Spanish Chicken Stew Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sizedchicken, cut into pieces
• 3potatoes
• 240 ml (1 cup)water
• 3tomatoes
• ½bell pepper
• 1chilli pepper
• 1onion
• A handfulcelery leaves
• To tastesalt
• To tasteground black pepper
• To tasteground oregano
• A splashvegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Blend the vegetables

   Put the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, celery leaves, chilli pepper and 240 ml water in a blender. Blend into a sauce, keeping a few small pieces of vegetables rather than making it completely smooth.

2. 2

   Brown the chicken

   Clean and cut the chicken into pieces, then remove the skin. Heat a splash of oil in a medium saucepan and brown the chicken, seasoning it with salt, black pepper and a little ground oregano.

3. 3

   Simmer the chicken

   Once the chicken is golden on all sides, pour in the vegetable sauce and add a pinch of salt. Bring it to the boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Prepare the potatoes

   While the chicken cooks, peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces; medium-sized cubes work well. After the chicken has cooked for 15 minutes, add the potatoes.

5. 5

   Finish the stew

   Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender. Take the pan off the heat, leave the stew to rest for 5 minutes, then serve warm.

What is Spanish chicken stew?

This is a home-style stew of chicken and potatoes cooked in a sauce made from tomatoes, onion, pepper and celery leaves. The description places this easy-to-make version in the tradition of Andalusian winter cooking.

Here, the vegetables are blended but left a little coarse, so the sauce has more texture than a smooth purée. Browning the chicken first gives the stew a savoury base before it simmers.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 479 calories, 41g protein, 42g carbs, 18g fat.

Chicken provides most of the protein, while the potatoes contribute much of the carbohydrate. Fat comes from the chicken and the splash of oil; serve with green vegetables or salad to balance the plate with something fresh.

Build a textured sauce

Vegetables: Blend the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, chilli and celery leaves with the water. Stop while a few small vegetable pieces remain for a rustic finish.

Chilli: The recipe uses one chilli pepper, which brings heat as well as flavour. Its strength can vary, so remove some or all of its seeds if you prefer a milder stew.

Brown the chicken well

Chicken pieces: Removing the skin before browning keeps the method as written and lets the chicken colour directly in the pan. Turn the pieces so they become golden on all sides.

Seasoning: Add salt, black pepper and a little oregano as the chicken browns. The sauce gets another pinch of salt later, so season in stages rather than adding it all at once.

Check the potatoes for doneness

Cut size: Medium cubes are a useful guide because evenly cut pieces tend to cook at a similar rate. Very large pieces may need longer in the sauce.

Tenderness: The stew is ready when a knife slides easily into the potato pieces and the chicken is cooked through. If the potatoes need more time, continue simmering and check them again.

Keep an eye on the simmer

First stage: Once the sauce boils, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook the chicken for 15 minutes before adding the potatoes.

Final stage: After adding the potatoes, cook until they are tender; this part is guided by doneness rather than a stated number of minutes. Letting the stew rest for 5 minutes off the heat gives the sauce a chance to settle.

Serve it warm

The chicken and potatoes make this a filling one-pot meal. A simple green salad or cooked green vegetables can add freshness alongside the rich tomato sauce.

Spoon plenty of sauce over each serving. If you have bread at the table, it can be used to mop up the remaining sauce.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the potatoes into similarly sized pieces so they become tender at roughly the same time.
• Blend the vegetables briefly if you want to preserve the small chunks in the sauce.
• Brown the chicken in batches if the pan is crowded, so the pieces can colour rather than steam.
• Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the salt, pepper or oregano if needed.
• Use a gentle simmer after adding the sauce to help prevent it catching on the base of the pan.

Variations

• Milder chilli: Remove the chilli seeds or use less chilli for a gentler sauce.
• More vegetables: Add extra bell pepper to the blender for a fuller vegetable flavour.
• Fresh oregano: Use chopped fresh oregano in place of the ground oregano, adjusting to taste.
• Thicker sauce: Leave the lid slightly ajar during the potato stage so some liquid can evaporate.
• Extra greens: Serve with cooked green vegetables on the side for a fresher plate.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overcrowding the pan: The chicken may steam instead of browning; cook it in batches if necessary.
• Blending until completely smooth: This loses the recipe's chunky texture; stop while small pieces remain.
• Adding potatoes too early: They may become too soft during the first 15 minutes; add them after that stage.
• Cutting uneven potato pieces: They can finish at different times; aim for similarly sized cubes.
• Boiling vigorously: The sauce can catch on the pan; reduce the heat after it comes to the boil.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly, store them in a covered container in the fridge and eat within 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened; freeze for up to 3 months if needed.

Frequently asked questions