Chicken, Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew –Â This comforting recipe is a slightly spicy, nutty stew that can be eaten on its own, or with rice.
The word stew generally evokes thoughts of cold winter evenings with the fire blazing. So you might think I’m a bit strange for posting this one in Spring.
However, this is more of a light, nutty curry than a hearty-filling stew.
Chicken, spices, peanut butter, sweet potato and a few other goodies, all combine to make a tasty dinner.
I like to add a couple of red chilli peppers to mine to spice things up a bit, but if you’re serving this for kids, you can either:
- Reduce the chillies
- Replace the chillies with a tbsp of sweet chilli sauce
- Leave the heat out entirely
Whilst the peanut butter and coriander hint at a slightly Thai-flavour-inspired dish (Thai being one of my favourite cuisines – like this Mee Siam , Yellow Curry, Peanut Pork or this Laksa), it’s the addition of tomatoes, stock and sweet potato that really brings it closer to a more traditional African stew.
Serve this dish with some toasted peanuts, garlicky kale and boiled rice. Sooo good!
More Amazing Stews
Still hungry for more? Why not try one of these stews inspired by different countries around the world:
Chicken, Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 red chilli peppers finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 chicken breasts chopped into bite-size chunks
- 150 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) smooth peanut butter
- 480 ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock (use bouillon for gluten free)
- 400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks
- 110 g (1 cup) roughly chopped peanuts
To Serve:
- boiled rice
- fresh coriander/cilantro
- toasted peanuts*
- garlicky kale**
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat until they start to soften.1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 large onion
- Add the garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, chilli peppers and bay leaf. Stir and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.2 cloves garlic, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 2 red chilli peppers, 1 bay leaf
- Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken. Stir so the chicken is coated in the spices, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the chicken is sealed.4 chicken breasts
- Add the peanut butter, stock, canned tomatoes and sweet potato. Bring to the boil, turn down to a gentle simmer, then place a lid on the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every so often.150 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) smooth peanut butter, 480 ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock, 400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes, 1 large sweet potato
- After 30 minutes, take off the lid, remove the bay leaf and add in the chopped peanuts. Cook for a further 2 minutes. (you can cook for longer with the lid off if you want the sauce to be thicker).110 g (1 cup) roughly chopped peanuts
- Turn off the heat and serve with rice, coriander and toasted peanuts (and some kale if you like).boiled rice, fresh coriander/cilantro, toasted peanuts*, garlicky kale**
Notes
** To make the garlicky kale, simply add a large bag of washed kale to a pan with 1 clove of minced garlic, 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp water. Stir, then place a lid on the pan and heat on high for 2-3 minutes until the kale has wilted. Nutrition info is for one serving of this recipe, and does not include the serving suggestions of rice, toasted peanuts or garlicky kale.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment:
In order to make this recipe you will need:
-
- A good Kitchen knife. I have recently bought this Dalstrong one and love it.
- Chopping Board
- Microplane for mincing the ginger
- Measuring Spoons
- Garlic Press
- Dutch Oven
- Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons. We have just bought these and love them.
- Rice Steamer.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Need something warming for this chilly weather (blooming freezing), and wanted to try something new, this looks perfect and I have all the ingredients in. Perfect????
Could this be done in a crock pot/slow cooker? If so, any modifications you might recommend? I’m thinking this would be soooo good when coming home from being outside at a soccer game on a cold day!! (Which would mean I’d have to get it going before leaving for the game!)
Thanks!
Love a good stew and this one didn’t disappoint. It was luscious and left me wanting more. It was a great success with the family too, compliments were flying about the whole time!!! In fact, my kids (say kids they are mid twenties) mark me on every meal!!! They gave this 8 out of 10 which for them is high praise ;0)
I made this last night! The first thing I was not sure of is how much is 4 chicken breasts actually – the ones at the store here are very large and I knew if I did 4 that would be way too many. I did 3 and it was pretty good, but I also used 2 medium sweet potatoes cause one didn’t look like enough, and there were no giant ones. I left the ingredients (spices, stock, etc) unchanged. It was very very tasty. I was, however, expecting a stronger peanut flavor than there was, and it was also not hot – though I haven’t used those chilis before so I was afraid to add more and now I know I could have. The seasonings were good but more mild overall than I expected. Not sure if I just added too much chicken & sweet potato (it didn’t look like a disproportionate amount!) or if I just would prefer it with 1.5-2x the seasonings. However, the recipe was easy to follow and super tasty. Thanks for sharing!
I tried making this last night and it turned out super delicious 😀 I’ve never had a stew/sauce with peanuts in it before, so it was a new experience for me. Thank you for the cool recipe 🙂
Yay! Thanks for letting me know how it went Annika – so glad you enjoyed it!
This was SO scrumptious! I could literally take a straw and drink this sauce. I always order the same thing when I go to Thai restaurants and the dish I get is always heavy on the peanut flavor so this is right up my alley and rather easy to make in my Dutch oven. Thanks for sharing! It’s definitely a keeper 🙂
Oh my goodness this was amazing! So easy and beyond delicious.
OMG Nicky! Is this real?! Your site looks amazing! =) Soo happy to have come across your path!
Ha ha yep, it’s definitely real 🙂 Thanks for checking out the site!
Everything looks delicious. I never had a peanut stew, thanks a lot
Hope you try it Keith 🙂
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to make it for my family, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Lucy, glad you like it 🙂