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Nigerian Chicken Stew

Nigerian chicken stew is made with a deeply cooked tomato-pepper sauce, then simmered with golden fried chicken pieces for a rich, clingy texture over rice. This method blends peppers and tomatoes, fries the stew base until darkened, and finishes with a short simmer so the flavor concentrates.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Nigerian
Calories: 980
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken pieces (bone-in)
  • 3 lb chicken pieces bone-in
Tomatoes and peppers
  • 2 can (14 oz) plum tomatoes
  • 3 red bell peppers roughly chopped
  • 2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers adjust to heat preference
Aromatics and seasoning
  • 1 onion divided; half grated for marinade
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 2 bouillon cubes or chicken stock powder use 2 bouillon cubes or 1 tsp chicken stock powder
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.5 black pepper to taste
Cooking oil and serving
  • 1 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 cup for frying the sauce
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley for garnish
  • 3 cup steamed rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 large pot

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Season the chicken with half the onion (grated), thyme, curry powder, bouillon, salt, and pepper, then set aside to marinate for 30 minutes. The chicken should look evenly coated and slightly wet from the onion and spices.
Fry or bake the chicken
  1. Fry the marinated chicken (or oven-bake) until golden and mostly cooked through, then set aside. Look for browned, golden surfaces while keeping the centers not fully dried out.
Blend the pepper-tomato base
  1. Blend the plum tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnet, and the remaining onion until smooth. Stop when the mixture is fully blended with no visible chunks.
Fry the sauce until dark and rich
  1. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then carefully fry the blended pepper sauce for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce should darken noticeably and you should see oil begin to float on top.
Simmer with chicken
  1. Add the fried chicken to the pot, coat it in the sauce, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The stew should bubble gently and thicken slightly so the sauce clings to the chicken.
Finish and serve
  1. Season the stew to taste and serve over steamed rice with fresh parsley on top. You should see deep orange-red sauce covering the chicken and steaming alongside the rice.

Notes

Pro tip: the long frying time is what delivers the deep orange-red color—keep stirring so the sauce darkens evenly and doesn’t scorch. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days; freeze for up to 2 months in a sealed container. For a lighter option, bake or air-fry the chicken instead of deep-frying, and use the same simmer time so the sauce still clings well to the chicken.