Nigerian Stew Recipe: Rich, Peppery Tomato Chicken Stew

Nigerian stew is a deeply savory red sauce made with tomatoes, red peppers, onion, and chile, often served with rice, yam, or a swallow such as eba. This version simmers browned chicken in the pepper-and-tomato base until tender; frying the blended sauce before adding stock concentrates its flavor and helps keep it from tasting raw.

Ingredients

2 lb (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 6 pieces
1 lb (450 g) ripe plum or Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 medium red bell peppers, about 10½ oz (300 g), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 medium yellow or red onion, about 5 oz (150 g), divided
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, stem removed; use half for a milder stew
3 garlic cloves, about ½ oz (15 g), peeled
1 tbsp (15 g) peeled, chopped fresh ginger
⅓ cup (80 ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium chicken stock or water
1 tsp (2 g) dried thyme
1½ tsp (3 g) Nigerian-style curry powder or mild curry powder
1 bay leaf
1¾ tsp (10 g) fine salt, divided, or to taste
½ tsp (1 g) ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the chicken and vegetables. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; do not rinse raw poultry. Trim any loose excess fat, then season the pieces with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper. Roughly chop the tomatoes, bell peppers, and about three-quarters of the onion. Cut the remaining onion into thin slices for frying. Add the chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, Scotch bonnet, garlic, and ginger to a blender. Blend until mostly smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If the blender needs help moving, add just a spoonful or two of water rather than diluting the sauce with a large amount.
Brown the chicken. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, brown the chicken in batches, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch, turning once. Avoid crowding the pot, which causes the chicken to steam instead of brown. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate; they will finish cooking in the sauce. If the pot has a lot of dark, burnt bits, carefully remove them, but leave the browned fond for flavor.
Cook the onion and tomato paste. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring, until it softens. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen its flavor. If the paste sticks, add a tablespoon of stock and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Fry down the pepper puree. Pour in the blended tomato and pepper mixture carefully; it may splatter as it meets the hot oil. Stir, then cook uncovered for about 22 minutes, stirring every few minutes and more often toward the end. The mixture should darken from bright orange-red to a deeper red, lose much of its watery volume, and look thicker, with a little oil beginning to show around the edges. Lower the heat if it spits aggressively or catches on the bottom. This reduction is important: adding the chicken before the puree cooks down can leave the finished stew thin and raw-tasting.
Simmer the chicken in the stew. Stir in the stock, thyme, curry powder, bay leaf, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Return the chicken and any juices on the plate to the pot, turning the pieces so they are coated. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through. Keep the heat low enough for steady bubbles rather than a hard boil. Check the thickest part of a thigh with a food thermometer, avoiding the bone: USDA FSIS lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. If a piece has not reached that temperature, continue simmering and check again after 5 minutes.
Adjust and serve. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. If it is thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of hot stock or water; if it seems thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes, stirring gently. Spoon the stew over the chicken or serve the pieces alongside the sauce. The finished sauce should cling to the chicken but still be easy to ladle.

Tips

Manage the heat with the chile. Scotch bonnet gives the stew its distinctive fruity aroma and substantial heat. For less spice, use half a pepper and remove its seeds and inner ribs; for a very mild pot, leave it out and add a little black pepper instead. Handle hot chiles carefully and wash your hands and utensils afterward.
Use a practical substitute if needed. Habanero is the closest common substitute for Scotch bonnet in flavor and heat. A jalapeño is milder and less fruity, so the stew will taste different; add it gradually and taste before adding more. If using dried chile flakes, start with ¼ teaspoon.
Give the sauce time to reduce. The puree releases a lot of liquid. Keep it uncovered during the frying-down stage and stir often, especially once it thickens. A splatter screen can help, but a tight lid traps steam and slows reduction.
Control the oil without losing flavor. The oil helps fry the puree and carry its flavor. If a visible pool remains after cooking, skim some from the surface with a spoon. You can start with ¼ cup (60 ml), but the sauce may need more frequent stirring to prevent sticking.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the stew hot over plain long-grain rice, rice and beans, or Nigerian jollof rice. The sauce is also good with boiled yam, fried plantain, potatoes, or a swallow such as eba, pounded yam, or amala; diners can scoop up the rich sauce with each bite. For a simple plate, add a green vegetable such as steamed greens or sautéed cabbage. Keep the sauce and chicken generous, since the starches are meant to be eaten with plenty of stew.

