Nigerian Chicken Stew

This Nigerian Chicken Stew Recipe is a traditional favorite with less fat and more lean protein than most versions out there.

It is a little spicy, and the chicken is cooked until it practically falls off the bone.

It is a versatile recipe that you can eat with jasmine rice, plantain, or with a side of Moi Moi. And unlike most Nigerian recipes, you can make this without having to step inside an African Market.

Nigerian chicken stew is a dish we always had in the fridge growing up. My mom would make a pot on Sunday and every day after school we would eat rice and stew.

Over the years through my fat loss journey, I realized that just changing a few ingredients, could continue to make this meal a staple meal for me.

Nigerian Chicken Stew Ingredients

• whole chicken. Cut in parts or buy a pack of legs and breasts. Just remember calories will be a little different.
• red bell peppers. They will be pitted and cut into 2-3 pieces for roasting.
• yellow onions. This recipe calls for two; One for chopping and the other for roasting.
• red onion. This will also be used for roasting.
• garlic. I roasted the whole head, but if you want to use just a few cloves you can. If you're using a few cloves skip the roasting process and just blend them together with the other ingredients.
• basil leaves. The more basil the better. I chopped some for garnish.
• habanero peppers. Optional or adjust to preference. I would start with one pepper and add more later.
• spices. Bouillon, ground ginger, bay leaves, dried thyme, curry powder, complete seasoning
• olive oil. You can use coconut oil or avocado oil as well.

Calories in one serving

These macros are for 1 serving of stew. It is hard to count the exact calories for dishes like soups and stews. I have gained the most success by calculating the macros in my protein. This will give me the most accurate number for how much protein and fat I am consuming.

Total Calories: 324

Protein: 22 grams

Fat: 22 grams

Carbs: 10 grams

How to Make Nigerian Chicken Stew

Instructions for Roasting Veggies/Making Puree

• Preheat oven to 425 °F.
• Prep Veggies. Remove the pit from the bell peppers, and slice bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes in half.
• Add to baking pan. Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray before placing bell peppers, tomatoes, habaneros, onions, and garlic head. Spray the top of the veggies as well. (Don't forget to cut the top off the garlic head and drizzle with a little olive oil so it doesn't burn.)
• Roast on the middle rack for 45 minutes.
• Blend. When finished, remove the garlic gloves from the casing and put everything in a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Instructions for Stew

• Sauté onions. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot and add the chopped yellow onion.
• Season. Add all the curry powder and ½ of the following seasonings (bouillon, dried thyme, ginger) to the sautéed onions
• Add chicken. Add the chicken and mix until all the pieces are coated. Let the chicken brown for about 2 minutes before adding 1 cup of chicken broth or water.
• Cook. Cook chicken on low heat for 40 minutes without the lid.
• Roast. After 40 minutes, remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a baking sheet. Roast chicken in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 °F.
• Mix & season puree. With the broth still in the pot, add the puree and mix together with the remaining thyme, bouillon, complete seasoning, ginger, and bay leaves.
• Simmer. Cook the stew for 30-40 minutes or until desired thickness. Make sure the lid is ajar and not fully on so the steam doesn't get trapped.
• Add the chicken to the stew, mix, and adjust the taste to your preference.
• Add basil. Garnish with chopped basil and remove from heat.
• Enjoy.

Can I Use an Air Fryer to Roast the Chicken?

Of course. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes on each side. Do this a few times until all your chicken is air fried. This takes less time than the oven and will save you a bunch of calories instead of frying in oil

Cooking Tips

• Be prepared for your stew to splatter. Part of the cooking process is allowing the tomato puree to boil down which requires the lid to be ajar. If you own a splatter guard, this would be an ideal situation to use it.
• I used a whole chicken and a few pieces of legs for this recipe. You can use whatever cut of meat you want.

Check out These Fat Loss Friendly West African Recipes

• Nigerian Roasted Chicken
• Vegan Jollof Rice
• Nigerian Fried Rice
• Oha Soup Recipe
• Air Fryer Sweet Plantains