Argentine NEA Chicken Stew

Gallinada is a typical stew from Argentina’s NEA (Northeast) region, traditionally cooked on a plow disc outdoors, at family and community gatherings in Misiones, Corrientes, and neighboring provinces.

It’s made on a disco de arado, the characteristic thick iron pan with handles, heated over firewood, which gives it a distinctive smoky flavor.

Argentine NEA Chicken Stew

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• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Argentine

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1.5 kg of hen, cut into pieces (about 3.3 lb)
• 100 ml of oil or animal fat (about 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
• 2 of onions, cubed
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 of tomatoes, cubed
• 2 of bell peppers, cubed
• 4 of potatoes, cubed
• to taste of salt, pepper, and cumin
• 1 cup of chicken broth

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Instructions

1. Heat the disc, heat the oil or animal fat on the plow disc, over a wood fire.
2. Brown the hen, add the hen pieces and brown on both sides.
3. Sauté the vegetables, add the onion and garlic, sautéing until translucent.
4. Add tomato and pepper, stir in the cubed tomato and bell pepper, cooking a few more minutes.
5. Add the potatoes, stir in the cubed potatoes and mix well.
6. Season, season with salt and pepper and add a pinch of cumin.
7. Cook, pour in the chicken broth and cook over medium-low heat for 40 to 50 minutes, until the hen is tender.
8. Serve, serve hot, straight from the disc.

Tips for getting it right

• Cooking outdoors over firewood gives traditional gallinada its characteristic smoky flavor.
• Browning the hen well before adding the vegetables boosts the stew’s final flavor.
• Since hen is tougher than chicken, it needs a longer cooking time at lower heat.
• If a plow disc isn’t available, it can be replaced with a large pot or a wok.

Traditional variations

• Some families add rice or pasta to the dish to make it heartier.
• It’s also made with cassava instead of potato, depending on regional availability.

How to serve

Gallinada is served hot, straight from the disc, as a main dish for sharing.

It’s a classic at family and community gatherings in the NEA region, especially in Misiones and Corrientes.

Recommended sides

• Homemade bread
• Chipa

Did you know?

Gallinada is distinguished by its traditional cooking method: on a plow disc, outdoors, typical of NEA community gatherings.

Using hen instead of chicken reflects the rural custom of putting older farm animals to use in slow-cooked preparations.