Chicken Stew (African-Style)

This stew is like no other. It's easy, aromatic, and flavorful with a thick, rich tomato-based sauce. For a great weeknight meal, pair it with steaming rice and plantains. And you'll have your new favorite chicken dinner!

Course Main

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 710kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

3-3½ pound (1.5kg) chicken, cut in pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoons (4-8g) Creole seasoning
¼-½ cup (62-125g) oil (canola, olive, or vegetable oil)
5-6 Roma tomatoes (or 2 cups tomato sauce)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tablespoon (8g) garlic, minced (3-4 cloves)
1½ teaspoon (1.5g) dried thyme
1 tablespoon (7g) smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon (0.5g) curry powder
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon Maggi or bouillon (chicken-flavored)
2 cups (475ml) water
2 green onion, chopped (whites and green parts)
3 tablespoon (12g) parsley
1-2 cups (130-250g) carrot, sliced

Instructions

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until hot, and then add the chicken and sauté, stirring frequently and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot until the chicken is brown.
If using fresh tomatoes, blend tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
If using tomato sauce, saute the onion and garlic until tender (4-5 minutes).
Pour the tomato blend (or sauce, onion, and garlic) into the pot of chicken, add the thyme, smoked paprika, curry powder, bay leaf, and bouillon, bring to a boil, and let it simmer until tender (depending on the chicken), 20-30 minutes, frequently stirring to prevent the stew from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
Add carrots, green onions, and parsley. Cook for five more minutes. Adjust the thickness of the stew with water or stock.
Season with salt according to preference. Remove bay leaf.
Serve over warm rice.

Notes

You can throw in other vegetables, like potatoes or sweet potatoes, into this dish towards the last 15-20 minutes of cooking.
You may use bone-in chicken breast for this dish. Or a rotisserie chicken, provided you add the chicken towards the last 15 minutes of cooking.
For a little kick, you may add a bit of cayenne pepper.
When using a crockpot, brown the chicken first, then add onions and tomato blend. Saute for about 5 minutes and finish it off in the crock pot for 3-4 hours on high.
I used canola oil for this recipe, and I would not recommend palm oil for this one.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition