Perfectly tender chicken coated in a veggie-packed, sweet and spicy sauce, served with creamy polenta.
Surely, you have a dish from your childhood that holds a special place in your heart—something that grew on you over the years.
For me, one of those cherished dishes is stewed chicken with peppers. While I still appreciate the classic version I grew up with, I adore something about this one even more.
Imagine perfectly tender chicken enveloped in a veggie-packed, sweet and spicy sauce, served alongside creamy polenta—a combination that unquestionably deserves a spot on your culinary must-try list.
Serve it with a simple green salad, and have a dream lunch ready for the whole family to enjoy!
Even if you didn’t savour it as a child, this dish has a captivating quality that tends to grow on you over time. Trust me, it’s a culinary journey worth taking.
With just a handful of carefully selected ingredients and straightforward steps, you can create a dish that will fill your kitchen with irresistible aromas to satisfy your taste buds and provide many health benefits. Are you ready?
STEWED CHICKEN INGREDIENTS
- Brown chicken meat (thighs, legs, and wings – bone-in and skin-on)
- Yellow onion
- Carrots
- Celeriac
- Fresh garlic
- Red peppers (roasting Pimentos)
- Tomato paste (double-concentrated)
- Spices: Sweet paprika and Cayenne pepper
- Corn grits
- Stock (homemade vegetable stock, chicken stock or water)
HOW TO MAKE STEWED CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS
This one-pot stewed chicken with peppers recipe is incredibly delicious and remarkably easy to make. It comes out in a little bit over an hour, but in the meantime, it gives you plenty of hands-off time.
It is the perfect meal to prepare on the weekend and have ready on a busy weekday.
1. Prepare the veggies
Take the meat out of the fridge to come to room temperature while you’re preparing the veggies for the sauce.
Wash the veggies. Thoroughly wash carrots, celeriac and red peppers. Pat them dry and set them aside.
Dice the onion. Cut the top of the onion and slice it in half, going through the roots. Peel the halves and cut them into small dice.
Dice the carrot. Cut the tops of the carrots and dice them. You don’t need to peel them, as the peel is perfectly edible and nutritious. For the celeriac, I recommend peeling it since the peel is quite thick and hard to wash properly. Next, cut it into dice as you did with the carrots.
Cut the peppers. Remove the seeds from the red peppers and cut them into thin stripes.
Chop the garlic cloves. Cut the bottom of the garlic cloves, crush them, and chop finely. If you wish to skip the chopping part, finely grate the garlic using a microplane.
2. Sear the chicken pieces
Dab the chicken pieces with a paper towel to eliminate any excess moisture, and then season them with salt.
Heat a pan and add olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides until lightly golden, approximately one minute on each side. Remove the chicken pieces.
3. Sauté the veggies
Add onion, carrot, and celeriac to the pan in the leftover oil. Sauté the veggies for about 5 minutes or until they become translucent. Lightly salt them after about a minute of sautéing to help the release of water.
Next, add the chopped garlic, sweet paprika and cayenne pepper powder. Sauté for another minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic and spices from burning.
Add the tomato paste and allow it to cook briefly on direct heat to enhance the flavour. Finally, add the red pepper slices and cook for another minute before adding the liquid.
4. Deglaze the pan with water or stock
Pour the boiling water or stock into the pan and scrape off any bits of caramelisation left on the bottom of the pan. Next, tuck the chicken pieces back in and wait for it to come back to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the pan.
5. Cook the stewed chicken
Cook the stew, covered, for 40-45 minutes on a light simmer. Once the chicken is perfectly tender, blend a part of the sauce in a hand-blender cup until your desired consistency. You will get a thick vegetable sauce with chunks of veggies for an added texture.
HOW TO COOK POLENTA
Polenta made with corn grits is an incredibly easy dish to make, requiring only 5 minutes of your time. However, it can easily turn lumpy without the proper tools.
Water-to-Corn Grits Ratio
To make polenta as a side dish for this stewed chicken recipe, I’m using a water-to-corn grits ratio of 5:1.
Bring the water to a boil. While constantly whisking, slowly incorporate the polenta grits into the boiling water in a steady stream. This ensures no lumps form.
Cook the polenta over low heat for approximately 5 minutes or until you no longer feel raw grains when tasting. Avoid leaving the polenta unattended; it may stick to the bottom if not whisked regularly.
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