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Ecuadorian seco de pollo chicken stew with yellow achiote rice, fried ripe plantains and avocado
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Seco de pollo {Ecuadorian chicken stew}

Seco de pollo or seco de gallina is an Ecuadorian chicken stew cooked slowly in a sauce of beer (or chicha), naranjilla juice, onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, herbs and spices.
Course Main dish
Cuisine Ecuadorian, Latin American
Keyword Beer, Chicha, Chicken, Chicken stew, Comfort food, Naranjilla, Seco de pollo
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 lbs of assorted chicken pieces
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground achiote or annatto can also use paprika (if you can’t find ground achiote you can use the seeds, they will need to be simmered in the oil until they release their color)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil
  • 1 onion cut into chunks
  • 6 to 8 garlic cloves
  • 1 to 2 cups of beer or chicken broth/wine/chicha
  • 1 cup of naranjilla lulo juice, can use the frozen concentrate (can be replaced with fresh orange juice as an alternative)
  • 4- 6 tomatoes 1 pound, quartered
  • 2 bell peppers seeds removed and cut into chunks
  • Optional: 1 aji or hot pepper jalapeno or serrano, can also use chili powder
  • 1 bunch cilantro reserve some to chop finely to add at the end
  • 1 bunch parsley leaves only, reserve some to chop finely and add at the end
  • 2 tsp dry oregano or 2-3 fresh oregano sprigs
  • Juice of 1 orange optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Side dishes

Instructions

  • Rub the chicken pieces with the ground achiote, cumin, salt and pepper.
  • Blend the beer and the naranjilla juice with the onion chunks, whole garlic cloves, tomatoes, bell peppers, hot pepper, cilantro, parsley, oregano to obtain a smooth sauce or puree.
  • Heat the oil and brown the chicken pieces.
  • Pour the blended beer vegetable mix over the chicken. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and cook on low for about an hour (if you were using an old hen it would take longer, but most supermarket chicken will be tender in an hour or less).
  • If the chicken is tender, but sauce isn't thick yet, then remove the cooked chicken pieces, turn up the heat and cook the sauce until it's nice and thick, about 10 to 15 minutes. At this point I also like to taste the sauce and adjust salt/spices, if the flavor is slightly bitter from the beer you can neutralize it by adding some freshly squeezed orange juice/lemon juice. Once the sauce has thickened add the chicken pieces back to the pot and mix in the remaining chopped cilantro and parsley.
  • Serve with arroz amarillo or yellow rice and fried ripe plantains. Can also be served with avocado and a small salad.