Cocido Madrileno Recipe: Spain's Hearty Three-Course Stew 2026

Cocido madrileno is one of the most representative dishes of traditional Spanish cooking and the pride of Madrid's tables. It is a slow-simmered stew built on chickpeas, a generous assortment of pork, beef and hen, and a basket of vegetables, all coaxed into a deep, golden broth over several hours.

What makes it special is the way it is eaten: in three vuelcos, or courses. First comes a noodle soup made from the broth, then a platter of chickpeas and vegetables, and finally the meats, served with tomato sauce and garlic oil. It is a complete meal in one pot, meant to be shared slowly.

Technically it is very simple, but the quality of the vegetables and meats matters enormously, as does having the time to cook it gently over low heat. With those in place, you can enjoy the most authentic version of this Madrid classic.

Ingredients for Cocido Madrileno

This makes 6 generous servings as a single main course.

• 1/2 pig's trotter, salted
• 250 g dried chickpeas
• Salt to taste
• 2 beef marrow bones
• 1 turnip
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves
• 60 ml olive oil, for searing the meats
• 200 g beef shank
• 200 g beef brisket
• 1/2 free-range hen
• 75 g lean pork
• 1 fresh pork tail
• 2 pork spine bones
• 100 g Iberian bacon
• 1 cured ham bone
• 1/2 ham hock
• 2 potatoes, peeled
• 2 carrots, peeled
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 savoy cabbage
• 150 g curly kale, stems removed
• 150 g cooking chorizo
• 1 onion blood sausage (morcilla)
• 50 g streaky Iberian bacon
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove
• 5 g toasted cumin seeds
• 1 good glug extra virgin olive oil
• 125 ml olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon La Vera paprika (optional)
• 1 spring onion, julienned, to garnish
• 10 piparras (Basque pickled peppers)
• 750 ml broth from cooking the vegetables
• 500 ml broth from cooking the sausages and bacon
• The broth from cooking the meats and chickpeas
• 120 g cabello de angel pasta (thin noodle pasta)
• Salt to taste
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 splash vinegar

How to Make Cocido Madrileno Step by Step

1. Soak the Trotter and Chickpeas

The day before, put 1/2 salted pig's trotter in a bowl of cold water to desalt, and put 250 g dried chickpeas in another bowl covered with boiling water and a little salt. Leave both to soak overnight so the trotter loses its excess salt and the chickpeas plump up.

2. Tie the Marrow Bones

Tie 2 beef marrow bones with kitchen twine so the marrow stays inside during the long simmer, then set them aside. This small step keeps the broth rich and prevents the marrow from dissolving into the pot.

3. Prep the Turnip and Onion

Peel 1 turnip and cut it in half, and stud 1 onion with 2 cloves. Heat 60 ml olive oil in a large clay pot or heavy casserole over medium heat, ready for searing the meats.

4. Sear All the Meats

In the hot oil, sear 200 g beef shank, 200 g beef brisket, 1/2 free-range hen, 75 g lean pork, 1 fresh pork tail, the drained desalted trotter, 2 pork spine bones, 1 cured ham bone and 1/2 ham hock. Turn the pieces so they brown on all sides and build a flavorful base.

5. Bag the Chickpeas

Drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in a cloth bag for legumes. This keeps them contained so they cook evenly and stay whole while sharing the pot with the meats.

6. Tuck the Chickpeas into the Pot

Once the meats are seared, make a well among them in the pot and nestle the bag of chickpeas in the center. This way the chickpeas cook gently without being crushed by the meat.

7. Cover with Boiling Water

Pour in boiling water until everything is covered by at least three fingers above the bag of chickpeas. Starting with hot water keeps the cooking temperature steady and gives a clearer broth.

8. Add the Onion and Turnip

Add the clove-studded onion and the turnip pieces to the pot. They will quietly sweeten and deepen the broth as everything simmers together.

