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Nigerian Chicken Stew

Nigerian chicken stew with a deeply cooked tomato-pepper base, golden fried chicken, and a rich simmered finish. Blend tomatoes and peppers into a smooth sauce, fry until oil floats on top, then coat and simmer the chicken for a glossy, thick stew texture.
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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: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasoning
  • 3 lb chicken pieces, bone-in Use bone-in pieces for best flavor.
  • 1 onion Divide; grate half for marinating and blend the rest into the sauce.
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 2 bouillon cubes or chicken stock powder Use either bouillon cubes or stock powder to season.
  • 0.5 tsp salt and pepper to taste Add to taste; include both salt and pepper.
Stew base
  • 2 can (14 oz) plum tomatoes Blend until smooth.
  • 3 red bell peppers Roughly chopped, then blended.
  • 2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers Adjust for heat; blend with the sauce.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced for the sauce (if you prefer it blended, mince finely).
  • 1 cup vegetable oil Used for frying/baking the chicken and for frying the pepper sauce.
  • fresh parsley Chopped for serving.
  • steamed rice For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 oven

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Grate half of the onion and rub it over the chicken with thyme, curry powder, bouillon, salt, and pepper, then cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
  2. While marinating, preheat your oven to 425°F if baking the chicken (or prep for frying).
Cook the chicken until golden
  1. Fry or oven-bake the chicken at 425°F until golden and mostly cooked through, then set aside.
Blend the tomato-pepper sauce
  1. Blend the plum tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, and the remaining onion until completely smooth.
Fry the pepper sauce
  1. Heat 1/2 cup of the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then carefully fry the blended pepper sauce for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently.
  2. Keep frying until the sauce is deeply cooked and darkened and the oil floats on top, then stir in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Simmer and finish
  1. Add the fried chicken to the pot, coat it thoroughly in the sauce, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then serve hot over steamed rice and top with fresh parsley.

Notes

Marinate the chicken for the full 30 minutes so the curry-thyme seasoning penetrates, and stir the pepper sauce often during the 30-40 minute cook so it darkens evenly without scorching. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days (freezing up to 2 months). For a lower-oil option, you can bake the chicken as directed and reduce oil in the pepper sauce to 1/3 cup while still cooking until oil floats on top.