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Panamanian · Central American

Sancocho panameño

Non-vegetarian

Panama's national soup: chicken simmered with ñame (true yam), onion, garlic, oregano and lots of culantro until the yam melts into a thick, golden broth. Served with white rice.

Sancocho panameño is a Panamanian soup, ready in about 1 hour 50 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, yam (ñame) and coriander leaves. It serves 8 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 30 min
Total
1 h 50 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
Calories
699

Ingredients

8 servings

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Season the chicken with the oregano (opens in a new tab), half the salt and the pepper (opens in a new tab), and leave 15 minutes if you have time.

    • 5 min

  2. Step 2

    Put the chicken, water, onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and half the cilantro (opens in a new tab) in a large pot, bring to the boil, skim and simmer for 40 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the ñame (opens in a new tab) (and corn (opens in a new tab)) and the remaining salt and simmer until the yam is very soft and some of it has broken down to thicken the broth, 30–40 minutes.

    • 35 min
    • low heat

    Mash a few pieces of ñame against the pot for a thicker soup.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile simmer the rice in salted water, covered, over low heat until tender and the water is absorbed. Stir the remaining cilantro (opens in a new tab) into the soup and serve with rice on the side, to add to the bowl.

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C.

About this dish

Origin
Azuero Peninsula, Panama · Well documentedSancochos are made across Latin America; this chicken-and-ñame version is Panama's national dish.More food from Panama
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
savoury, herby, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Budget-friendly · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Yam (ñame) · Coriander leaves · Onion · Garlic · Dried oregano
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Slow-cooked gravy

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

699 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 659 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 23%
  • Carbohydrate 39%
  • Fat 38%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy699 kcal106 kcal
Protein40.2 g6.1 g
Carbohydrate66.6 g10.1 g
Net carbohydrate61.9 g9.4 g
Sugars1.1 g0.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.7 g0.7 g
Fat28.8 g4.4 g
Saturated fat8.2 g1.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol141 mg21 mg
Sodium733 mg111 mg
Salt equivalent1.8 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1177 mg
Calcium
93 mg
Iron
4.5 mg
Magnesium
78 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
96 µg
Vitamin C
21 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.6 µg
Folate (DFE)
230 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: sweet corn.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Sancocho is famous as a remedy after a long night out — Panamanians call it 'levanta muertos'.

Food safety

  • Simmer until the chicken reaches 74 °C.
  • Cool and refrigerate soup and rice within 2 hours.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat until simmering.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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