Dominican Sancocho

A generous chicken-and-beef stew thickened by plantain, cassava and squash.

Dominican Republic · Soups & Stews · 130 min

DeSabor Kitchen · Published October 5, 2026 · Updated October 5, 2026 · 30 / 100 / 130 min · 6 · Dominican Republic

This is a two-meat Dominican sancocho, not siete carnes. Beef goes in first because it takes longer; chicken, cassava and plantain follow, and squash goes in last so some pieces soften into the broth without all disappearing.

Ingredients

• 500 g beef chuck, cubed; 600 g bone-in chicken
• 2 tbsp oil; 1 onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp oregano; 1 tsp salt; 2 litres water
• 400 g peeled cassava; 300 g squash, cubed
• 2 green plantains, peeled and sliced; 2 ears corn, cut into rounds
• 4 culantro leaves or 3 tbsp chopped cilantro; 1 lime

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot and brown beef 8 minutes. Add onion, garlic and oregano; cook 3 minutes. Add water and salt and simmer covered 45 minutes.
2. While the beef simmers, boil the peeled food-grade sweet cassava separately in fresh water for 15 minutes; drain, discard that water and remove woody centers. Add the cassava, chicken, plantains and corn to the beef pot and simmer 25 minutes.
3. Add squash and culantro; simmer another 20 minutes until roots are fully tender, beef shreds easily and chicken reaches 74°C. Remove any woody cassava cores.
4. Mash a few squash pieces into the broth, adjust salt and serve with lime wedges.

Cook's Tips

• This two-meat version is not sancocho de siete carnes. Use fully peeled cassava and cook it thoroughly.

Home-style recipe; not independently kitchen-tested. Check all ingredients and substitutions for allergens. Times are estimates; use the texture and temperature checks in the method. Serving accompaniments are separate unless listed. In temperatures above 32°C, refrigerate perishables within 1 hour rather than 2.