This Ghanaian chicken recipe makes a tomato-pepper stew with browned chicken, fresh tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, and Scotch bonnet or habanero. Versions vary by household and region, but this one simmers the chicken in a thick, savory sauce that pairs well with rice, waakye, or banku.
Ingredients
- 3½ lb (1.6 kg) bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed if desired
- 1½ tsp (9 g) fine salt, divided
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tbsp (6 g) finely grated fresh ginger, divided
- 5 garlic cloves (about 15 g), divided and minced
- 2 medium yellow onions (about 400 g), one roughly chopped and one thinly sliced
- 1½ lb (680 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 14½ oz (411 g), with their juice
- 1 medium red bell pepper (about 150 g), seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile (about 10 g), stem removed; use half for less heat
- 3 tbsp (50 g) tomato paste
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) neutral cooking oil, such as sunflower or canola oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock or water
- 1 tsp (2 g) paprika
- ½ tsp (0.5 g) dried thyme
- 1 tsp (2 g) curry powder, optional
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken and vegetables, about 25 minutes. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; do not rinse raw poultry. Season it with 1 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the grated ginger, and 1 minced garlic clove. In a blender, combine the chopped onion, fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes and their juice, bell pepper, chile, remaining ginger, and remaining 4 garlic cloves. Blend until mostly smooth, leaving a little texture if you like. Keep the sliced onion separate for frying. Wash your hands and any surfaces that touched raw chicken.
- Marinate, 30 minutes. Cover the seasoned chicken and refrigerate it for 30 minutes while you finish organizing the ingredients and cookware. This brief rest gives the seasoning time to coat the pieces. Keep the blended tomato mixture covered; do not let raw chicken or its marinade contact food that will be served without cooking.
- Brown the chicken, about 12 minutes. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches so the pot is not crowded, brown the chicken for about 6 minutes per batch, turning once. The pieces do not need to cook through at this point. Transfer them to a clean plate. If the oil smokes, lower the heat before adding the next batch.
- Cook the onion and tomato paste, about 8 minutes. Carefully pour off excess oil if the pot has more than a thin coating, leaving roughly 2 tablespoons (30 ml). Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and beginning to color. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, thyme, optional curry powder, bay leaf, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring so the paste darkens slightly without sticking or burning.
- Simmer the tomato sauce, 20 minutes. Pour the blended tomato mixture into the pot, taking care as it may splutter. Stir and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom of the pot. The sauce should reduce, lose its raw tomato smell, and become deeper in color. If it catches before thickening, lower the heat and stir in a little of the measured stock.
- Finish the stew, about 25 minutes. Add the browned chicken and any juices on the plate, then pour in the stock. Turn the pieces to coat them and bring the pot back to a gentle simmer. Cover partly and cook for 20 minutes, turning the chicken once. Uncover and simmer for about 5 minutes more to thicken the sauce. Check the thickest part of a piece with a food thermometer, avoiding the bone: poultry must reach the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). If it has not reached that temperature, continue simmering and check again. Remove the bay leaf, taste the sauce, and adjust salt or pepper before serving.
Tips
- Choose the chile carefully. Scotch bonnet and habanero both bring fruity heat, but their strength varies. Use half, remove the seeds, or leave the chile out for a milder stew; avoid tasting the sauce until it has cooked. Wear gloves when handling a hot chile, and wash your hands and knife afterward.
- Let the sauce reduce properly. The tomato base should simmer until it thickens and tastes rounded rather than sharp. Stir regularly, especially around the base of the pot, because tomato paste and blended tomatoes can scorch. Lower the heat if the sauce spits or sticks.
- Use water if stock is unavailable. Chicken stock adds a little savoriness, but water works well because the chicken and cooked tomato mixture provide plenty of flavor. Add only the listed amount at first; extra liquid can make the finished stew thin.
