andrejthechef
ColombiaStewDinnerGluten-freeDairy-free

Sudado de Pollo

Colombian chicken stew that makes its own sauce: chicken, potatoes and yuca sweated under a lid with hogao. Weeknight food in every Colombian home.

prep
15 min
cook
50 min
total
1 h 5 min
serves
4
level
easy
Colombian sudado de pollo, chicken stewed with potatoes in tomato sauce

Sudado means sweated, and that is the technique in one word: chicken and potatoes cook under a lid in the juice they release, concentrated by a base of hogao. Almost no added water, no stock cubes, and a sauce that tastes like far more work than it is.

Ask ten Colombians what they ate on a normal Tuesday growing up and most of them will say this.

Sudado de pollo is number 14 on our list of the top 20 famous Colombian foods.

method

  1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and half the cumin.

  2. In a wide deep pot, cook the spring onions in the oil until soft, then add the tomatoes, garlic, the rest of the cumin and the sazón. Cook for 8 minutes into a loose hogao.

  3. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and turn the pieces to coat. Cook for 5 minutes.

  4. Tuck the potatoes and yuca around the chicken, add the half cup of water, cover tightly and cook on low for 40 to 45 minutes, turning the chicken once.

  5. The potatoes should be tender and the sauce thickened by their starch. Taste and season.

  6. Finish with cilantro and serve with rice and avocado, spooning sauce over everything.

chef's tips

  • Resist adding more water. The lid and low heat do the work, and the sauce should be concentrated, not soupy.
  • Grating the tomatoes instead of chopping gives the smooth sauce this dish is known for.
  • Thighs and drumsticks only. Breast dries out before the potatoes are done.