Our Family’s Southern Chicken Stew Recipe
Featuring tomatoes, corn, potatoes, and chicken, this flavorful and hearty southern chicken stew recipe is a firm family favorite.
This Southern Chicken Stew is a must-try. Rich, comforting, and packed with flavor, it’s a dish that quickly becomes a household favorite. It’s simple to prepare, easy to customize, and perfect for feeding a crowd.
Originally published in a 1974 issue of Good Housekeeping, this recipe has stood the test of time. It’s a staple for family meals, gatherings, and cozy nights in. The hearty combination of tender chicken, potatoes, and a flavorful broth makes it both satisfying and versatile.
Once you’ve made it a couple of times, you’ll likely have the recipe memorized. It stores well in the fridge, freezes beautifully, and can be easily stretched by adding more potatoes. A double batch ensures a warm, homemade meal is always on hand for the week. This budget friendly, hearty meal is going to be your new favorite!
What You’ll Need to Make Southern Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- potatoes
- whole chicken
- crushed tomatoes
- corn
- onion
- salt
- black pepper
- sugar
- butter
How to Make Southern Chicken Stew
In a dutch oven, cover the whole chicken with water and cook over medium heat until it the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F (74°C) on an instant read thermometer. When done, remove the chicken from the broth and set it aside to cool a bit. Reserve broth. You can use boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe, just add some chicken bouillon cubes to your water to make sure your chicken broth is rich enough.
Peel and dice the potatoes and onions.
Add diced onions and potatoes to the reserved broth. Cook until the potatoes are tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred.
When the potatoes are very soft, remove approximately a coffee cup’s worth. With a fork, mash these potatoes in the cup.
Add the mashed potatoes back into the dutch oven.
Then add the .
Next, add the can of crushed tomatoes. You can use diced tomatoes or even fresh garden tomatoes in place of the crushed tomatoes.
Next add salt and pepper.
Finally, add the sugar. Sugar acts to enhance flavor and offset the acidity of the tomatoes.
Simmer slowly with the lid off for about forty-five minutes.
Just before serving, stir in the butter. Adding butter just before serving makes for a creamy, velvety texture.
Ladle stew into bowls and serve. This Southern Chicken Stew recipe refrigerates and freezes well. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave.
Notes on Making Southern Chicken Stew
- Serve Southern Chicken Stew with saltine or oyster crackers, homemade drop biscuits, or cornbread. You could also serve it with a simple side salad, like an easy Greek salad.
- For a little kick, serve your stew with some hot sauce. Alternatively, before simmering add a teaspoon of paprika or a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
- Want to add more vegetables? Add in a cup of frozen peas or green beans when you add the corn. You could also add diced carrot, , or celery to your stew.
- You can use chicken that is already cooked and shredded (rotisserie chicken works well), but you will need to use chicken stock to cook the vegetables.
- If you want to make Southern Chicken Stew in a crockpot, cover and cook the chicken on low for 6-8 hours, add the potatoes and onions a couple of hours into cooking. When chicken is cooked and tender, remove from crockpot and shred, remove the potatoes as instructed above and then add everything back to the crockpot and cook on high for a couple of hours or until warmed through.
More Stew Recipes You’ll Love
Ingredients
- 1 chicken
- 2 large onions chopped
- 7 cups water
- 4 cups canned tomatoes
- 6 medium potatoes peeled and diced
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups frozen or canned whole kernel corn
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
Instructions
- Cook the chicken until done in water. Remove the chicken from the broth and discard its skin. Separate the meat from the bones and then shred the meat.1 chicken, 7 cups water
- Dip off as much fat from the broth as possible.
- Simmer potatoes in 1 cup of broth in a covered saucepan until done and do not drain. Mash potatoes slightly, keeping them lumpy.6 medium potatoes
- Add corn, onions, tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper to broth.2 large onions, 4 cups canned tomatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 cups frozen or canned whole kernel corn, 5 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add potatoes and chicken pieces and simmer slowly with the lid off for at least 45 minutes.6 medium potatoes, 1 chicken
- Right before serving, stir in the butter and let it melt. This chicken stew is best if made a day ahead and reheated to serve.2 tablespoons butter
So delicious, so healthy, and so easy! love this recipe.
I have been searching for hours trying to find a recipe similar to the one my grandmother use to make. I was so excited when I found this one that I yelled out loud! It is almost EXACTLY what my grandmother use to make. I just put the chicken on to boil and I am making this tonight so it will be ready for dinner tomorrow. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!!!!
I am so glad you found it Kimberly!!! I hope you enjoy it, it takes just like your grandmothers and it brings back fond memories of spending time with her in the kitchen!!
I made this today and it turned out great. I added peas mushrooms carrots and a small amount of sliced red pepper and at the last 30 mins threw in some dumplings instead of mashing the potatoes to thicken it. I am from Michigan so trust me we eat a lot of stews in the winter and I am always looking for variations on recipes. Thank you for posting it.
Sounds wonderful Douglas!!!
I grew up on this type of stew. We are from rural Western Tennessee and we just called it “Chicken Soup”. Our soup is almost identical except we add elbow macroni at the end instead of putting potatoes in it. I have never seen the recipe in print – the recipe were just “learned” by watching someone make it. My beloved Grandma used to make it and I got it from my Dad. I have 4 brothers & sisters – we all love this soup and I am the only one who knows how to make it!!!
If I had to guess how long this recipe has been made by family members I would say since th 30’s or 40’s. It is absolutely a wonderful recipe. YUMMY – YUMMY
Thanks a lot for sharing such a great recipe. I cooked today and everyone loved it. 🙂
I make chicken stew just like this but I add some green peas, a can of Rotel to spice it up a bit, and brown sugar instead of white. My Mama taught me that adding a touch of brown sugar to anything acidic like tomatoes will always make it taste better! Thanks so much for your site Christy. It’s always a pleasure!
That sounds sooo good!!
Wonderful! I was looking for a chicken stew recipe and decided to give this one a try last night. My family really enjoyed it (even my semi picky eater 9 year old!). I wanted more of a chicken version of beef stew so I added sliced celery and sliced fresh carrots in addition to the onions, potatoes and corn. Mashing some of the potatoes thickened the stew really well! I served it with hot buttermilk corn bread. This recipe is a keeper!
Oh Yummy Kim!!! I am so glad to hear that it was a hit for your family!!