Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
A bowl of bacalao guisado.

Bacalao Guisado (Stewed Salt Codfish)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree, Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish
  • Method: Stewed
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin, Caribbean
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

There’s nothing like Puerto Rican style Bacalao Guisado. It’s a super rich and cozy stewed salted codfish in a tomatoey broth. Loaded with onions, peppers, olives, and flaked fish, it’s an island classic, traditionally served over white rice with yuca.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb frozen salted codfish
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or achiote oil
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 green bell pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp sofrito
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup pimento olives
  • 1 tsp sazon
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 6 sprigs cilantro and/or culantro

Instructions

  1. Prep & cook your cod: Rinse off any loose salt from the frozen cod before adding to a stockpot and covering with water. Soak for 30 minutes, drain and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and cool the fish before flaking.
  2. Cook the veggies: Heat oil in a caldero over medium heat before adding sliced onion and peppers. Cook for a couple minutes before adding in the garlic and sofrito and sautéing until fragrant. 
  3. Build the sauce: Add in the tomato sauce, olives, sazon, pepper, oregano, water and the flaked codfish. Stir to combine everything before topping with the cilantro or culantro. 
  4. Stew: Cover the pot and simmer on medium low for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt to taste and serve over white rice or yuca. 

Equipment