This chicken potato stew with mushrooms and sweet potato is pure comfort food. It fills the whole house with an amazing smell.
The chicken cooks low and slow with the vegetables and warm spices. Paprika, turmeric, ras el hanout, thyme, and a cinnamon stick.
At the end, the sauce reduces until it’s rich and thick. Every bite is a celebration.
My tip: brown the chicken well before it goes back into the pot. That color is where a lot of the flavor comes from.
It’s perfect for a family lunch or dinner, and it’s just right for Shabbat.
This chicken potato stew is made with chicken leg quarters, sweet potato, potatoes, onion, garlic, and mushrooms, cooked in hot water seasoned with chicken bouillon, paprika, turmeric, ras el hanout, thyme, a cinnamon stick, and a little honey. Brown the chicken, sauté the vegetables, then cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours. Uncover at the end to reduce the sauce until thick.
Chicken Stew with Mushrooms, Potatoes and Sweet Potato
Ingredients
Method
- Stir all the spices into the hot water and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pot. Add the chicken pieces, brown them on all sides, and transfer to a plate.
- In the same pot, sauté the onion until it softens a little. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the sweet potato and potatoes and stir lightly. Then add the mushrooms.
- Arrange the chicken pieces back in the pot and pour in the spiced liquid.
- Cover the pot, lower the heat, and cook on low heat for 2 hours. Drizzle in the tablespoon of honey during cooking.
- Toward the end, remove the lid, raise the heat a little, and let the liquid reduce until the sauce is rich and thick.
Notes
- Brown the chicken well in step 2. The browned bits in the pot add a lot of flavor to the sauce.
- Use a wide pot so the chicken sits in one layer.
- Taste the sauce after it reduces and adjust the salt.
- Chicken leg quarters → bone-in thighs or drumsticks, or any parts you like.
- Chicken bouillon powder → a bouillon cube, or swap the water for chicken stock and adjust the salt.
- Ras el hanout → a pinch each of cumin, coriander, and ginger, if you can’t find it.
Frequently asked questions
Bone-in, skin-on parts like leg quarters, thighs, or drumsticks stay juicy during the long, slow cook.
It’s a warm North African spice blend, often with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger. Look for it in Middle Eastern markets or the spice aisle.
Yes. It reheats well and the flavors deepen by the next day, which makes it great to cook before Shabbat.
Yes, though the potatoes can turn a little soft after thawing. Freeze in airtight containers and reheat gently.
Uncover the pot at the end of cooking and raise the heat a little, letting the liquid reduce until it’s thick.
