If I had to pick a sub-category of food as a true blue favorite – it’d be chicken stew every time. It’s my standby, my go-to, my all-time most craved thing. So today, I’m dishing up a collection of my favorite chicken stews from around the world. There’s just something especially comforting about a slower-cooked, cozy pot of chicken that brings immediate satisfaction. I truly never tire of the stuff.
All that said, this relentless affection I have for chicken stew could be due to the sheer quantity of them occupying spaces across the world’s culinary landscape. Nearly every culture in the world has a version of chicken stew to offer up (it’s the world’s most popular meat-based protein), and I will likely be working my way through all of them, probably multiple times over.
In today’s post, I’ve rounded up a collection of (my versions of) some of the best chicken stews from around the world – recipes that we not only adore here in MKL, but recipes that we genuinely make time and time again. By using a core recipe concept to “cook your way around the world,” we get this anchoring reference point through which we can observe and appreciate the nuanced differences in tastes from around the whole wide world. It’s a simple concept, but one I like to employ frequently here.
If this also strikes a chord with you, you might want to check out our collection of Beef Recipes From Around the World as well.
One Pan Coq au Rose’ with Lemon and Hazelnuts
A classic, gorgeous French-style chicken stew built on bacon, rose’ wine, and fresh veggies. We’ll make it in a large Dutch oven and let it cook away until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Punchy fresh lemon and toasty hazelnuts build interest and balance in this delicious stew. A great baseline recipe, this is easy to build upon with whatever fresh, seasonal veggies you like.Â
Cajun Style Chicken Fricassee with Andouille
My easy, one-pan take on a Cajun classic, this Chicken Fricassee has a sauce built on lots of veggies, garlic, wine, and a touch of cream – either heavy or sour. This dish is often finished with sour cream in Southern Louisiana, but sometimes I go full heavy cream. Up to you! The addition of spicy Andouille makes this an absolute showstopper of a dish. One of my favorites.
West African Peanut Stew (Maafe)
This is frequently served vegetarian or vegan, or with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces – you’ll see versions of all sorts. But the heart and soul of this gorgeous West African Peanut Stew (here, with chicken) lies in the toasted peanut, ginger, and well-built aromatic base that colors and flavors the whole stew. Hearty, wholesome and incredibly delicious, this is one of my very favorite recipes to make.
Shoyu Chicken from Aloha Kitchen Cookbook
In her debut cookbook, Aloha Kitchen, my friend and popular food blogger, Alana Kysar, shares her whole heart. It beats with every page, within every recipe (like this Shoyu Chicken), in each stunningly beautiful photo, and in how she wields her voice to both show and tell us, her lucky readers, all about her favorite things. Her Shoyu Chicken has quickly stolen my heart, and I’ve made it more times than I can count.
Easy Chicken Cacciatore
A wonderfully flavorful one-pan Italian dinner, this easy Chicken Cacciatore (hunter’s stew) is simple and fast to whip up. Just be sure to have plenty of bread and/or pasta waiting in the wings to sop up all of the amazing tomato sauce.Â
Lighter Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
An homage to the classic Hungarian paprika-based stew, my version here makes a few simple swaps to lighten things up a bit. You can see the authentic version here, and I’ve indicated how to stick to tradition, if you wish. Whichever way to decide to go, you’ll end up with one very satisfying pan of chicken stew.Â
The Best Étouffée Recipe (with chicken, sausage, and shrimp)
A rich and savory Cajun-Creole style étouffée with chicken, andouille and (if you like) plump roasted shrimp. Just don’t forget the Tabasco!
The Best! Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe with Coconut Rice
AÂ beautifully umami, tangy, and unbelievably flavorful dish from the Philippines, this Filipino Chicken Adobo is easy to make and easy on the budget.Â
Colombian Chicken Stew (Sudado de Pollo)
Traditionally prepared with bone-in drumsticks, Colombian Chicken Stew (Sudado de Pollo) is a deeply delicious, rich, and satisfying pot of meat and veggies that I have come to adore. Served with a heap of white rice and some creamy avocado, this is a stick-to-your-ribs sort of meal that will warm your bones on even the coldest of days.Â
Beautiful Ethiopian Doro Wat Recipe (Spiced Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
One of the world’s great chicken dishes, Ethiopian Doro Wat is a master class in developing deep aromatic flavor with little fuss or fanfare. I include a few of my own spins here, which just reflect things I love: soft-boiled eggs (instead of hard) and a good dollop of chicken stock concentrate (to make that sauce sing). Also, in traditional Ethiopian recipes, a whole chicken is used and skinned prior to cleaning in a vinegar/water solution. We’ll skip that step here, using bone-in, skin-on drumsticks which we’ll brown prior to cooking in the oven. This is simply to help the chicken hold on to the amazing sauce (the very best part).