9. Simmer for 5 to 7 Hours

Cover the pot, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to the minimum and cook for 5 to 7 hours, skimming off foam from time to time. When done, lift out the chickpeas and meats, keep them warm in a 70 C oven with a little of the broth, and discard the onion and turnip.

10. Cook the Potatoes and Carrots

Put 2 potatoes and 2 carrots in a pot with water and salt and bring to a boil. Take out the carrots when tender and let the potatoes cook until done, then keep both warm in a 70 C oven with a little of their cooking broth.

11. Cook the Savoy Cabbage

Add 1/4 savoy cabbage to a pot of boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes. When tender, drain it and keep it warm with the potatoes and carrots.

12. Cook the Curly Kale

Add 150 g curly kale to the same pot and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside with the rest of the vegetables.

13. Cook the Sausages and Bacon

Reserve 750 ml of the vegetable cooking broth, then use the rest to cook 150 g cooking chorizo, 1 onion blood sausage and 50 g streaky Iberian bacon. Drain them, keep them warm with the vegetables, and save 500 ml of this broth; discard the rest, as its flavor is very strong.

14. Blanch the Tomatoes

Score 3 plum tomatoes with a cross and blanch them in the clay pot where the meats are cooking. This loosens the skins so they slip off easily for the sauce.

15. Peel the Tomatoes

Lift the tomatoes out once the skins begin to curl away and peel them. Discard the skins and keep the soft flesh for the sauce.

16. Pound the Tomato Sauce

Put the peeled tomatoes in a mortar with 1 chopped garlic clove and 5 g toasted cumin seeds, and pound to a sauce. You can also add a few cooked chickpeas and a splash of broth to lighten it.

17. Finish the Tomato Sauce

Stir a good glug of extra virgin olive oil into the sauce and set it aside until serving time. If you like, you can briefly warm the sauce in that oil to round out the flavors.

18. Make the Garlic Oil

Heat 125 ml olive oil with 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves in a skillet until the garlic is golden, then take it off the heat and pour it into a bowl. If you like, add 1 tablespoon La Vera paprika once the pan is off the heat so it does not turn bitter.

19. Prep the Soup Garnishes

For the first course, slice 1 spring onion into julienne and serve it in a bowl alongside 10 piparras. These sharp, tangy bites wake up the palate before the rich soup.

20. Build and Cook the Soup

Add 750 ml vegetable broth and 500 ml sausage-and-bacon broth to the meat broth, then stir in 120 g cabello de angel pasta and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. This is the first vuelco, the soup course.

21. Season and Serve the Soup

Season the soup with salt only if needed, 1 pinch sugar and 1 splash vinegar, then serve it right away with the julienned spring onion and the pickled piparras on the side.

22. Serve the Vegetables

Once everyone has finished the soup, serve the second vuelco: pile the hot vegetables on a platter, drizzle the cabbage and kale with the garlic oil, and bring it to the table with the tomato sauce.

23. Serve the Meats

For the third vuelco, arrange the meats on a platter and drizzle them with a little extra virgin olive oil. In many homes and taverns, the vegetables and the meats are brought out at the same time.

Tips for the Best Cocido Madrileno

Use a Wide Variety of Meats

One of the keys to a great cocido is a generous mix of pork, beef and hen, which together give an unmatched depth of flavor. A desalted pig's trotter and a small pork tail are especially valuable, as they add body and a silky richness to the broth.

Cook Meats and Vegetables Separately

Traditionally everything goes into one pot, but cooking the meats and chickpeas in one pot and the vegetables, sausages and bacon in another makes it easier to control the fat and flavor of the final broth. This is helpful if your morcilla, chorizo or streaky bacon has a particularly strong taste.

Serve It in Three Courses

To enjoy authentic cocido madrileno, serve it in three vuelcos as tradition demands. With good white bread and a small glass of red wine, enjoyed in moderation, it becomes an exquisite meal that works perfectly as a single main course.

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