12 Warming Chicken Stew Recipes

This rustic chicken stew is seasoned with a carefully toasted mix of seeds and spices, which are ground into a coarse paste with roasted tomatoes and tomatillos. Stirred into the stew toward the end of the cooking process, the paste both thickens and seasons this warming fall dish.

This sweet and spicy coconut milk–based stew gets lots of bright flavor from spinach, basil, chiles and lime juice.

Before cooking the chicken for his lovely stew, Jamie Oliver lightly coats the pieces in flour. Not only does that help the meat brown, it also thickens the tangy mustard sauce.

This one-pot dinner from Gail Simmons is an enriched take on classic chicken soup with rice; at once flavorful, hearty, and comforting.

The secret to this tangy and spicy stew by chef Deborah Schneider is the warm tomatillo-and-chile sauce; topped with creamy avocado and cool sour cream, it's a perfect meal. Schneider sometimes swaps pork, cubed tofu, or vegetables like zucchini or mushrooms for the chicken.

Chef Paul Kahan braises chicken thighs in beer to make an excellent spring stew that he (naturally) pairs with more beer, such as Pere Jacques from Chicago's Goose Island Beer Company, a Belgian-style ale full of caramelized malt flavors.

Served in the rustic northern-Thai style with the aromatics left in, this spicy, gingery stew makes a fantastic main course or starter.

"When I was a kid, we often left Queens on Sunday mornings to visit Mémère, my paternal grandmother, in New Jersey," Gregory Gourdet writes. "Along with warm kisses and a few words of broken English, this chicken stew would greet us. Its official name (poul nan sos in Haitian Creole, or "chicken in sauce") is quite an understatement. The meat is marinated overnight with onions, garlic, thyme, and chiles along with citrus, and then rubbed forcefully onto the chicken to access the fragrant oils. After the meat takes on all that flavor, it's stewed with the marinade and loads of bell peppers for a satisfying, thrilling stew. This dish is Haiti, something we make time and time again. I suspect you will, too."

Asopao de pollo, a Puerto Rican chicken-and-rice stew, is one of New York chef JJ Johnson's childhood favorites, what he calls soupy rice with chicken and vegetables. Just like his grandmother did, Johnson stirs briny, pimiento-stuffed olives into the finished dish.

In Senegal at the Keur Moussa monastery, a typical meal includes poulet mafé, a thick peanut sauce with chicken, root vegetables, and cabbage served over rice, fonio, or millet couscous. For chef Pierre Thiam, poulet mafé is the ultimate comfort food. His advice: "Be patient when cooking mafé. Let the stew simmer slowly until the oil rises to the surface." Creamy peanut butter adds body and nuttiness to this savory chicken dish, balancing the aromatic ginger, garlic, and tomato paste. Thiam's version uses fish sauce, which brings a subtle umami that adds complexity to the stew.

This light stew showcases sweet peppers and bright herbs. The classic cooking method builds flavor while gently cooking the chicken for a light and satisfying summer supper. Serve with polenta and crusty bread for soaking up the garlicky sauce.

Just thick enough and full of tender chicken and barely sweet parsnips, this stew is remarkably hearty and yet light at the same time. We added a bouquet garni to infuse it with extra flavor; save time by substituting a few thyme sprigs and one bay leaf instead. The real hero of this dish is the pancetta gremolata; sprinkled over just before serving, it provides a finishing crispy and bright touch that makes this recipe a keeper.