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Nigerian Chicken Stew

Nigerian chicken stew with a deeply cooked tomato-pepper sauce and golden fried chicken pieces simmered until rich and cohesive. The stew uses a long fry time so the sauce darkens and the oil floats, giving a classic, stew-like 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: 580
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken pieces (bone-in)
  • 3 lb chicken pieces, bone-in About 8-10 pieces, with bone-in for best flavor.
Tomato-pepper base
  • 2 can (14 oz) plum tomatoes Use canned plum tomatoes for consistent body.
  • 3 red bell peppers Roughly chopped before blending.
  • 2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers Adjust quantity to heat preference; blend with peppers.
  • 1 onion Divide: half grated for seasoning, half blended for the sauce.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
Seasoning and frying/simmering
  • 1 cup vegetable oil Used for frying chicken and cooking the sauce; split as written.
  • 1 tsp thyme For marinating chicken.
  • 1 tsp curry powder Adds warm spice to the chicken.
  • 2 bouillon cube bouillon cubes or chicken stock powder Use 2 cubes or 1 tsp stock powder.
  • salt and pepper to taste Season in two places: the marinade and final stew.
To serve
  • fresh parsley Chopped for topping.
  • steamed rice Serve alongside the stew.

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Grate half the onion and season the chicken with grated onion, thyme, curry powder, bouillon, salt, and pepper, then set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat your oven to 425°F if baking the chicken (or prep for frying); arrange chicken pieces on a sheet pan if using the oven.
Brown the chicken
  1. Fry the chicken in hot oil until golden and mostly cooked through (or oven-bake at 425°F until golden and mostly cooked through), then set aside.
Blend the pepper sauce
  1. Blend plum tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnet (or habanero), the remaining onion, and garlic until smooth.
Cook the stew base
  1. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and carefully fry the blended pepper sauce for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently, until oil floats on top and the sauce darkens.
Simmer and finish
  1. Add the fried chicken to the pot and coat it in the sauce, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is coated and the sauce thickens.
  2. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, then serve hot over steamed rice and top with fresh parsley.

Notes

Pro tip: when frying the blended pepper sauce, keep stirring frequently so it cooks down evenly and reaches that “oil floats on top” stage. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water). For a lighter option, bake or air-fry the chicken to reduce oil while keeping the long sauce-cooking step for flavor.