Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Nov. 16, 2023
This scrumptious Chicken Stew will leave everyone cozy and happy. It’s healthy AND delicious comfort food at its best. It just so happens to be dairy-free, gluten-free, and compliant for whole30 and paleo eaters...but tastes luxurious!
Chicken Stew with Sweet POTATOES
We call 30F warm in this crazy neck of the woods. Because that’s about 30F warmer than it often is. Why we decided to move here is partly a mystery and a different story for a different time.
Our group sledding plans for the weekend are shot, but it’s great for walking the bulldog and getting him out of his stir-crazy winter plight. I sloshed through freezing puddles with him for four miles, and he still came home with the zoomies.
Our wintry weather medley reminds me of today’s hearty, healthy Chicken Stew. This cozy chicken stew is a mixed pot of deliciousness: savory chicken, healthy sweet potato, and fragrant coconut all marry together into the most healthy-delicious chicken curry stew.
Healthy Chicken Stew: Key Ingredients
An aromatic combination of flavors merge together to make people super hungry, so get ready to add this healthy chicken stew to your dinner rotation.
- Coconut milk and shredded coconut help thicken the stew and give it a satisfying texture. Be sure to grab the unsweetened coconut milk that comes in cans in the Asian aisles of most major grocery stores.
- Healthy sweet potatoes are highlighted in this chicken curry stew, as sweet potatoes lend a subtle sweetness, nutrition, and heartiness.
- Aromatics like onion, garlic, and ginger lend their succulent fragrance to the chicken curry stew. Not to mention antioxidants and nutrients.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs are our protein of choice, as chicken thighs are famous for retaining tenderness and flavor.
- Fabulous spices such as tumeric and paprika provide golden color and deliciously earthy flavors.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice combines with the seasonings to provide a bit of tangy sweetness.
Pro tips for Best Chicken Stew:
- A dutch oven or heavy large pot works best and allows for quick and even cooking.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2″ cubes, as small sized cubes will allow faster cooking. If you can find fresh, peeled, and pre-cut sweet potato cubes in your grocery store, feel free to use them as long as they are small-ish cubes.
- Do brown the chicken pieces, which seals in the juices and brings out great flavor. Use chicken thighs for tenderness.
- Be sure to include the juices of diced tomatoes; don’t throw the liquids away.
- Garnishes are excellent in chicken curry stew recipes; freshly chopped cilantro, roasted chopped cashews, or crispy coconut flakes are all great choices.
- Bonus: This beautiful stew happens to be Whole30, Paleo, and clean-eating. But anyone and everyone gobbles this yummy stew up, regardless of those labels. Here’s to healthy-delicious comfort food all season long.
Love chicken stew? Try my Moroccan Chicken Stew with its rich seasonings and spices for something a bit different!
Try this One-Pot Beef Stew, Too:
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Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
For the Spice Mixture:
- ¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 TB paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground tumeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne, less if you’re sensitive to spice
For the Stew:
- 3 TB coconut oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2- inch ginger, fresh, peeled and minced
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 15 oz diced tomatoes, with juices
- ½ cup coconut milk, from a can, shake well (found in ethnic aisles of grocery stores.)
- 2 cups chicken broth, regular strength
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless/skinless, towel-dried, and cut into bite size pieces
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Garnishes: chopped cashews, unsweetened coconut flakes (garnishes highly recommended for texture and depth of flavor.)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients of Spice Mixture together until well incorporated. Set aside.
- In a Dutch Oven or large/heavy pot, add 2 TB coconut oil and heat until hot. Add onions and cook/stir over medium heat until softened, 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, continuing to stir another 2 minutes. Add the Spice Mixture that was set aside. Stir well for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes plus their juices and coconut milk. Stir frequently 2-3 minutes. Add broth and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, stirring occasionally; cook until tender, 20 minutes. Taste stew; if needed, add more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Meanwhile (while stew is cooking) heat 1 TB coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Place chicken in a single layer in saucepan and let brown for 4 minutes on first side. Flip with tongs for 3 minutes of browning on second side. Do this in 2 batches if needed to avoid overcrowding (if crowded, chicken won’t brown.) Add browned chicken to the hot stew; stir to combine.
- Serve stew with garnishes, over rice or just as is.
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
Stew-pendous
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