A traditional Puerto Rican dish — Sancocho is the island’s great root-vegetable stew, a soulful broth of beef (and often chicken) simmered with yuca, yautía, ñame, green plantains, calabaza and corn. Every spoonful carries the earthy depth of tubers cooked in sofrito-scented stock until they melt at the edges. It is the dish that cures whatever ails you.
Sancocho Puertorriqueño
A traditional Puerto Rican dish — Sancocho is the island’s great root-vegetable stew, a soulful broth of beef (and often chicken) simmered with yuca, yautía, ñame, green plantains, calabaza and corn.

Step by stepInstructions
- Season the beef and chicken with adobo and oregano. In a large pot, warm the annatto oil and brown the beef in batches over medium-high heat.
- Add the sofrito and cook 3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Return the beef to the pot with the water or broth and bring to a boil; skim, then simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- Add the chicken, yuca, yautía and plantains, and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add the calabaza and corn and simmer 20 to 30 minutes more, until all the vegetables are tender and the broth is rich and slightly thickened.
- Stir in the cilantro, taste for salt, and serve steaming hot.
💡 Chef tips & storage
Stagger the vegetables by density: yuca and yautía need the longest cooking, calabaza the least. Serve with crusty bread or white rice to soak up the broth.

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