A delicious Indian Spiced Chicken Stew, with potatoes, tomatoes and a blend of Indian spices slow cooked for a complete and comforting meal.
If you're a fan of dishes like Tikka Masala or Butter chicken, you will love this one! I spied this Indian Spiced Chicken Stew in the latest Bon Apetit and immediately slotted it in for an upcoming meal. We enjoyed it for dinner last night and it was a big hit. It's flavourful, hearty, warming and spicy and a great "throw everything in a pot and let it cook all afternoon" kind of dish. The spicy tomato and cream sauce was delicious and plentiful, great for sopping up with the naan bread. I also loved the addition of potatoes to this dish (and I wasn't sure I would). All in all ... everyone agreed it's a keeper!
This stew has a great combination of spices that work beautifully together. Don't be intimidated by the long list. They are pretty common spices, so if you're spice rack is fairly well-stocked, you'll be good. The cayenne pepper provides some nice warming heat in this dish. You may want to use the lesser amount of cayenne or leave out altogether if you're not a fan of heat or if you're feeding small kids.
Cook's Notes for Indian-spiced Chicken Stew
Serve this stew with a big dollop of plain yogurt, some naan bread and a generous sprinkling of fresh mint (most traditional), cilantro or parsley. Alternately, this would be lovely spooned over warm basmati rice.
I made this dish on the stove-top in my Dutch oven, but you could very easily do it in your slow-cooker. I used a couple of bone-in/skin on chicken breasts and thighs and took the chicken off the bone before adding the potatoes.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs would also work. You'd save the step of taking the chicken off the bone, but I do think the bone and skin probably add nice flavour to this one.
I served this stew up in my cast iron fajita pans. It's just a fun way to enjoy a meal and they're also great for fajitas, too :)
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Indian Spiced Stew with Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 large skin-on/bone-in chicken breasts (or can use boneless)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 - 3/4 tsp cayennne pepper (depending on how spicy like it or you can omit)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (plus a bit more thinning, if necessary)
- 3/4 cup tomato purée
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (can use a lighter cream)
- 1/2 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes,sliced 1/4" thick (or small fingerlings, sliced in half lengthwise)
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place skin side down in to the pan. Cook until golden brown without turning, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- To the same pot, add onion, garlic, and ginger to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft and golden brown, about 8–10 minutes. Add tomato paste, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste is beginning to darken, about 4 minutes.
- Add chicken pieces, chicken broth, tomato purée, and cream to pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is almost falling off the bone and liquid is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 hours. If using bone-in chicken, remove chicken to a plate and carefully remove chicken from the bone and discard skin and bones. Cut or pull chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return chicken pieces to the pot.
- Add potatoes to the pot and cook, partially covered, until potatoes are fork-tender and sauce is thickened, 30-45 minutes. *Check and stir every so often to ensure the sauce hasn't thickened to much and potatoes aren't sticking to the bottom of the pot. If sauce is too thick, thin with a bit more chicken stock.
- To serve, spoon stew into a shallow bowl and place a large dollop of yogurt on one side. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped mint, cilantro or parsley and serve with naan bread on the side. Alternately, spoon stew over some warm basmati rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from Bon Apetit February 2014
Nick says
Hi Jennifer - this was super delicious, followed the recipe exact! The only thing I would do different next time is cut the chicken bite size and shorten the cooking time (I used chicken breasts). It ended up shredding a bit too much for my preference. Thanks for another wonderful recipe :-)
Jennifer says
I get that. Did you use boneless? If so, I would definitely cut it up first. The only reason not to do that is if you use bone-in, in which case you obviously can't cut it up first :)
Dawn says
Made this tonight. Easy, delicious, the house smells wonderful! I added a package of (thawed and squeezed dry) frozen chopped spinach at the end of the cooking time. A definite keeper.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much :)
Joe says
Hi, I was wondering if cauliflower would be a suitable substitute for potatoes? We have been trying to avoid potatoes.
