaza, yuca, malanga coco, ñame, Russet potato, batata, and yautía.
• Bring the liquid in the pot up to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and give it a stir.

  Cover the pot and simmer the ingredients in the pot for 30-35 minutes.

Add the Corn

• After simmering for 30 minutes, add the corn to the pot.

  Allow the mixture to come back up to a simmer, then cover the pot.

  Simmer the sancocho for another 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, give the broth a taste and add black pepper and more adobo as needed.

  Once the cooking time is up, ladle the hot sancocho into individual bowls and serve it with steamed Arroz Blanco, Tostones, and slices of avocado.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• You can replace the dark meat chicken with white eat (breast and wings) if you prefer, but add it to the pot later on during the cooking. 
• If you use boneless chicken thigh meat for this, add it to the pot towards the end of cooking to keep it from drying out.
• You can omit the pork if you abstain from pork products. Replace all the pork with smoked turkey necks, tails, or wings to achieve that smoky flavor.
• Beef: short ribs, tripe, offal, oxtail, rib tips, or shanks.
• Pork: rib tips, sirloin chunks, or feet.
• Cured meats: smoked turkey necks, wings, or tails, smoked ham hock, longaniza, or Spanish chorizo.
• Poultry: guinea fowl, cornish hen, turkey wings, or tails.
• Replace the beef stock with chicken stock. 
• You can replace the sweet corn with regular corn on the cob or frozen mini corn on the cob. You don't have to thaw any frozen corn, just add it to the pot. Do cut them into small slices.

Tips and Techniques:

• If you can only find large pieces of the tubes, use what the recipe calls for and freeze the rest. You can also use excess vianda to make Serenata (Codfish and Tuber Salad). 
• Cities and towns with large Hispanic/Latin American populations may have stores selling viandas for sancocho pre-cut and bagged. If you can find it, by all means, use those. Usually, one bag is enough for this recipe.
• If you're using boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, add them to the pot with the corn. 
• Because this recipe makes a lot of sancocho, you can prepare the whole recipe and freeze half of it or share some with a neighbor. This is a great meal to bring to someone sick, who just had a baby, or is an elder who can't get out much.
• The great thing about sancocho is that you can let it sit on the stove for a couple of minutes after cooking. The flavors deepen, and it tastes better as it sits. 

Slow Cooker Sancocho:

You must divide the original recipe in half in order to cook it in the slow cooker.

1. Heat the achiote (or olive) oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the marinated meat to the oil when it starts to shimmer in the pot. Brown the meat for 8-10 minutes, frequently stirring to keep it from burning.
2. Add the sofrito, onions, and garlic to the pot with the beef and sauté them for 3-4 minutes.
3. Once the onions are glossy, pour in the beef stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. 
4. Carefully, pour the contents of the pot into a large (10-quart) slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine them all.
5. Cook the sancocho on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high heat for 4-6 hours. 

Instant Pot Sancocho:

You need to divide this recipe in half to make it in the Instant Pot. 

1. Add the achiote oil (or olive oil) to the Instant Pot and press the "sauté" button. Heat the oil until it shimmers, then and add the marinated meat. Stir the meat frequently to brown it on all sides for 3-4 minutes. 
2. Next, add the sofrito, onions, and garlic to the pot. Sauté these for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are glossy.
3. Add the beef stock to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. Add the tomato sauce, spices, bay leaves, olives, and capers to the pot, followed by the tubers. Don't add the corn yet.
5. Turn the Instant Pot off to reset it. Close the lid and steam valve. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally before doing a quick release.
6. Stir the corn into the sancocho and cover. Allow the residual heat from the sancocho to cook the corn through. 

Storage and Freezer Instructions:

• To freeze the marinated meat: Transfer the meat to a freezer-safe storage bag or container. Freeze the meat for up to 6 months. Thaw the meat in the fridge when ready to make the sancocho and use it as instructed. 

1.  

• Store sancocho: allow it to cool before transferring it to food storage containers. Refrigerate leftover sancocho for up to 5 days. 
• To freeze cooked sancocho:
  1. Transfer the cooled stew to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. 
  2. Thaw the frozen sancocho in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the microwave or in a pot with a small amount of water over medium heat. 

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 36gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 985mgPotassium: 1441mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2895IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 4mg

Course dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine Afro-Caribbean, Latin American, Puerto Rican/Hispanic

Keyword beef, chicken, pork, sancocho, stew, tubers

Tried this recipe?Mention @senseandedibility or tag #senseandedibility!