Venezuelan Sancocho

Name: Venezuelan Sancocho
Prep time: 13 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Venezuela
Ingredients: 2 Lbs Hind Shank; 2 small Onion; 1/2 Pepper; 4 Cloves Chopped Garlic; 4 Cloves Crushed Garlic; 1 Leek; 8 cups Beef Stock; 1/2 cup Sweet Red Peppers; 1/2 cup Scallions; 2 Sweetcorn; 1/2 lb Cassaba; 1/2 lb Yautia; 1/2 lb White Yam; 1/2 lb Butternut Squash; To taste Salt; To taste Pepper; Chopped Cilantro

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Beef recipe with Venezuela flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 59 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 38 min total

2 Lbs Hind Shank
2 small Onion
1/2 Pepper
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
4 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Leek
8 cups Beef Stock
1/2 cup Sweet Red Peppers
1/2 cup Scallions
2 Sweetcorn
1/2 lb Cassaba
1/2 lb Yautia
1/2 lb White Yam
1/2 lb Butternut Squash
To taste Salt
To taste Pepper
Chopped Cilantro

Step-by-step instructions

Add hind shank, 1 halved small onion, halved bell pepper, 4 whole garlic cloves, the dark green leaves of the leek, and stock to a large stockpot. Cook for 45-60 minutes until the meat is fork-tender. NOTE: the meat can take a bit longer to be fork-tender; that is okay, just add more cooking time if necessary.
When the meat is tender, remove the big pieces of vegetables and bones. Discard.
Add diced onion, 2 minced garlic, mini sweet peppers, sliced leeks (light green part), scallions, yucca, and corn; Mix and simmer covered over medium heat for 5- 8 minutes, until the yucca is starting to soften. NOTE: the yuca can take a bit longer to start softening; that is okay, just add more cooking time if necessary.
Add yautia, white yam, and butternut squash. Mix to combine. Simmer covered over medium heat for 5 – 6 minutes, until all the root vegetables are tender. NOTE: Do not cook too much, or they will fall apart.
Taste and add salt to your taste, if necessary. Add cilantro and the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves. Mix and let simmer for 2 more minutes.
Serve hot in large soup bowls, dividing the meat and vegetables evenly. Add a squish of lime juice and/or hot sauce, if desired. Serve along with arepas and or casabe (cassava bread).

Why this works on a weeknight

Venezuelan Sancocho lands at about 38 minutes total — a little longer than our 30-minute target, but most of that time is hands-off simmering, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Venezuelan Sancocho actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Beef Venezuela