Panamanian Sancocho: Chicken Soup with Ñame and Culantro

Panamanian sancocho is a chicken soup made with culantro, garlic, onion and oregano, and thickened with root vegetables: ñame (white yam), yuca and otoe. You season the chicken, sear it, simmer it in water with the aromatics, and then add the roots in order of how long they take to cook. It’s ready in about an hour, serves 4, and is usually eaten with white rice on the side.

Many Panamanians call sancocho the national dish. Every family has its own version. Here’s how I make it.

What is Panamanian sancocho?

Sancocho is a hearty soup you’ll find all over Latin America, with different meats and vegetables in each country. Panamanians swear theirs is the best. The Panamanian version is built around chicken (often gallina, an older hen), culantro and ñame. It’s what people cook for family Sundays and big gatherings, and at fiestas around the country it’s served late at night to people who’ve been drinking. Plenty of Panamanians will also tell you it’s the cure for whatever ails you.

You’ll often see it called sancocho de gallina. A free-range hen (gallina de patio) has firmer meat and a richer broth than a supermarket chicken, but it needs a much longer simmer. A regular chicken, like the one in this recipe, works great and is faster.

Culantro vs. cilantro

Culantro is not the same as cilantro, and it’s the herb that makes sancocho taste Panamanian. It has long, flat leaves with jagged edges and a stronger, earthier flavor than cilantro. In the US, look for it in Latin, Caribbean and Asian grocery stores (it may be labeled recao or ngo gai). If you can’t find it, use a big handful of cilantro, stems and all, and add it near the end.

Ingredients

• Half a fresh chicken (about 2 pounds / 900 g), cut into pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 5 sweet red or green chili peppers (ají dulce), chopped
• 5 culantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt for the chicken, plus more to taste
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
• One 10-inch piece of yuca (about 1 pound / 450 g), peeled and cut into chunks
• One 10-inch piece of ñame (white yam, about 1 pound / 450 g), peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 otoe (malanga), peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 cups (2.5 quarts / about 2.4 liters) water

Where to find ñame, otoe and yuca in the US

• Ñame is a true white yam with rough, bark-like skin. It’s not the orange “yam” in US supermarkets, which is a sweet potato. Look in Latin and Caribbean grocery stores.
• Otoe is sold in the US as malanga or yautía. It looks like a hairy brown root.
• Yuca (cassava) is in most large supermarkets now, usually waxed, near the potatoes.
• All three are often sold frozen, already peeled in Latin markets. Frozen works well and saves a lot of peeling.

How to make Panamanian sancocho, step by step

1. Season the chicken. Rub the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and the 5 crushed garlic cloves.
2. Boil the water. Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
3. Sear the chicken. While the water heats, sauté the seasoned chicken in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil for a few minutes, until lightly browned.
4. Start the soup. Add the chicken to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the aromatics. Add the onion, sweet peppers, culantro, oregano and the bouillon cube if you’re using it. Leave out the yuca, otoe and ñame for now. Cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add the yuca. Yuca takes the longest, so it goes in first. Cook for 10 minutes.
7. Add the otoe and ñame. Cook for about 20 minutes more, until all the roots are soft when you pierce them with a fork.
8. Season and serve. Taste the broth and add salt as needed. Serve hot.

Why ñame makes the broth thick

Ñame is starchy, and as it simmers, the outside of each chunk softens and breaks down into the soup. That starch is what gives Panamanian sancocho its slightly thick, silky broth. If you want it thicker, mash a few pieces of ñame against the side of the pot and stir them in. If you want it thinner, add a little hot water.

Tips and common mistakes

• Adding all the roots at once. Yuca takes longer than ñame and otoe. Add it first so nothing turns to mush.
• Using sweet potatoes as “yams.” They make the soup sweet and orange. Use real ñame, or potatoes if you have no choice.
• Salting too early. The bouillon cube is salty, and the broth reduces as it cooks. Taste at the end.
• Using a hen? Plan on 2 hours or more of simmering before you add the vegetables, and keep adding hot water as needed.
• Yuca with a hard, woody core: pull out the stringy center fiber after cooking.

What to serve with sancocho

• A bowl of plain white rice on the side. Many Panamanians spoon rice right into the soup.
• Hot sauce or a little chopped ají chombo for heat
• Fried green plantains (patacones) or a simple salad

Cooking for a crowd? Pair it with Panamanian arroz con pollo. Another soup to try: Panamanian beef soup. For the full list of classics, see our guide to traditional Panamanian food.

Storing and reheating

• Fridge: up to 3 to 4 days in a covered container. The broth thickens overnight.
• Freezer: the broth and chicken freeze well for up to 3 months. Yuca and ñame get a little grainy after freezing, but they’re still fine in soup.
• Reheating: warm it on the stove over medium heat, adding a splash of water if it’s too thick.

Sancocho FAQ

Can I make sancocho in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot?

Yes. Sear the chicken, add the water and aromatics, and pressure cook for about 10 minutes. Release the pressure, add the roots and cook about 8 minutes more. A hen needs longer.

Does Panamanian sancocho have corn?

Some families add pieces of corn on the cob. It’s not in this recipe, but it’s a common addition.

Can I use chicken breasts only?

You can, but bone-in pieces give a much richer broth. If you use breasts, add them later so they don’t dry out.

Is sancocho really a hangover cure?

That’s what a lot of Panamanians say, and it’s a big reason it’s served late at fiestas. Hot, salty broth and starch certainly don’t hurt.

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