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As a Puerto Rican who grew up eating sancocho, I know how to make it the authentic way. Sancocho is a flavorful, soulful, hearty soup that is incredible year-round. It’s my favorite soup when I want a rich and cozy warm bowl of flavor or when I’m feeling under the weather.
Table of Contents
- What is Sancocho?
- Vegetables to Use When Making Sancocho
- Meats to Use When Making Sancocho
- What meat should I use for my Sancocho?
- Where to Find the Ingredients
- My TOP Tips for making the PERFECT Sancocho
- How to Make Sancocho (Step- by- Step)
- Let’s make Sancocho with @THEMOODYFOODY Toni Chapman
- Sancocho Recipe
What is Sancocho?
Sancocho, often called “Seven Meat Soup,” is a hearty and beloved dish from the Caribbean diaspora. Typically featuring up to seven types of meat along with a variety of root vegetables, my Puerto Rican sancocho recipe is rich and bursting with vibrant Latin flavors. While Sancocho is enjoyed across the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Cuba, and Venezuela, each region adds its unique twist to this incredible soup, making it a true Latin food favorite.
Sancocho is great for special occasions and holidays or as an easy weeknight meal on cold winter days.
Vegetables to Use When Making Sancocho
Mix it up! You can use yucca, pumpkin, potato, malagna, yam, corn, carrot, and green plantain. Play around with it! But I recommend using at least three root vegetables.
- PUMPKIN (mandatory)– This is a mandatory ingredient for making sancocho because it helps with color and flavor. If you cannot find Pumpkin or (Calabaza), you can also use butternut squash.
- MINI CORN EARS- I love using fresh corn; it’s one of the best vegetables to add to sancocho and the easiest to find.
- POTATO- If you can’t find other exotic ingredients, you can use potato!
- SWEET POTATO or BATATA- This is amazing addition to your sancocho because it adds a buttery sweetness!
- GREEN PLANTAIN– This is a starchy root vegetable that thickens your soup and adds flavor
- YELLOW PLANTAIN– I love adding yellow plantain to my sancocho because its sweet
- YUCA– One of the best veggies for sancocho! Fresh yuka is creamy and thick!
- CARROT- Carrots are easy to find and a great addition to sancocho.
Meats to Use When Making Sancocho
You can use different meats! I like to use goat, ribs, beef, chicken, pork, and sausage, but use what you have! I recommend using at least three meats.
What meat should I use for my Sancocho?
- BONE IN RIBS – I love using ribs in this recipe! The bones add so much better!
- STEWED BEEF CUBES – Make sure you use chuck beef or stewing beef for this recipe! Avoid using steak or a tender cut of beef, as it will break down too quickly.
- STEWED PORK RIBS – Use any pork suitable for stews, usually cut into cubes at the grocery store.
- BONE IN CHICKEN– A whole chicken cut up is my favorite! Use what I call “butt pieces” of chicken—the back, legs, wings, etc. Avoid using the breast for this recipe.
- GOAT MEAT- This is a great meat to add to Sancocho because it slow-cooks!
- OXTAIL – Are you an oxtail lover? Well, lucky you! You can totally add a few pieces to your sancocho! The fatty meat makes it so delicious.
- DOMINICAN SAUSAGE – Sausage is a great addition to this soup! Use a Hispanic sausage for the best results.
IMPORTANT INFO
Where to Find the Ingredients
If you live in a Caribbean or Hispanic area, you can easily find these ingredients. However, depending on where you live, it may be more challenging to locate them. Use any ingredients you can find; include at least three types of meat and vegetables.
For example, you can make a simple sancocho using pumpkin, potatoes, corn, chicken, pork, and beef.
The more veggies and meats, the better, but use what you have and what you can find.
My TOP Tips for making the PERFECT Sancocho
ALLOW YOUR MEAT TO MARINATE- Marinate your meat for at least one hour, but up to overnight is best. Allowing the spices to penetrate into the meat makes a huge difference.
USE A LARGE POT- I recommend cooking sancocho in a large caldero (6 quart or larger) or a large Dutch oven so you have enough space for all of your meat and veggies to cook evenly.
TAKE YOUR TIME—This traditional soup is a labor of love! Trust me, it’s worth it in the end. The flavors take time to develop, and it’s a lot of food to cook! Follow the recipe closely and take your time.
FREEZE THE LEFTOVERS– I love using these 16-ounce deli cups to store my extra sancocho because they are easy to reheat and are the perfect serving size for 1!
How to Make Sancocho (Step- by- Step)
1. Start by Cleaning, Peeling and Cutting Vegetables.
Peel and cut your vegetables into 2″ cubes
2. Prepare and season your meat
Clean and cut your meat, then season your meat.
