Nigerian chicken stew is a slow-cooked dish of tender chicken in a rich pepper and tomato base infused with ginger, garlic, and warm spices. The hallmark is the boiled pepper mix that creates deep, complex flavor and the oil that floats on top as the stew finishes cooking.
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Rinse the chicken and place in a pot, Place the pot on medium heat, add ginger, garlic, curry, thyme, salt, 1 chopped onions, bullion cubes and water. stir together to combine and bring to boil till tender. Fry or grill chicken/turkey and set aside.
Place a pan big enough to cook the stew on medium heat, add vegetable oil (You can use the one used to fry the chicken) and heat for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped onions and fry till onions are translucent, reduce the heat
carefully stir pepper mix into hot oil and leave to boil for about 3-5 minutes, add chicken broth /water to make stew lighter (don’t let it be too light)Add seasoning and salt and leave to cook for another few minutes
Add fried or grilled chicken and continue cooking on medium heat till stew stops foaming and the oil starts flowing on top of the stew. Don’t worry if you see too much oil floating on your stew, you have done well. Simply scoop excess oil of the stew and keep it for some other dish or discard. Cooking this stew is pretty straight forward and the outcome is superb.
Store cooled stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding water if needed to restore consistency; the oil layer will re-emulsify as it warms.
Nigerian pepper mix is a blend of red bell peppers, Scotch bonnet peppers, and tomatoes, typically boiled together until soft. You can prepare it fresh by blending raw peppers and tomatoes, or buy pre-made versions. This recipe calls for 8 cups already boiled.
The oil floating on top is a sign the stew is properly cooked and indicates the flavors have fully developed. You can skim excess oil off and save it for other dishes, or leave a thin layer for authentic texture.
Yes. The recipe explicitly lists 'substitute with fresh ones' as an option. Use approximately 1 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in place of the powdered versions.
Boil the chicken on medium heat until it is fork-tender and easily pulls apart. This typically takes 20–30 minutes depending on chicken size and heat level. Test by piercing the thickest piece.
This stew goes with almost anything: white rice, jollof rice, fufu, pounded yam, garri, or bread. It's versatile enough to serve with grains, starches, or on its own.
