Easy Chicken Stewed Louisiana Style (Printable)

Tender chicken in a rich tomato-based sauce with Creole seasonings, bell peppers, and celery. A comforting Southern dish perfect over rice.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs bone-in, skinless chicken thighs or drumsticks
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 tsp dried oregano

→ Liquids

14 - 2 cups chicken broth
15 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
16 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
17 - 1 tsp hot sauce

→ To Serve

18 - Cooked white rice
19 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Rub chicken pieces thoroughly with salt and black pepper, ensuring even coating on all sides.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear until golden brown on all sides, approximately 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and reserve.
03 - In the same pot, add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook while stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
05 - Add smoked paprika, cayenne, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf. Pour in diced tomatoes with their juices and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine.
06 - Return browned chicken to the pot. Pour in chicken broth and bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
07 - Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 35–40 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and tender enough to pull easily from the bone.
08 - Taste broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or hot sauce as desired. Remove and discard bay leaf.
09 - Laddle stew over steamed white rice and garnish generously with chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pot, which means less cleanup and more flavor
  • The tomato-based sauce creates its own rich gravy without any extra effort
  • It tastes like you spent all day cooking, but it comes together in about an hour
02 -
  • Don't rush the browning step those caramelized bits are what make the sauce taste complex
  • The stew will taste even better the next day as flavors continue to develop
03 -
  • If the sauce gets too thick, add more broth a splash at a time until it's the consistency you like
  • Leftover chicken bones can be simmered with extra vegetables to make stock for your next batch

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