Jennifer says
Hi Joe and yes, cauliflower would be a lovely substitute for the potatoes in this one. I feel like you could just add the raw cauliflower when you would have added the potatoes and let the the cauliflower cook in the stew until tender. If you try it, let me know how it worked out :)
Jeannie says
I made this on Sunday and it was a HIT! This will definitely become one of my go to recipes! It's great for the family or entertaining.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it Jeannie :) Thanks so much!
Katie says
This recipe is SOOOOOO delicious!!! Made it tonight along with some homemade naan bread, and we enjoyed it so much. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, and the meat was so tender. Can't thank you enough for all of your delicious recipes!
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Katie! It's one of my favourites. Thanks so much :)
DS Panicker says
Beautiful recipe, I love your photographs, thank you for sharing..
Jennifer says
Thanks so much :)
Monica says
It smells wonderful and the chicken is super tender! I added in some carrots, as well. My one issue is that we are used to a thicker curry sauce. Not sure if it’s a restaurant thing or a regional thing, but we like it thick like gravy. So, it’s still cooking and hoping to evaporate more of the liquid. Next time, should I just add less chicken broth?? The taste is already amazing and I love it, otherwise.
Jennifer says
Hi Monica and yes, definitely reduce the chicken broth some, for a thicker sauce. Cooking it down at the end uncovered should also thicken it up nicely.
Tim says
Hi,
I havent tried it yet but it look delicious!
Is the chicken not getting burned when waiting for the top to be golden brown without turning? The chicken breasts don't have a skin over here so i'm afraid to let them cook for so long on one side. How long does it take for the top of the chicken to get golden?
Jennifer says
Hi Tim, this recipe is definitely written assuming skin-on chicken, so it is the skin that is intended to get golden brown. If using skinless chicken, simply cook until it is sealed on the outside.
Chidinma says
Hello Jennifer and I hope that this message finds you well. With the colder weather, I am excited to try this recipe in the coming days. I have all of the ingredients on hand except for the tomato puree but I wanted to ask I can substitute ground/crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce to achieve similar results. I appreciate all of your time and I look forward to your response!
Jennifer says
Hi Chidinma and yes, crushed tomatoes will work just fine with this one :) Enjoy!
Sandra says
If I wanted to make this in a slow cooker, how would I adjust the cooking times?
Jennifer says
Hi Sandra, I generally follow the 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high timelines when I adapt for slow cooker. So for this recipe, just add the potatoes after about 3/4 of the cooking time.
Jessica says
I LOVE this dish! It is so simple but the flavors hearken back to my childhood when my grandma would make a similar Persian chicken stew with basmati rice. So so delicious, thanks so much for sharing!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Jessica :) Thanks!
Rachael says
I made it with chicken thighs and it was great, and a lot faster than the skin on breasts. Thanks!
Jennifer says
Yes, lovely with thighs as well, for sure :) Thanks!
Kristine Simmons says
Made this yesterday and we loved it. I was super busy and needed something simple to throw together while doing stuff around the house. Comforting and delicious!!!
LOVE your recipes, everything I have tried is almost immediately added to my favourites and is incorporated as part of my regular rotation. We jazz things up to suit our specific tastes, but tweaking is really not required. Restaurant worthy in almost every case depending on effort in presentation.
You have inspired me and helped me to get over a hurdle of feeling like I didnt have time to do the kind of cooking I wanted. With a little organizing on the weekend, your recipes knock it out of the park during the week.
Thanks for sharing, you have certainly made a difference in my life. Thought you should know.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed this, Kristine! And thanks so much for your kind words :) I really appreciate it! I spent many of my busy years feeling the same way, until I just forced myself to cook from scratch and found it really doesn't take much more time at all. And it's so much more delicious! And that's exactly what I wanted to share here.
