Encebollado – Ecuador’s Beloved Fish Stew
- Holger Duarte Tobar
- Sep 17
- 2 min read
Intro:Encebollado is Ecuador’s most iconic dish — a rustic fish and yuca stew topped with pickled onions and fresh cilantro. Comforting, bold, and soulful, it’s the kind of food that warms you up and brings people together. No wonder it’s considered the national dish of Ecuador.
Ingredients (serves 4–5):
800 g fresh tuna (or white fish, cut into chunks)
1 kg yuca (cassava), peeled and cut into large pieces
1.5 liters water
2 medium onions (1 for broth, 1 for topping)
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika (or annatto for authenticity)
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Pickled Onion Topping (Encebollado):
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 2 limes
Pinch of salt
Method:
In a pot, bring water to a boil with fish, one onion (halved), garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes until fish is cooked. Remove fish, shred into chunks, and set aside. Keep the broth.
Add yuca to the broth and cook until tender (about 20 minutes). Remove, cut into pieces, and return to the pot.
Blend tomatoes with a little broth and stir into the pot to enrich the flavor. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Return shredded fish to the pot, adjust seasoning, and finish with lime juice.
For the topping: rub sliced red onion with salt, rinse, then marinate in lime juice for 10 minutes.
Serve the stew hot, topped with pickled onions and cilantro.
Chef’s Tip:For a deeper rustic flavor, cook the onions for the broth until caramelized before adding water — it gives the stew a sweeter, richer base.
Serving Idea:Traditionally served with chifles (fried plantain chips) or bread. Add a drizzle of hot sauce at the table for a true Ecuadorian street-food experience.