I don’t know how the weather is by you, but so far my spring has been pretty chilly. This hearty, stew is so comforting on those cool, rainy April nights.
I originally came across a similar recipe on the New York Times website. The combination of chicken, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and collards sounded so delicious. The addition of peanut butter in this African stew was especially intriguing to me.
If you don’t have time to make your own chicken stock, you don’t have to worry about it here. Flavorful browned chicken legs make this stew taste completely home made. No one will know the difference.
In a few recipes for this stew, I’ve seen both chunky and smooth peanut butters used. I think natural peanut butter of either sort would be the best, but there’s nothing wrong with good old Jif (my childhood favorite). I’ve also seen versions of this stew with chopped peanuts stirred in. In my version, I like to use peanuts as part of a topping.
I took salted, roasted peanuts, mint and lime zest to make a fresh, crunchy gremolata-inspired topper. I also find lime juice (or maybe even lemon juice) to be an essential, yet nontraditional, addition. The rich peanut butter in this dish needs some acid to balance things out and the lime works very well with all of these flavors.
African Chicken Peanut Stew
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This dish is heart and satisfying, and certainly not your typical chicken stew. This African chicken peanut stew includes chicken legs, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, collards and peanut butter! I topped it off with a gremolata inspired peanut and mint topping for some freshness and added texture.
Ingredients
- 2lb bone-in, skin-on chicken legs or thighs
- 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 inches ginger, finely grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1–2 pinches cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1–14.5 oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2lb), peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 1 bunch collard greens, stems dicarded, leaves cut into 1-inch thick ribbons
- ¼ cup peanut butter*
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Lime wedges, for serving
Topping:
- 2 tbsp salted, roasted peanuts, chopped
- 2 tbsp mint, finely chopped
- Zest of 1 lime
Instructions
- Sear chicken: Heat a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot on medium to medium-high. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan, followed by the chicken. Sear in batches for 4-6 minutes on all sides or until golden brown. Remove and set aside, reserving oil in the pan.
- Cook aromatics & tomatoes: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and sauté 3-5 minutes or until translucent. Add ginger, garlic and cayenne and sauté about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and crush with a wooden spoon or potato masher.
- Braise chicken: Nestle chicken back into pan. Add 3 cups of broth or enough to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook partially covered for 40 minutes or until mostly cooked through.
- Add vegetables: Add sweet potatoes and collards to the pot with additional broth and/or water to cover. I added 1 cup of broth and 1 cup of water to cover the potatoes and left the greens partially uncovered, as they wilt during cooking. Cover and bring to a simmer.
- Shred chicken & finish stew: Partially uncover and continue to cook about 10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through, but not quite falling off the bone. Remove chicken from pot, discard skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cook potatoes and collards another 10-12 minutes or until tender. The collards should have a slight bite. Return shredded chicken to the pot, stir in the peanut butter and taste for seasoning.
- Make topping. Mix all ingredients for the topping. Serve stew topped with the peanut-mint mixture and lime wedges, and enjoy.
Notes
- I used Jif creamy peanut butter; however, I thick natural peanut butter (smooth or chunky) would provide the best flavor for this dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Stew
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: African
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ of stew
- Calories: 457
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 314mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Protein: 44g
This is the second time I made this, it came out delicious! I used diced canned tomatoes with the liquid. And for fun, spicy roasted peanuts for the topping
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and made it twice! I’ll have to try the spicy, roasted peanut topping next time I make it too 🙂
I do a moroccan chicken and peanut stew with chickpeas that has long been a favourite of mine but this is better. Love the extra little burst of flavour the gremolata brings.
Thank you! I’m sure your chicken and stew are amazing!