If serving a group, set the chicken pieces in a shallow serving dish and spoon the sauce over them, with extra sauce in a bowl. Put a small amount of chile-free or milder stew aside before adding extra heat at the table if guests have different spice preferences. Leftover stew is also useful as a sauce for a fresh batch of rice or vegetables, provided it is reheated safely.

Variations

Nigerian red stew varies from household to household and from region to region. Some cooks use more fresh tomatoes, some favor red bell pepper, and others make a hotter or more deeply fried sauce. This recipe uses chicken, but you can replace it with beef or goat. Brown whole cuts first and simmer until tender, checking that whole cuts of beef or goat reach 145°F (63°C) and rest for 3 minutes before serving. For ground meat, cook it to 160°F (71°C). Cooking times vary with the cut, so use a thermometer and tenderness rather than the chicken timing as your guide.

For a fish version, use firm fish pieces and add them only near the end so they do not break apart; cook fish to 145°F (63°C) as measured with a food thermometer. To make the sauce without meat, omit the chicken and use vegetable stock, then serve it with beans, fried tofu, or roasted vegetables. If you cannot find fresh plum tomatoes, canned whole tomatoes can work: drain them well before blending, since extra liquid means a longer reduction. A little extra tomato paste can deepen the color, but it does not fully replace the fresh pepper flavor.

Storage and Reheating

Let the stew cool briefly, then refrigerate it in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours of cooking. Keep it refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below and use it within 3 to 4 days. You can store the chicken and sauce together; the sauce may thicken as it chills, which is normal. For longer storage, freeze in meal-size airtight containers for about 2 to 3 months for best quality. Thaw frozen stew in the refrigerator rather than on the counter.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water or stock if the sauce is very thick. Heat until steaming throughout and check that leftovers reach 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe reheating temperature. In a microwave, cover loosely, stir partway through, and check several spots with a food thermometer. Avoid repeatedly cooling and reheating the whole pot; portioning it before storage makes that easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nigerian stew the same as Nigerian tomato stew?
“Nigerian stew” commonly refers to a red tomato-and-pepper sauce, sometimes called tomato stew or red stew. Recipes differ in the balance of tomatoes, peppers, onion, oil, and seasoning, and the protein may be cooked in the sauce or served with it. This version uses a blended pepper base and chicken.

Can I make the stew less spicy?
Yes. Use half a Scotch bonnet, remove its seeds and inner ribs, or omit it. The pepper still contributes some fruitiness when you use a smaller amount. For a family meal with mixed preferences, cook the base mild and offer chile separately rather than trying to cool an already-hot pot.

Why does my stew taste sour or raw?
It may need more time to fry down. The blended tomatoes and peppers should lose their watery, fresh aroma and become noticeably darker and thicker before stock and chicken go in. Stir regularly so the bottom does not scorch, and reduce the heat if the sauce browns too quickly. Tomato ripeness also affects the balance; a pinch of salt can help, but avoid adding sugar before the sauce has properly cooked.

Can I use boneless chicken?
Yes. Boneless thighs are a convenient option and usually need less simmering than bone-in thighs. Brown them in batches, add them after the pepper puree has reduced, and begin checking their internal temperature early. Cook all poultry to 165°F (74°C) on a food thermometer; do not rely on color alone.

Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes. You can prepare and fry down the pepper-tomato sauce a day ahead, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it in a covered container. Reheat it in a pot until simmering, then add browned chicken and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). Refrigerate cooked stew within 2 hours and use it within 3 to 4 days.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).