Our Family’s Chicken Stew Recipe
Its that good. Its so good that it actually bothers me to think that some of you might only look at the photos, read the tutorial, and never make it. Its so good that if I could, I would seriously arrange a time and place for all of us to meet up under a tent somewhere in the middle of the country just to serve you this chicken stew. Its just……..its…..well folks, its just so good!
My mother got this recipe out of a 1974 issue of Good Housekeeping. There was a photograph of a little old lady next to the title and Mama said “She just looked like her food would be really good”. Since then, I cannot even begin to tell you how often we make it. Everyone in my family makes this and loves it. My in laws are coming in from Georgia this weekend for the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler’s Convention as they do every year and this stew is always a request for their first meal. Tonight I’m serving it with Dixie Cornbread.
This stew refrigerates well, freezes well, and can easily feed a crowd simply by adding more potatoes. I always try to make a double batch and my family happily eats it whenever they need a quick meal all week long!
Once you make this a time or two, you’ll have no more need of the recipe. It will be ingrained on your heart, your taste buds, and your stomach.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken
- 2 lg onions, chopped
- 7 cups water
- 4 cups canned tomatoes
- 6 med.potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups frozen or canned whole kernel corn
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 5 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
Instructions
- Cook chicken until done in water. Remove chicken from broth and discard skin. Separate meat from bones and shred meat.
- Dip off as much fat from the broth as possible.
- Simmer potatoes in 1 cup of broth in covered saucepan until done, do not drain. Mash potatoes slightly, keeping them lumpy.
- Add corn, onions, tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper to broth.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add potatoes and chicken and simmer slowly with lid off for at least 45 minutes.
- Right before serving, stir in butter and let it melt. Best if made a day ahead and reheated to serve.
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Ingredients
- 1 chicken
- 2 lg onions, chopped
- 7 cups water
- 4 cups canned tomatoes
- 6 med.potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups frozen or canned whole kernel corn
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 5 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
Instructions
- Cook chicken until done in water. Remove chicken from broth and discard skin. Separate meat from bones and shred meat.
- Dip off as much fat from the broth as possible.
- Simmer potatoes in 1 cup of broth in covered saucepan until done, do not drain. Mash potatoes slightly, keeping them lumpy.
- Add corn, onions, tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper to broth.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add potatoes and chicken and simmer slowly with lid off for at least 45 minutes.
- Right before serving, stir in butter and let it melt. Best if made a day ahead and reheated to serve.
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*This has been our family’s favorite stew since my mother got the recipe in 1974. No one has to use the recipe anymore because we have all made it so much.
*I’ve added a “Freezes Well” category to Southern Plate, beginning with this stew. I’m going to go back this weekend and add all of my dishes that freeze well to that category for your convenience!
Thank you for reading Southern Plate! I better get back to my company!
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Oct 3 2008. Filed under Chicken, FEATURED Southern Favorites!, Freezes Well, Main Course, Soups and Stews, Southern Classics.
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Christy, My 19 yr. old daughter had TWO major surgeries this summer and after each one, this was the first thing she requested! Even though it was 105 outside (yes, we live in Texas), I made it for her! We love it! Thanks for a new “old family recipe”!
I hope she is doing well and I am so glad to hear that yall like the stew!!
Christy, you are a great addition to Taste of the South magazine. I didn’t think it could get any better, but it has.
Christy my husband is the same way. He wont bite into chunks of tomatoes but will eat the crushed!! Ha! This sounds very yummy. Will try it as soon as we get rid of this Georgiaaaa heat!
Can taste this chicken stew just thinking about it….gotta make it as soon as I can get the ingredients……….YUMMY! Thanks!
I can’t wait to cook this.
This sounds so good I can chicken so I am looking forward to trying this. Thanks for all the yummy recipes.
This sounds exactly like what we used to have when I was a kid in our school lunchroom. Always loved it, and can’t wait to try this! By the way, I always use sugar in any recipe that calls for tomatoes… and most all other vegetables too.
This recipe looks great. I volunteer through my church at a mission and I am going to make this for Monday night’s supper. Thanks for the receipes and the wonderful stories you tell.
Good Morning Christy! If I use boullion cubes would you scale back on the salt??
Christy, I made this Saturday night to eat on Sunday. It was ‘LARAPIN’ ! Not sure I spelled that correctly but, as a southerner well, you know what I mean! Comfort food at its finest! Thank you, girl!!! Also like your post on bacon drippin’s…There is no substitute for it when keeping some recipes authentic! LOVE LOVE LOVE Southern Plate for keepin’ it real ;-D
I know exactly what you mean!! Thank you for such a wonderful compliment!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU !!!