- Keep the chicken pieces similar in size. A mix of thighs and drumsticks is convenient, but very large pieces may need extra simmering. Always rely on a thermometer rather than color or cooking time alone, and use a clean plate for cooked chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the stew hot with steamed white rice, which soaks up the tomato sauce and balances the chile. It is also good with waakye, Ghana’s rice-and-beans dish, or with banku, a fermented corn-and-cassava dough served in portions alongside stews. If you are serving several sides, set out the chicken and plenty of sauce in a warm bowl so everyone can spoon the amount they want over their starch.
For a simple meal, add sliced cucumber or a crisp green salad to bring freshness to the plate. Ripe fried plantain is another satisfying accompaniment: its sweetness works particularly well with the savory, peppery sauce. If serving children or anyone who prefers less heat, put the milder chicken pieces on the table first and offer the chile-rich sauce separately. A spoonful of sauce over rice is often enough to start; diners can add more as they like.
Variations
For a more traditional pantry approach, replace the fresh tomatoes with additional canned tomatoes. Use a total of about 2 lb (900 g) canned tomatoes, including the can already listed, and expect a slightly softer, more uniform sauce. If ripe fresh tomatoes are available, keeping both fresh and canned gives the stew a brighter flavor with a reliable saucy texture.
You can make the stew with all thighs, all drumsticks, or a combination, keeping the total chicken weight the same. Boneless thighs cook faster and are easier to serve, so begin checking them early and do not assume they need the full simmer time. For a vegetarian variation, use firm tofu or cooked beans in place of chicken and simmer until heated through; the result is a tomato-pepper stew rather than the chicken version. For more vegetable flavor, add sliced carrots or green bell pepper, knowing that additions will make the dish less like the simple chicken-and-tomato base.
The amount of oil can be reduced modestly, but some oil helps the tomato paste and aromatics cook evenly and gives the finished sauce a fuller texture. Curry powder is optional because seasoning blends vary, and it is not essential to the dish. Leave it out for a cleaner tomato, ginger, and chile profile, or use the small amount listed for a warm background note.
Storage and Reheating
Let leftovers cool briefly, then refrigerate them in a shallow, covered container within 2 hours of cooking. The chicken stew keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Store the sauce and chicken together to help the meat stay moist. For longer storage, freeze portions in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months; leave a little room at the top because the sauce expands as it freezes. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator rather than on the counter.
Reheat only the portion you plan to eat, either in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave, stirring or turning the chicken partway through. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator. Heat until the center of the chicken and sauce reaches 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, to avoid drying out the chicken. Discard leftovers that have been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Ghanaian chicken stew less spicy?
Yes. Use half a Scotch bonnet or habanero, remove its seeds and inner membranes, or leave it out altogether. The stew will still have flavor from the tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, and spices, though it will lose some of the chile’s distinctive fruity heat. For a mixed group, keep the base mild and serve additional chile on the side.
Can I use only canned tomatoes?
Yes. Use about 2 lb (900 g) canned tomatoes in total, including the can in the ingredient list. Canned tomatoes can be more consistent when fresh tomatoes are out of season, though the sauce may taste a little less bright. Simmer until it thickens and no longer tastes raw; the exact time can vary with the brand and how much liquid is in the cans.
Do I need to remove the chicken skin?
No. Skin-on chicken works, but it releases more fat into the pot and may not stay crisp once simmered in sauce. Removing the skin makes browning and sauce management easier. If you keep it on, brown the pieces skin-side down first and spoon off excess rendered fat before cooking the onion.
How do I know when the sauce is thick enough?
After its uncovered simmer, the sauce should cling to a spoon and coat the chicken rather than run like a thin broth. A little oil may become visible around the edges as the sauce cooks down, but do not rely on that alone as a sign of doneness. If it remains loose, simmer it uncovered for a few more minutes, stirring often and checking that it does not scorch.
Can I prepare the stew ahead?
Yes. You can cook it fully, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it for 3 to 4 days, then reheat it to 165°F (74°C). The flavors often meld during storage, and the sauce may become thicker, so loosen it with a small splash of water while reheating. You can also prepare and refrigerate the blended tomato mixture ahead, but keep it separate from raw chicken and use it within a day.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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