Seco de Pollo (Ecuadorian-Style Chicken Stew)

Name: Seco de Pollo (Ecuadorian-Style Chicken Stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped; 1 large green bell pepper, roughly chopped; 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 whole (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or 3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces of your choice); Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 (12-ounce) can lager beer; 4 ounces frozen naranjilla pulp (see Tip), thawed, or 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 to 2 oranges); 1 tablespoon sazón with achiote (also called annatto); 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar; 1 cup packed finely chopped cilantro leaves and stems

Recipe from Kiera Wright-Ruiz

Adapted by Ligaya Mishan

Updated March 26, 2025

Seco de Pollo (Ecuadorian-Style Chicken Stew) — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop Stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1¼ hours
Rating: 5(134)
Comments: Read comments

This lush, rich Ecuadorian stew belies its name, “seco,” which in Spanish means “dry.” In this recipe from the cookbook “My (Half) Latinx Kitchen: Half Recipes, Half Stories, All Latin American,” Kiera Wright-Ruiz boosts the flavor by first browning the chicken in a pot to a golden veneer, then gently sizzling a pulverized sofrito of onion, garlic and bell pepper in its rendered fat, scraping up the lovely dark bits. Traditionally, the chicken was simmered in chicha, a fermented alcoholic beverage often made with corn, yuca or quinoa, but a simple lager will do here, bringing a mellow, malty depth. The beer’s trace bitterness is offset by tomatoes and naranjilla, also known as lulo, a small indigenous fruit that’s lime-sour and oozily tart like a pineapple. (You may substitute freshly squeezed orange juice.) Submerged in broken-down tomatoes, naranjilla and beer, the chicken lounges, loosens, relents. At the very end, there’s a splash of vinegar to snap everything into focus, and cilantro by the fistful, clean and bright. —Ligaya Mishan

Featured in: The Lusciousness of a Long-Simmered Chicken Stew

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1large green bell pepper, roughly chopped
4garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1whole (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or 3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces of your choice)
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1(12-ounce) can lager beer
4ounces frozen naranjilla pulp (see Tip), thawed, or ½ cup fresh orange juice (from 1 to 2 oranges)
1tablespoon sazón with achiote (also called annatto)
1½pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
1tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons white vinegar
1cup packed finely chopped cilantro leaves and stems

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the sofrito mixture: In a blender or food processor, combine the onion, bell pepper and garlic until fully blended into a thick purée; set aside.
Step 2
Pat the chicken dry then season it all over with 1 tablespoon salt. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken, skin side down, in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding. Cook to a deep brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook on the other side until browned, another 4 to 5 minutes. Put the chicken on a plate and set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Step 3
Reduce the heat to medium and add the sofrito, being careful not to splatter. (Reserve the blender or food processor for the tomatoes.) Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook the sofrito until fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid browning.
Step 4
Increase the heat to high and stir in the beer, naranjilla pulp, sazón and 2 teaspoons salt until fully combined. Bring to a boil.
Step 5
While waiting for the pot to boil, add the tomatoes to the blender or food processor and blend into a thick purée. Pour the puréed tomatoes directly into the pot and stir until fully combined. Return the pot to a boil.
Step 6
Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pot, being sure to fully submerge the chicken in the broth. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the chicken, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching, until it starts to become tender and just begins to loosen from the bone, about 20 minutes.
Step 7
Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender and the liquid reduces and thickens, about 25 minutes. If the chicken is cooked to your desired tenderness before the sauce has thickened, transfer the chicken to a plate while reducing the sauce, then return it to the pot to heat through. Taste and adjust the salt. Remove from the heat.
Step 8
Just before serving, add the vinegar and cilantro, letting the residual heat wilt the herb. Mix until the cilantro is evenly distributed. Serve while hot.

Tip

Naranjilla (also called lulo) is a citrusy fruit native to Ecuador whose taste is often described as a cross between pineapple and lemon. The frozen pulp is sold in many Latin American grocery stores, but fresh orange juice can be substituted if you cannot find it.

Ratings

5 out of 5

134 user ratings

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Comments

Thom2 months ago

Personally I'd used canned over bland supermarket toms. 1 lb. fresh = about one 14.5 oz can. Might be less liquid and more concentrated flavor though. Maybe use 1 can plus another half pound of fresh for a nice compromise : )

Leek2 months ago

Goya sells Lulo/naranjilla purée in flat packs, you may find them alongside the more common guava, etc. in the refrigerator or freezer section. I have found frozen whole Lulo as well, from other brands, but only at bigger Mexican/South American markets.

Albert2 months ago

@Leek I won’t buy from Goya anymore, but there are other brands that sell similar products.

Anna2 months ago

Think I can use chicken backs?

Virginia2 months ago

So happy NYT has an Ecuadorian recipe! I consulted this recipe, and then a mix of videos in Spanish--search "seco de pollo receta." The "refrito" (onion/bell pepper/tomato mix), not usually called "sofrito" in Ecuador, tends to be cooked in achiote oil before being pureed. Take the seeds out of the tomatoes before you chop! If you cut the vegetables finely enough, you wouldn't need to blend. Once I added the chicken back, I braised at 325 in the oven in a covered Le Creuset.

Phil Minch2 months ago

Very labor intensive and time consuming, but the result is worth it. Use a vey large pot or cut the recipe down. Meatier tomatos might make it easier to thicken.

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