3. Make your base, and sear your meat
In a large caldero or Dutch oven, add sofrito, tomato sauce, and Sazon and mix. Then sear your meats, and add in chicken broth.
4. Allow your soup to simmer, and add your meats and veggies in gradually
You should gradually add your meats, starting with the tougher meats and veggies and then moving on to the faster-cooking meats and veggies. This process happens within 2 weeks.
Chef’s Kiss
As your water reduces, you’ll need to add more. Taste your broth and add more adobo if needed.
Let’s make Sancocho with @THEMOODYFOODY Toni Chapman
If you’re a fan of Puerto Rican dishes, I highly recommend making my Pernil or my coquito!
Sancocho
Equipment
- 1 large pot preferably a Caldero
Ingredients
- 3 pounds mixed meat I use chicken, beef, ribs. But you can add almost ANY meat! See notes above
- ¼ cup fresh sofrito
- 1/4 cup Goya tomato sauce
- 1 large carrot cut into 1"pieces
- 1 large yuca cut into 1" pieces
- 1 large green plantain cut into 1" pieces
- 2 yellow potatoes cut into 1" pieces
- 2 heads corn cut into 1" pieces
- 1 unripe yellow plantain cut into 1" pieces
- 1 cup calbaza cut into 1" pieces
- 2 teaspoons Sazon for the sofrito & tomato sauce base
Spices to season the meat
- 1 packet Sazon
- 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chicken boullion
For the Broth
- 32 ounces chicken broth if using water, add in 1/2 tsp of chicken bouillon powder to each cup of water
- 6-8 cups water adding gradually as liquid reduces
- a bunch cilantro
- a bunch culantro
- more salt or adobo to taste
Instructions
- Season the beef, chicken and pork with Sazon, adobo, garlic powder, oregano, pepper, onion powder, and chicken bouillon. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large caldero over medium heat, then sauté the sofrito, tomato sauce, and Sazon, stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Start by adding your tougher meats to the pot (Goat, Pork, Ribs, Oxtail etc). Sear the meat on high heat for 4-5 minutes and flip.
- Then, pour chicken broth into the pot, ensuring the liquid just covers the meat. Cook over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes or until the beef and pork are fork tender.
- Next, add yuca, corn, green plantain, malanga, yam, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, and cilantro. Add more water if needed to ensure all meat and veggies are covered. Cook on low heat for 1 hour.
- Add pumpkin (calabaza) and chicken. Add more liquid as needed so the meat is covered. Let the sancocho simmer on low heat for another 45 minutes, or until all the vegetables and meat are tender. The pumpkin should be so soft that it absorbs into the soup, giving it a bright yellow color.
- Check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Add more salt or adobo if needed.
- Serve with white rice.
Saw you posted this and was looking for a new recipe to try this weekend. This was perfect rainy day dish. It was so good, I just ate it all day yesterday.
Love your recipes and this sancocho one is phenomenal. Brought back some memories
My grandmother recently passed away and I’ve been struggling immensely. Nothing would bring me more comfort that her delicious food. This sancocho is almost reminiscent of her. Thank you for sharing and helping me keep my senses in harmony with my memories ♥️
This recipe is easy to follow and came out delicious. I did change a couple of things for my preference but it was finger licking good. A must try!!!
So delicious!! Love how easy it was to follow & it tasted AMAZING! Thank you for sharing!
This receipe was so easy to follow and the results were AMAZING! I’ve made this about 3 times now. Thank you. I am looking forward to tryng so many other receipes on your page.
10/10 !!! This recipe along many others have been a blessing 🙌. I cooked for my boyfriend with many of your recipes and he loved every single one ! This one though hit every taste bud! Not only do I love sancocho I can proudly say I made it with your help! Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful reciepes , I enjoying cooking way much more now because I know it will be amazing each time ! ❤️🙌
This recipe rocks!! I’ve already made it twice this past week. Super authentic, it has taken me some time to find a Sancocho recipe my family and I liked, and this is the one! Thank you so much for sharing!
P.S. : add some lemon to taste when serving. Gives it that little extra flavor
Wonderful recipe and well explained. Except for the over abundance of cilantro and recaí, everything else 👌👌👌👌 I think a lot of ppl think more cilantro and culantro is better. It is not. It’s an acquired taste. Ppl get desensitized to its strong flavor. With the fresh sofrito is more than enough. That’s how the best places make it. 💕💕💕💕 Good recipe and explanation!
this was so amazing and so easy to follow! DELICIOUS