Gratefully,
Christy
I have not yet made this recipe, just found it, sounds so good! Had to comment on Sybil’s use of “larapin” Haven’t heard that word in a coon’s age. My dad always used it to describe really good food. Thanks for the memories.
My family loved it! Thanks for sharing!!!
I am so glad to hear they enjoyed it Marci!!!
Seeing this picture on your website reminds me of my chicken stew! I made it one day with chicken instead of beef and now it is a family favorite! Love your website! Looking forward to trying the cornbread salad….think I’ll throw in a can of purple hull peas to it…lol
Ohh, I bet it would be great with beef. I will have to try it. I love the cornbread salad and hope you enjoy it as well!
This seems very similar to Brunswick stew. Would it be OK to put some Butter beans in it? This looks devine!
This is essentially the same recipe that my grandmother passed to me for her chicken vegetable soup. She used to double it and make a huge a pot of soup- not thickening it with the potatoes, then we’d freeze it. Definitely good eating!
Will any kind ,off potatoes freeze well – Red, Yukon gold , white, Idaho?
christy i made the chicken today .. this is one of mybest stew/ hope to see you at the fidler con. friday
This looks so good. I’m going to make it tomorrow with a leftover rotisserie chicken I got yesterday from Walmart. Oh, by the way, I had to chuckle on the part where you assured us that sugar sounds weird but to try it because it makes a difference. I chuckled because I put sugar in all my stews and sauces. I love it. LOL. Thanks for the recipe.
[...] Bars **Fruit Smoothies **LunchesPulled PorkSweet Potato and Black Bean BurritosFried RiceChicken StewPork Chops and ApplesDinnersPizzaChili **Mandarin Pork Chops **Open Faced Chicken Pot PieChicken [...]
I’m a little confused about when to put the cooked, shredded chicken back in the pot for the tutorial version of the recipe. Does it go back in when I add the tomatoes?
Actually, Betsy, she never does put the chicken back in. =-) It’s still sitting on the counter cooling — complete with skin, bones and meat. I’ll bet Christy skins and bones the chicken, shreds it, and adds it with the tomatoes just before that last 45 minute simmer. Can’t have chicken stew without the chicken, can you?
I noticed that the chicken was never put in too, lol!! I read and re-read it about 3 times thinking I had just missed it. However, her mother’s recipe does tell to skin, shred, and put the chicken back in!
This has become a family favorite. Making it again tonight – probably the 7th time we’ve had it. All of my children love it. I’ve been out of potatoes a couple of times, and had to substitute sweet potatoes. My husband thought it was a bit sweet – but the kids were just as happy even with the wrong ingredients.
Thank you. I love a recipe that is tried and true – and really love a recipe that is great every time!
Its going to be a little cool this afternoon and gruess what I’m going to try? Chicken Stew. Have a good weekend.
I am cooking this tonight, but I have put O’brien Hashbrowns in it b/c I didn’t have enough potatoes. I will let you know how it turns out.
I can’t wait to hear Shea!!
[...] chicken stew based on what we like and how my mother makes hers, but this time I decided to try an actual recipe. I thought it was a little salty but otherwise really good. Steady Eddie didn’t think it [...]
This was really good! I have a large family and needed to make chicken “stretch”, I had 4 leg quarters and 8 people to feed. I cut up the quarters into pieces before I boiled the chicken and I ended up using only half of it after I chopped it up. I also used mixed veggies(no corn in the freezer) and tomato sauce(no canned tomatoes either) and potato flakes to thicken. There wasnt an empty bowl in the house and I have more chicken for another meal! Thanks for the recipe!
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Sandra!!!
Cool, foggy morning in Louisiana. Woke up thinking about what I could cook for supper tonight. Chicken stew and cornbread came to mind. Your recipe was the first one I saw when I searched the internet. I didn’t go any further. I can taste this already!
Just made this last night & loved it..so easy and yummy, even had 2 Vegetarians drooling! I added carrots as they are my favorite and I think I’ll be making up some pot pies with this recipe. I originally felt compelled to make this after the first or second or maybe the third time we were told to make this stew! Lol, but it was great advice it will become “our chicken stew” also….we may even steal a pie or two too…so glad i landed in the south while searching chicken stews.
Can’t wait to get into the pies thanks! Lori
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Lori!! It is one of our favorites and I love hearing that others like it as well as we do!