Teresa says
This recipe was awesome! We are doing the slow carb diet, so I didn’t us the cream, and I used lentils instead of potatoes. I also added chickpeas and spinach for the last half hour. It smelled amazing, and tasted even better! So homey and especially great for a cold evening in!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Teresa :) Thanks!
Laura says
I absolutely loved this recipe, and served it up in a giant Yorkshire pudding, a variation on the South African bunny chow.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Laura and I love the idea of serving it with Yorkshire! I'm going to try that next time :) Thanks!
Kerstin says
Hi, I'm Kerstin from Germany. We are on vacation in France right now with our caravan ... found your recipe browsing on pinterest today and just finished dinner with my husband. This dish is absolutely gorgeous! It's really worth travelling around the world thanks to the internet. Thank you for sharing it!!
Jennifer says
I wish I was in a caravan in France! So glad you found this and enjoyed it on your travels :) Thanks!
Kim says
Do have to use cream. Is there a substitute?
Jennifer says
Hi Kim, You don't say why you don't want to use cream, which would be helpful. If you are avoiding dairy, you could use stirred coconut milk. If you are asking because you want to use a lower-fat dairy product, I would tell you that cream is specified over other dairy, since the high fat content prevents it from "breaking" when it contacts acids, like tomatoes. So lower fat dairy isn't recommended. You could also just skip and have a non-creamy version, if you prefer.
Brit says
This was so delicious! My fiance and I both thoroughly enjoyed this stew. The only thing I had trouble with was my potatoes were a little under-cooked at the end & were stick to the pot. I should have added a bit more chicken stock toward the end & let it cook a little longer....very easy fix. We will definitely be adding this recipe to our regular rotation. Thank you!
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed this! Thanks :) And yes, a little more stock will fix that for sure. I've found some potatoes just absorb more of the liquid than others.
Teri says
I made this tonight and it was simply DELICIOUS. The family loved it too, so double win. I added a couple pinches of fenugreek at the end, but otherwise made exactly as written. This recipe is going into my favorites for sure.
Jennifer says
Thanks Teri and so glad everyone enjoyed it :)
Anna says
I made this exactly as written and it was absolutely delicious! My husband stumbled upon this recipe when he was searching for an Indian chicken curry recipe, and boy am I glad he did. Love your website and your pictures do a wonderful job of showcasing the food.
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Anna :) I love the warm flavours in this one and am always surprised at how well the potatoes work here!
Candy says
This was seriously one of the best things I have ever made. The yogurt is a must. I bought Greek gods plain. I also added fresh mint. This is an amazing recipe. Thank you for sharing
Candy says
I also served over rice
Jennifer says
Thanks Candy and so glad you enjoyed this. One of my favourite dishes!
Denise says
Hi Jennifer! I love Indian food!!! I can't wait to try this. The photos from the recipe - is that what you cooked it in or what you served it in? (the oval-shaped pan). I love the pan!!!
Thanks,
Denise Fairley
Jennifer says
Hi Denise :) I actually cooked this in my Dutch oven, then spooned it out on to these pans. They are Lodge, I think. Cast iron. Intended for fajitas, I think. I just find them a nice way to serve other things, too. Makes dinner more fun!
Susan says
Jennifer ... fabulous mixture of spices. I am making it in the crockpot with frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs and adding coconut milk and greens at the end. Delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer says
Thanks Susan and sounds great! Let me know how it works out in the slow cooker!
Kelly says
This is hands down one of my favorite recipes. I return to this post over and over again. So good, thank you!!
Jennifer says
So glad you are enjoying it Kelly :) It's a favourite of mine, too!
Kelly says
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! So warm and comforting. I made it for the first time when I was 40 weeks pregnant (and some change!) and those spices REALLY hit the spot. I had leftovers to put in the freezer too! This is definitely a keeper for me.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kelly and I agree, it is a wonderfully comforting dish. So glad you had left-overs for the freezer, too. That will come in handy in the coming days :)