Meatball Guisada

By Illyanna Maisonet

Updated May 15, 2026

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
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While this stew isn’t a traditional Puerto Rican recipe, it delivers the same soulful and satisfying essence of the island’s dishes. Studded with hefty meatballs to sink your teeth into, the dish is stacked with layers of flavor thanks to sofrito, the all-purpose Puerto Rican base made of herbs and aromatics. Sofrito is a cheat code that provides so much flavor in so little time—and this recipe yields enough to freeze and use in a range of dishes (see Tips). The only thing that requires a bit of patience is forming the meatballs. This recipe offers a lot of freedom to make it your own: In the winter you can add cabbage, in the spring add young carrots, in the summer add zucchini and in the autumn pumpkin is the perfect addition! A final splash of olive brine is optional, but this was always my grandma’s little secret and it adds a much needed awakening of flavor after everything has simmered and darkened. Plus, what else are you going to do with all that leftover brine after you’ve eaten a jar of garlic-stuffed olives?

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

For the sofrito (see Tip)

  • 1 bunch cilantro

  • 2 small roma tomatoes

  • 1 medium yellow onion

  • 6 garlic cloves

  • 1 medium green bell pepper, halved and seeded

For the stew

  • ½ pound ground chicken

  • ½ pound ground pork

  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sofrito, divided

  • 3 tablespoons salt-free adobo seasoning (see Tip), divided

  • 1 ½ tablespoons salt-free sazón seasoning (see Tip), divided

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

  • 2 cups chicken stock or water

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added white beans, such as cannellini, drained and rinsed

  • A splash of green olive brine (preferably Manzanilla), optional

  • White rice, for serving

  • Sliced avocado (optional), for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the sofrito: Reserve a tablespoon of cilantro leaves and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining cilantro along with the tomatoes, onion, garlic and green pepper and pack them into a blender. Blitz for 1 to 2 minutes, until it becomes a coarse puree with little flecks of roughage throughout (if needed, stop the blender and scrape down and stir the mixture a bit to help it blend).

  2. Step 2

    Start the meatball stew: Place the ground chicken, ground pork, ¼ cup sofrito, 2 tablespoons adobo and 1 tablespoon sazon into a large bowl. Combine thoroughly by folding the mixture onto itself. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Using a 1 ½-tablespoon scooper or a spoon, scoop a handful of the meat mixture and place onto a sheet tray or plate. (If you don’t want to bother with the ice cream scoop, use the palms of your hands to roll the handfuls into balls. They don’t all have to be perfectly alike. Settle on a size you want to put into your mouth and form the rest to be close to that size.) Give each meatball a gentle press so that both sides have flattened slightly—this creates more surface area for browning.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook the meatballs, in batches if necessary, for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned (they’ll finish cooking in the sauce). Transfer meatballs to a plate and set aside.

  5. Step 5

    Add tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 to 60 seconds, until it darkens slightly. Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken stock, ¼ cup sofrito and the remaining adobo and sazón, scraping the bottom of the pot. Gently add the meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Add beans, mashing some of the beans as you add them so they thicken the broth, and simmer for another 10 to 12 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.

  6. Step 6

    When ready to serve, stir in a splash of olive brine, if using, and remaining tablespoon sofrito. Serve over white rice and garnish with reserved cilantro.

Tips

  • You’ll find most “traditional” sofritos include culantro (also known as recao) and aji dulces (little sweet peppers). If these ingredients happen to be available where you live, you definitely want to use them. Add one bunch (or up to 7 leaves) of culantro in addition to the cilantro and up to five aji dulces.

  • Freeze leftover sofrito in an ice cube tray, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer for 3 to 6 months. You can add a cube (or two) of sofrito to build flavor in any dish: curry, beef stew, stir-fries, taco fillings, soups and salad dressings. 

  • If you prefer to use adobo seasoning and sazón that contain salt, start by adding a modest amount and taste before adding more. Every brand of store-bought adobo and sazón seasonings includes a different amount of salt, you won’t know how much salt your dish has or needs without tasting. For the meat mixture, assess the seasoning by cooking a small bit in a small skillet before tasting.

  • If you cannot find salt-free adobo and sazón, you can make these spice blends yourself with these recipes for adobo seasoning and sazón, omitting the salt in the ingredient lists.

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Comments

Jenny A

Ooohh yummm!! Can’t wait to make this recipe this weekend!!

Jenny A

Ooohh yummm!! Can’t wait to make this recipe this weekend!!

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