Tastes just like Big Bob Gibsons only better :O)
first time using southern plate recipe joyed makeing this and loved eating it Thanks
I have Christy’s Southern Plate book and made the chicken stew recipe. It is DELICIOUS!!! But, I’m very confused as to why the book says canned tomatoes (I’m guessing leaving it open to any tomatoes you want), but here on this site, it says canned crushed tomatoes. hhhmmmm….Also, the delightful picture in the book shows chopped tomatoes. Anyway, I’ll make this over and over.
What is a good substitute for the corn? We are not corn eaters.
You could try the small butter or lima beans.
about how long does it take to boil a whole chicken?
It can be done in thirty minutes or so but I like to cook mine about an hour to get a richer broth. You can cook it even longer than that if you like.
Made something similar, added refried beans, 1 can red enchilada sauce and about a tbl spoon of cumin, topped with sour cream and jack cheese. Wow! delish, even my 4 year old grandson wanted seconds.
This is the stew my mom has made for years and I can finally cook it as good…We do not add sugar but do add tabasco sauce – as much or as little as you want…we like a lot!
Just made this and it is delicious! Reminds me of my grandma’s. Thank you!
Christy, This is wonderful. We love chicken stew. Thank You for all of your wonderful recipes and more. You are a Great person. My Sister died last month and I wanted to ask you for some very easy comfort food recipes. Thank You.
Hi christy, I just made the stew..haven’t tasted yet… But, I was quite confused with the directions about cooking the potatoes…..I didn’t understand about cooking the potatoes in 1 cup of broth? Too many potatoes and not enough liquid.
Can you explain this step? Thank so much
It’s a cold drizzly day in North Texas and I’m fixing this for the first time. Smells marvelous! I just had a little sample taste as it started to simmer and I can’t wait for a bowl!!! Thanks for all the recipes!
Hello , I’m from essex england ,was searching the internet for a chicken stew that i was sure my children would eat ,had friends over for dinner yesterday and wanted something wholesome and homely to serve ,made it for 8 people and all 8 people absolutely loved it , was excatly what I was looking for , tasty ,hot and comforting,you was perfectly right on 3 things you said ,first it was a easy tutorial and I’d easily be able to repeat without a recipe in the future ,second it was absolutely yummy,and lastly it would have been a awful shame not to have cooked it ,I have already had my orders to cook it again soon, thanks ever so much x
Oh my goodness, you just made my day Joanne!! I am so glad to hear that everyone liked it so well!! Thank you for sharing and i hope you have a great day!!
Not at all christy, its a definate thank u , its because of great people like u who love to share that people like me love the experience of cooking ! I grew up without a mother to teach me to cook so I rely on learning through people who love to share their know how on line ,and because of this my kids have eaten good home cooking all their lives , thanks again !
Hi Christy, I just saw your chicken stew recipe and plan to make it saturday for a group of 70 people. How many much should I make? I am excited to make this and hope it turns out the way it sounds!! Thanks a lot!
I also wanted to let you know I plan on using the boneless chicken breast. How many do I need? Thanks a lot!
I cooked chicken breasts in 7 cups of water. When it started to boil I would add 7 bouillon cubes to make the broth and as the broth would go down I added one chicken bouillon for each cup of water to keep enough broth. When the chicken breast were cooked, I took them out of the broth and added the potatoes and cooked til done. then took out a little potatoes and mashed them but I could not tell a difference in making it thicker until I added the veg.. I then added everything except the shredded chicken to a huge pot and added the can tomatoes, sugar, pepper, corn, peas, carrots, green beans and anything else I wanted to throw in to make it go further and let cook for about 30 min. then added the chicken and lets cook 30 more min then it was done!!! The potatoes cooked in the broth tastes good and gave me an idea to make them again later for a side dish instead of using butter. I had to make enough for 70 people and I had them asking for more!! I see making this again in the not so distant future! lol I had to make this 3 times to make enough for 70. Thanks!
There is a big ol’ pot of sittin on my stove. I gave it a little taste test and it is fabulous..extremely comforting
I can not wait to taste it tomorrow to see how much better it can get! I used 1/2 the amount of sugar (hubby’s preference) and added a dash of cayenne pepper and ground oregano. Thank you so much for sharing 
Hey Christy
Thank you so much for this recipe I’m going to try it for lunch, because it is autumn in South Africa and we have been having rainy weather, I will tell you how it went
I hope that you enjoy it Lize, it is one of my favorites!!