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Nigerian Chicken Stew

Nigerian chicken stew is simmered in a deep orange-red tomato-pepper sauce with bone-in chicken and a long cooking step until the oil floats. You’ll marinate chicken first, fry (or bake) it until golden, then simmer just long enough to coat and finish cooking.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Nigerian
Calories: 850
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 3 lb chicken pieces bone-in
  • 0.5 large onion onion divided; use half grated for marinating
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 2 bouillon cubes bouillon cubes or use 1 tsp chicken stock powder
  • 0.25 tsp chicken stock powder use if not using bouillon cubes
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste
Pepper-Tomato Sauce
  • 2 can (14 oz) plum tomatoes
  • 3 red bell peppers roughly chopped
  • 2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers adjust to heat preference
  • 0.5 large onion onion remaining half for blending
  • 4 cloves garlic minced (note: add with the blend step)
  • 1 cup vegetable oil divided; 1/2 cup for frying the sauce, plus oil for frying chicken if needed
To Serve
  • 1 fresh parsley for serving
  • 1 steamed rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 large pot

Method
 

Marinate and pre-cook the chicken
  1. Season the chicken pieces with half the onion (grated), thyme, curry powder, bouillon, salt, and pepper, then marinate for 30 minutes with the chicken covered. The marinade should coat every piece, so you see seasoning on the surface.
  2. Fry the chicken or oven-bake until golden and mostly cooked through, then set it aside. Keep the color golden rather than dark to help the pieces stay tender after simmering.
Blend the tomato-pepper base
  1. Blend the plum tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnet, remaining onion, and garlic until smooth. Blend until no pepper or onion chunks remain.
Cook the stew sauce
  1. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then carefully fry the blended pepper sauce in the oil for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently. Look for the sauce to darken and for oil to float on top.
  2. Add the fried chicken to the pot and coat it in the sauce, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. The chicken should be fully cooked and the sauce should cling to the pieces.
Season and serve
  1. Season the stew to taste and serve over steamed rice. Garnish with fresh parsley and keep the sauce visibly thick with chicken pieces partially submerged.

Notes

Pro tip: when frying the pepper sauce, stir often and cook until it darkens and the oil floats on top—this is where the stew’s rich flavor develops. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently). If you want a lighter option, use skinless chicken pieces and reduce the oil used for frying the chicken.