My Abuelita's Estofado De Pollo Won Over My Mother-in-Law

This comforting estofado de pollo is the kind of hearty chicken stew that brings families together around the dinner table. Food lovers who crave bold, authentic flavors will absolutely fall in love with this dish that’s packed with tender chicken, sweet plantains, and warming spices. The best part is how this one-pot wonder fills your home with the most amazing aromas while you cook!

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, Serves: 8 people.

Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, High-Protein, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 465 Calories, 32g Fat, 23g Carbs, 24g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Water: You’ll need 8 cups of water to create the flavorful broth base. This is what makes the chicken super tender and juicy!

Onion: One medium onion, peeled and cut in half – we’ll use it in two different ways. Yellow onions work perfectly here and add that sweet, savory flavor we love.

Garlic: A whole 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and ready to go. Don’t worry, it won’t be too strong since we’re cooking it gently in the broth.

Bay leaves: Just 2 bay leaves will add that subtle, earthy flavor to your broth. Make sure to remove them before serving!

Salt: One teaspoon of salt to season the cooking liquid. You can always adjust to taste later.

Whole chicken: A 4-5 pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces. Ask your butcher to do this for you if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself!

Raw almonds: A quarter cup of raw almonds that we’ll blanch and peel. They add the most wonderful texture and nutty flavor to the stew.

Plum tomatoes: Six plum tomatoes, cored and ready to blend. These create the rich, red base of our sauce.

Neutral oil: Three-quarters cup of neutral oil like canola or avocado oil. We need this much because we’re frying several ingredients.

Plantains: Two medium plantains, peeled and sliced diagonally into quarter-inch thick pieces. Look for ones that are yellow with some black spots for perfect sweetness!

Raisins: A quarter cup of raisins adds little bursts of sweetness throughout the stew. Golden or regular raisins both work great.

How to Make My Abuelita’s Estofado de Pollo

my abuelitas estofado de pollo won over my mother

Step 1: Grab a large pot and combine the water, half of your onion, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and salt. Cover it up and bring everything to a rolling boil over high heat. Once it’s boiling, add your chicken pieces and turn the heat down to medium. Let the chicken cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part.

Step 2: While the chicken is cooking, bring a small saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Toss in those raw almonds and let them cook for 5 minutes. Drain them and rinse with cold water right away. Once they’re cool enough to handle, squeeze each almond between your fingertips to pop the skin right off – just watch out because they’ll fly out! Set these peeled beauties aside for later.

Step 3: Now let’s make our sauce base! Throw the tomatoes, remaining onion half, and 6 garlic cloves into your blender. Blend until everything is completely smooth, about 1 minute. Set this gorgeous red mixture aside – it’s going to smell amazing!

Step 4: Heat that oil in a large pot over medium heat until it’s nice and shimmery. Cook your plantain slices in 2 batches, flipping them halfway through, until they’re golden brown on both sides – about 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate. Next, add those peeled almonds to the same pot and stir them frequently until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer them to the plate with the plantains. Finally, add the raisins and cook them for just 30 seconds, stirring constantly, then add them to the plate too.

Step 5: Pour that beautiful tomato mixture into the pot with all that flavorful oil. Cook it, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns a deeper, richer shade of red – this takes about 5 to 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it smells incredible and looks darker!

Step 6: Take the chicken out of the broth and set it on a plate. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and toss out all the solids – we just want that liquid gold!

Step 7: Add the olives, capers, jalapeños, cinnamon stick, and 6 cups of that strained broth to the pot with the tomato mixture. Let everything simmer together, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Then stir in the raisins, almonds, plantains, and chicken pieces. Remove and toss the cinnamon stick and jalapeños before serving. Serve this beautiful stew with warm tortillas on the side!

Easy and Quick Estofado de Pollo Version

Want to speed things up? You can totally use pre-cut chicken pieces and store-bought chicken broth to save time! Use about 3 pounds of chicken thighs and drumsticks, and replace the homemade broth with 6 cups of good-quality chicken broth. You can also skip the almond blanching step and just use a quarter cup of blanched almonds from the store. This cuts your cooking time down to about an hour total, and it still tastes absolutely amazing!

Serving Ideas

This hearty estofado is pretty much a complete meal all on its own! I love serving it with warm, soft corn tortillas and maybe some fluffy white rice on the side. A simple green salad with lime dressing makes a fresh, crisp contrast to all those rich flavors. For special occasions, try it with some creamy avocado slices and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top!

Storage

Store any leftover estofado in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a covered container. To reheat, just warm it gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through – about 10 minutes. You can also freeze portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating!

Substitutions

No Castelvetrano olives? Any good green olives work great here! Can’t find plantains? Try using sweet potatoes cut into thick slices instead. If you’re not a fan of raisins, dried apricots chopped up work beautifully too. For a milder version, just leave out the jalapeños completely – the dish will still be delicious!

Pro Tips

Perfect Plantains: Look for plantains that are yellow with black spots – they’ll be sweet but not mushy when cooked.
Oil Temperature: Make sure your oil is shimmering but not smoking when frying the plantains and almonds.
Broth Boost: Save any extra strained broth – it makes an amazing base for rice or soup later!
Make Ahead: This stew actually tastes even better the next day, so don’t hesitate to make it ahead of time.

FAQs

Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken?

You bet! Use about 3 pounds of mixed chicken pieces like thighs and drumsticks. The cooking time stays about the same, and you’ll get the same delicious results!

What if I can’t find Castelvetrano olives?

No worries at all! Any good green olives will work perfectly here. Manzanilla or even kalamata olives make great substitutes and add their own unique flavor to the dish.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Sure! After you make the tomato sauce and fry the plantains, almonds, and raisins, just transfer everything to your slow cooker with the chicken and broth. Cook on low for 4-6 hours until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone.

Is this recipe spicy?

Not really! The jalapeños add flavor more than heat, and we remove them before serving. The dish has a gentle warmth from the cinnamon and a rich, complex flavor that’s totally family-friendly.

I’d love to hear how your estofado turns out! This recipe holds such a special place in my heart, and I know it’s going to become a favorite in your kitchen too. Drop a comment below and let me know what your family thinks – I always love hearing your cooking stories!

My Abuelita’s Estofado de Pollo Won Over My Mother-in-Law