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African chicken stew in a white bowl on a green placemat
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5 from 13 votes

African Chicken Stew

Delicious chicken and peanut stew, with a deep and rich flavor that's hard to resist! Now with Instant Pot directions too!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: African
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 262kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cubed chicken breast (20 oz or 3 breasts)
  • ¼ cup sesame oil
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon curry
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or less for a milder stew)
  • 5 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 14.5 oz diced stewed tomatoes
  • 2 14.5 oz chicken broth
  • 3 oz tomato paste (half a can)
  • ¾ cup peanut butter (or up to one cup)
  • roasted/chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  • Chop chicken breasts into 1"- 2" chunks and roughly chop the onion.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat the sesame oil. Mix salt, black pepper, curry, ginger, and crushed red pepper until combined and stir with chopped chicken and onions.
  • Sauté the spiced chicken and onion mixture in a Dutch oven until the chicken is browned for approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic during the last minute.
  • Mix stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth in the same bowl the chicken was in. Stir the mixture in with the chicken and onions.
  • Simmer, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes. Next, stir the crunchy peanut butter into the stew and cook for an additional 10 minutes on low.
  • Meanwhile, toast peanuts in a hot pan for a couple of minutes.
  • Serve stew in deep bowls, topped with a tablespoon of roasted peanuts, and chopped fresh cilantro (optional).
  • Another option is to serve the stew with sliced crusty bread for dipping. Or, serve the stew over creamy coconut rice.

Instant Pot Instructions

  • Chop chicken breasts into 1"- 2" chunks and roughly chop the onion.
  • Add the sesame oil to the Instant Pot and choose "saute." 
  • Mix salt, black pepper, curry, ginger, and crushed red pepper until combined and stir with chopped chicken and onions.
  • Add the chicken and onions to the Instant pot and set a timer for 5 minutes.
  • Sauté the spiced chicken and onion mixture until the chicken is browned for approximately 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic during the last minute. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot, to avoid "burn" error.
  • Mix stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth in the same bowl the chicken was in. Stir the mixture in with the chicken and onions.
  • Cover with the lid and lock it into place. Set the valve to the "seal" position, choose "high pressure," and set the time to 20 minutes. When the time is up, "quick release" the pressure.
  • Unlock the lid and mix in the peanut butter.
  • Lock the lid once more and move the lever to "seal." Cook on high pressure for another 5 minutes, followed by a "quick release." Mix to combine the peanutbutter.
  • Serve stew in deep bowls, topped with a tablespoon of roasted peanuts, and chopped fresh cilantro (optional).

Notes

  • The original recipe called for ½ cup of sesame oil and one cup of peanut butter. If you don't mind the additional calories, experiment with the peanut butter and sesame oil ratios.
  • If you prefer a creamy stew consistency, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon. Blend the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until it reaches the desired consistency then add the cooked chicken.
  • Although you can use creamy or chunky peanut butter, I prefer the added crunch that the chunky peanut butter provides.
  • For a chunkier stew, add one chopped sweet potato when you add the chicken. If cooking the stew in an Instant Pot, add the sweet potato when you add the peanut butter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 789mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g