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Chicken stew with beans and sweet potatoes

This hearty chicken stew with beans and sweet potatoes is an easy one-pot family meal, ideal for busy weekdays or relaxed weekend cooking. Chicken thighs and drumsticks are simmered with sweet potatoes, kidney beans and sweetcorn in a rich tomato sauce flavoured with smoked paprika, cumin, oregano and chilli. The beans add fibre and plant protein, while the sweet potatoes make the stew satisfying without needing lots of extra ingredients. It is also a wonderfully practical dish for batch cooking. Serve it with rice, warm flatbread or crusty bread, with a simple green salad on the side. Finish with plenty of fresh coriander for a bright, fresh contrast to the smoky, mildly spicy sauce.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes
Total Time 53 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 1 tbsp olive oil plus more if needed
  • 1 red onion sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1 red pepper sliced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 1 tin kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup sweetcorn
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh coriander chopped, to serve

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thighs and drumsticks all over for about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Meanwhile, slice the onion, chop the garlic and red pepper, and cut the peeled sweet potato into bite-sized cubes.
  3. Add the onion to the casserole and gently sauté for about 5 minutes, adding a little more oil if needed.
  4. Add the garlic, red pepper and sweet potato and stir for a minute. Add the oregano, smoked paprika, cumin seeds and chilli flakes and cook for another minute, stirring well.
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes and enough water to generously cover the vegetables. Crumble in the stock cube and return the chicken to the casserole.
  6. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken and sweet potatoes are almost cooked through.
  7. Add the drained kidney beans and sweetcorn. If the sauce is becoming too thick, add a little more water.
  8. Cover and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are tender.
  9. Season to taste and serve topped with chopped fresh coriander.