Southern Stewed Chicken

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This Southern Stewed Chicken is pure homemade comfort food with tender chicken, hearty potatoes and Cajun seasoning all stewed together in a savory broth! You’ll be craving a bowl of this for dinner tonight!

It may take a little extra time to cook this dish (like this amazing veal stew we love), but I promise, it’s worth it!

When it comes to southern comfort food, I have many loves. This crispy sous vide fried chicken is a favorite, especially for picnics and potlucks with friends. And a bowl of this Instant Pot gumbo or this creole chicken is just heavenly after a long day.  

And let’s not forget these crispy Cajun wings. They make the best game day snack or party appetizer along with this air fryer garlic bread.

But lately, this southern stewed chicken has been our go-to for cozy meals. It’s warm and filling, with big flavor and hearty ingredients.

Check out the Southern stewed chicken story!

Why this recipe works

1. There’s no need to pre-season or marinate the chicken. You still need to brown it for flavor, but the chicken seasons and tenderizes in the broth as it cooks, so you can save the marinating for another recipe!
2. It’s a one pot meal. That’s right! For the best flavor, the same pot is used for browning the chicken, cooking the veggies and stewing everything together. No need to dirt up multiple pans or pots!
3. Leftovers store well, so this stewed chicken is great for meal prep. Just make a batch on Sunday for dinner during the week, or pack up some leftovers for workday lunches. 

What is stewed chicken?

Stewing is similar to braising in that the meat or poultry is browned on both sides and then slowly cooked in liquid until tender. In the case of stewing, the cooking liquid or broth normally covers the meat or poultry.

This stewed chicken is submerged in a flavorful broth and cooked low and slow until tender. It’s similar to smothered chicken recipes, where the chicken is cooked in a rich cream sauce or gravy.

Ingredients

The following are a few key ingredients for southern stewed chicken. For the full list of ingredients, please see the recipe card below.

You’ll need 2 pounds of chicken thighs (or about 4-6 thighs depending on their size). I recommend using boneless, skinless thighs as it makes this dish a little less greasy (compared to bone-in, skin-on thighs), and the skin tends to get soggy as it stews anyways, so I prefer to remove it or buy skinless.

To make the stewing broth, the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of flour and 4 cups of chicken stock. I usually go with homemade chicken stock, but you can also use store-bought for convenience. If you’re using a low-sodium broth, you may wish to add some salt to the broth as the chicken cooks.

The primary flavor for this stewed chicken comes from the Cajun seasoning. You’ll add 1 full tablespoon to the broth mixture. While you can use store-bought, this homemade Cajun seasoning is so much better and so easy to make!

What makes this stewed chicken a little heartier than some other recipes is the addition of potato. Just 1 russet potato is chopped into cubes and cooked with the chicken. The starch from the potato also helps thicken the stewing liquid.

Step by step instructions

Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown for about 2-3 minutes per side. **You'll need to do this in 2 batches.

Remove the chicken and set aside.

With the heat still on medium, add the butter and let it melt. Then add the onion, green pepper and celery and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until softened.

Sprinkle in the flour and mix to coat the vegetables well.

Slowly stir in the broth, whisking constantly. If you add it too fast without stirring, it can become clumpy.

Add the Cajun seasoning, black pepper, bay leaf and chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 50 minutes.

Stir in the potato cubes and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender all the way through.

Add salt to taste, if desired, and serve over rice or pasta. You can also just enjoy with some crusty bread!

Expert tips

1. If you don’t have a Dutch oven you can use another heavy-bottomed pan or pot. You’ll just want to make sure it’s large enough to fit all of the ingredients.
2. Instead of boneless chicken thighs, you can use bone-in thighs. Just make sure you’re using skinless chicken.
3. For even browning, make sure you don’t overcrowd the chicken. Depending on the size of your pan/pot, you will need to brown the chicken in at least two batches.
4. If you use other cuts of chicken for this recipe like drumsticks or breasts, just note that they have different cooking times. 
5. If you’re using low sodium chicken broth, you may wish to add some salt to the stewed chicken.
6. If you like your food a little spicier, feel free to add a little extra Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper.
7. For additional flavor, add some minced garlic when cooking the onion, pepper and celery.
8. Green pepper is more traditional in stewed chicken, but for a sweeter taste, you can substitute with red, yellow or orange pepper.

Common questions

Storage and freezing instructions

Leftover stewed chicken stores well, so it’s great for meal prep. Just place it in an airtight container, store it in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days. You can reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave.

You can also freeze this stewed chicken, but if you intend to do this, I recommend leaving out the cubed potato as it’ll get mushy once defrosted and reheated.

To freeze, just let the stewed chicken cool in the fridge and then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.

More favorite Southern dishes

• Southern Peach Cobbler
• Mock Turtle Soup
• Yaya Gumbo
• Instant Pot Collard Greens
• Jalapeno Hush Puppies
• Easy Homemade Crawfish Pie
• Homemade Cheese Grits with Sausage

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!