Description
Nigerian Chicken Stew is a flavorful and spicy one-pot dish featuring tender chicken thighs simmered in a rich tomato and pepper sauce infused with traditional Nigerian spices. This hearty stew is perfect served with rice, yams, or bread and brings an authentic taste of West African cuisine to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken thighs
- Extra salt and black pepper for chicken rub
Stew Sauce
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 habanero pepper (use ½ for less spice)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock (broth)
- 1 onion (half chopped, half blended)
- 1 teaspoon bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Wash and pat dry 2 lbs of chicken thighs. Rub them thoroughly with salt and black pepper and set aside in a bowl to marinate for a few minutes.
- Brown the chicken: Heat ½ cup olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Brown the chicken thighs on each side for about 10 minutes per side, working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. Once browned, remove the chicken and set aside.
- Prep the vegetables: Cut the onion into two halves. Chop one half finely for sautéing, and blend the other half with 3 tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, and 1 habanero pepper (or half for less heat) until smooth.
- Sauté the onion: In the same pan with the remaining oil, sauté the chopped onion until translucent and fragrant.
- Cook the sauce: Pour in the blended tomato and pepper mixture, and bring to a boil. Let it cook for about 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly.
- Combine and season: Return the browned chicken to the pan. Add 1 cup chicken stock, 1 teaspoon bouillon powder, ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon curry powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
- Simmer: Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and let the stew simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through and tender. Stir occasionally and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if necessary.
Notes
- This recipe serves 6 and contains about 2 grams of net carbs per serving.
- Chicken thighs are recommended for juiciness, but you can also use drumsticks or a mix.
- When browning the chicken, avoid overcrowding the pan to ensure even searing. Brown in batches if necessary.
- You can also brown the chicken in an air fryer: preheat to 390°F and cook for 10 minutes on each side.
- If you add water while blending the tomatoes and peppers, make sure to boil off excess liquid before adding chicken.
- The stew is quite spicy; reduce habanero quantity or substitute with cayenne pepper for milder heat.
- For a smoky flavor variation, use fire-roasted tomatoes when making the stew.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg
