Sancocho de Gallina (Colombian Chicken Sancocho)
Colombia's great Sunday soup: chicken simmered with green plantain, yuca, potato and corn on the cob in a broth scented with cumin, garlic and coriander. Served in big bowls with rice, avocado and ají.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Blend the seasoning
Blend the scallions, garlic, onion, cumin and achiote with 250 ml of the water until you get a smooth, pourable paste.
- 4 scallions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground achiote
- 250 ml water
✅ Done when: mixture is smooth with no large pieces left
Start the broth
In a large pot, combine the chicken, the remaining water, the blended seasoning, salt, plantain and corn. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, then lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 40 to 60 minutes (longer if using an older stewing hen).
- 1.5kg chicken
- 2.75 litres water
- all blended seasoning (from step 1)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 green plantains
- 3 ears of corn
✅ Done when: chicken is almost falling off the bone and the broth smells fragrant
Add yuca and potatoes
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish with coriander
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Blend the seasoning
Blend the scallions, garlic, onion, cumin and achiote with 250 ml of the water until you get a smooth, pourable paste.
- 4 scallions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground achiote
- 250 ml water
✅ Done when: mixture is smooth with no large pieces left
Start the broth
In a large pot, combine the chicken, the remaining water, the blended seasoning, salt, plantain and corn. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, then lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 40 to 60 minutes (longer if using an older stewing hen).
- 1.5kg chicken
- 2.75 litres water
- all blended seasoning (from step 1)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 green plantains
- 3 ears of corn
✅ Done when: chicken is almost falling off the bone and the broth smells fragrant
Add yuca and potatoes
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish with coriander
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Sancocho descends from Spanish stews like cocido, transformed in the Americas with plantain, yuca and corn. Every Colombian region makes its own — with hen, beef, pork or fish — but sancocho de gallina is the most beloved.
It's often cooked outdoors over a wood fire in a huge pot for family gatherings, river trips and paseos de olla.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's the dish of togetherness: one pot, big enough to feed the whole family on a Sunday.
💡 Fun Fact
A 'paseo de olla' — literally a 'pot outing' — is a Colombian tradition where families carry a giant pot to a river to cook sancocho over a fire.
Colombia (nationwide, especially Valle del Cauca)
3.45°N, -76.53°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!