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    "Home" » Main Dishes

    Chicken and Potato Stew {with Whole30 Option}

    Published: Aug 2, 2017 · Modified: Apr 30, 2022 by Althea Brown · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chicken stew is one of those classic dishes that once you've mastered the base you can add any combination of veggies for a bit of variety. I cook chicken stew at least once a week. My 5 year old really likes chicken stew with rice, so I know that when that's for dinner he'll eat all of his food, which doesn't happen often. I add potatoes and carrots to my chicken stew because I have a picky eater so I need to sneak veggies into dishes.

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    Jump to:
    • Choose bone-in chicken versus boneless
    • Amp Up the Flavor in your Chicken Stew
    • Bring on the veggies
    • Make it Whole30!
    • Save it for Later!
    • Printable Recipe Card
    •  Try my stew recipes recipes:

    Choose bone-in chicken versus boneless

    Stews are slowed cooked and bone in chicken adds a rich depth of flavor to this chicken stew. I bought bone-in, skin on chicken thighs and then removed the skin. You can also use chicken drumsticks or a combination of drumsticks and thighs or even a whole chicken butchered into pieces. I season my chicken with a house blend of dried herbs, some tomato paste and Guyanese Cassareep. Sub cassareep with coconut aminos if you are on a Whole30 round.

    Amp Up the Flavor in your Chicken Stew

    Next, I cook my onions and garlic in some brown sugar. It is important to note here that I am not "burning the sugar" or making a dark caramel, as most Guyanese cooks do before making stews (see below for instructions on making this sugar free and Whole30). Before the sugar gets to that stage add seasoned chicken. I don't let the sugar get to that burnt sugar stage because what I'm actually doing here is making a kind of caramelized onions, but cheating since caramelized onions take forever to make. This will add a sweet flavor to the stew without it tasting like I just poured sugar into it. And later when you bite into the onions it will taste a bit caramelized. Trust me, it's delicious.

    Once the onions and garlic are nicely browned, I add the tomatoes and cook down into a bit of a mushy sauce. Then I add my seasoned chicken. Don't skip this next step or you will end up with boiled chicken. I sear the chicken on high heat, constantly turning it until it is brown on all sides. This step can take up to 15 minutes, because the aim is for all the onion and tomato sauce to cook down and all of the liquids to cook off while the chicken is sautéing.

    Bring on the veggies

    Adding diced potatoes and carrots makes this stew a hearty stew. Once all of the liquids cook off, I add 4 cups of chicken broth or water, cover and continue to cook on high heat. Cooking time varies depending on how fast your potatoes cook. Sometimes I have to add another 2 to 4 cups of liquid, if the liquid cooks down before the potatoes are soft. At this point you should also taste your stew and add a bit more salt if needed. I use iodized sea salt, which is a bit course and with the addition of the chicken broth, one teaspoon of salt is all I need. Once the stew cooks down to a thick delicious gravy you are done.

    Make it Whole30!

    When on a Whole30 round and in my quest to choose more sugar free options, I have adjusted this recipe and it is still just as delicious. To make this recipe Whole30, skip the sugar when sautéing your onions, you absolutely DO NOT need it. Use sweet onions instead of yellow onions for onions that are naturally sweet (if you like).

    Additionally swap the cassareep for coconut aminos. Traditionally Cassareep (made from cassava juice) would be Whole30 compliant, but these days we can't trust that there isn't added sugar in cassareep. I get my cassareep directly from Guyana and there is no ingredient label on mine, so I choose to just skip it and use something that I know is Whole30 safe. Sometimes I swap the white potatoes for sweet potatoes for a more nutrient dense carb or I add some butternut squash. Mix it up and have fun with this recipe.

    Save it for Later!

    Printable Recipe Card

    Chicken and Potato Stew

    Althea Brown
    A delicious stew with chicken, potatoes and carrots in a tomato base sauce.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Chicken Main Dish
    Cuisine Guyanese
    Servings 6

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 skinless bone-in chicken thighs (about 2.5 lbs)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme can substitute with fresh thyme
    • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • 1 tablespoon cassareep or 1 teaspoon browning liquid For Whole30 use ¼ cup of coconut aminos
    • 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon tomato paste (Choose compliant tomato paste if doing Whole300
    • 1 whole yellow onion diced
    • 2 tablespoon brown sugar skip if on Whole30
    • 3 roma tomatoes diced
    • 2 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
    • 2 carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
    • 4 to 8 cups of liquids chicken broth/stock or water

    Instructions
     

    • Cut chicken thighs into halves, then season with salt, ginger powder, parsley flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, cassareep and tomato paste and let marinade for at least 30 mins before cooking
    • If on Whole30 add coconut aminos, instead of cassareep
    • In a large pot, warm oil on high heat. Then add diced onions and chopped garlic, followed by brown sugar (skip the brown sugar if on a Whole30 round) Cook until the sugar starts to caramelize and the onions get brown.
    • Then add diced tomatoes just before the sugar starts to burn or become black in color. Cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy.
    • Add marinaded chicken and cook on high heat for 15 to 30 minutes, sautéing and turning constantly to avoid burning. Cook until all of the liquids cook off.
    • Add the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes to avoid sticking.
    • Add 4 cups of liquids, cover and cook until potatoes are soft, this can take up to 30 minutes, depending on how long it takes for your potatoes to cook to a fork tender stage
    • Cook down until the stew thickens but be careful to avoid burning it

    Notes

    1. If you are Guyanese I assume you will clean and wash your chicken before cooking. It's the Guyanese way to remove the skin and fat and soak the chicken in about a cup or two of white vinegar. Then rinse with water. If you are not Guyanese, carry-on (I don't think washing chicken makes much of a difference flavor wise).
    2. I like to season my chicken in the morning and then start cooking sometime in the early afternoon to be ready in time for dinner. When I lived in Guyana we would always cook in time for lunch, so we would season our meat the day before.
    3. When cutting the chicken thighs into halves, you can chop the bone if you prefer (many Guyanese ppl do it that way). I don't chop the bones, because I don't want bone fragments in my food. I have little ones and don't want them choking on bone fragments.
    4. In the last step of this recipe, you may need to add 2 to 4 more cups of liquid if your potatoes take a long time to get soft. If more liquid is needed add a cup or two at a time so that you don't end up having too much gravy when the dish is done.
    5. I cook down my stew until it is really thick and the gravy clings to the meat and potatoes.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

     Try my stew recipes recipes:

    Beef Stew

    Fish Stew

    Shrimp stew

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lurlyn says

      August 16, 2017 at 11:35 pm

      This looks soo delicious

      Reply
      • Althea Brown says

        August 17, 2017 at 5:40 pm

        Thank you. It was pretty yummy.

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Boneless Brown Stew Chicken - Metemgee says:
      July 12, 2020 at 5:08 pm

      […] Stew Chicken is a Caribbean Staple. I make it often using my Chicken Stew recipe found here. Sometimes I am in a rush and need to whip up a quick dish to go with rice or […]

      Reply
    2. Instant Pot Rice and Peas - Metemgee says:
      September 19, 2021 at 2:19 am

      […] Instant Pot Rice and Peas side dish pairs really well with Beef Curry or Chicken Stew. If you try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment and rate the recipe below. Also […]

      Reply
    3. 1tenacity says:
      January 12, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      1possessive

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Althea! I have a real passion for cooking, especially traditional Caribbean recipes with deep roots! I was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana and now live in Denver, Colorado with my husband and 3 kids. I am a Whole30 Certified Coach and love sharing wholesome remixes to traditional Guyanese and Caribbean dishes.

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