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
My family has been making chicken stew like this for as long as I can remember. It is best cooked outside over a campfire in a big black pot. But it’s good cooked inside too, when the fire and black pot aren’t feasible. Only difference is we add elbow noodles at the very end. Yum….now I want some
Reminds me of Brunswick Stew that we make and have made for ever. It freezes well and I usually make a BIG pot in the fall so that I have it through the winter plus when company drops in. It the Brunswick Stew I usually add Lima beans, veg all, peas about any veg that you like. You can also add a roast and I have added chopped BBQ!!!!
When I saw recipe it sound and looked really good.. so I tried it today n man was it delicious. Everyone in family really enjoyed it. Thanks for posting. Will be making again and again !!!
I am so glad you liked it Deborah!! It is one of our favorite meals!!
I can’t tell you how many times I have made this stew in the last few months since I came across the recipe. I make it about once a week and it makes such a big pot that we eat it for lunch for several days after. I’ve made it once adding lima beans and green beans like Brunswick stew but mostly I follow the recipe except I usually put a little less salt and pepper. Everybody at our house loves it.
I am so glad to hear it is a hit at your house BJ!! It is one of our favorites here!
Christy, do you drain the corn?
I do drain the corn. Also add frozen or canned lima beans, Cook them with the potatoes if frozen. If using canned ones, just drain and add when you add the corn. I can a lot of vegetables from my garden. Nothing better than using these in chicken stew or any other soups or stews!!!! Love Fresh Vegetables!!!
Grew up eating chicken stew. Love it. Years ago, I was making some and didn’t have any potatoes, so I used Instant potatoes. Worked great. Potato favor + it thicken the stew. So , I use instant Potatoes now.
How much does this recipe make?
I made last night and let it set in the refrigerator overnight so great! I added crushes red pepper flakes for a little kick omg so good!
I am so glad to hear you liked it Amy!!
This really look sooooo good. I want to try it, but I can’t print the recipe out. Why? I don’t have trouble printing other recipes. HELP! Thanks.
Thanks for letting me know about this Beulah! It was a formatting issue and should be fixed now. Appreciate you calling it to my attention!
I still cannot get any of your recipes to print. I don’t have any trouble getting other recipes to print, only yours. And yours look so so good.
I’m afraid you’re the only one who has told me if having this problem so I’m at a loss. I know it isn’t a site issue but it’s difficult for me to tell what is going on with individual computers. What browser are you using?
Hello Chrissy,
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I felt a cold coming on and I wanted to make old-fashion chicken stew, well I googled for a receipe and read yours and decided to make without deviating from your instructions and and may I say it is CHICKEN STEW for the SOUL!! Thank you.
I am so glad you liked it Yvette and I hope you are feeling better!!
I WISH YOU HAD SERVINGS ON YOUR RECIPES. I AM MAKING 30 GALLONS THIS LABOR DAY FOR FRIENDS. NEED HELP ON INGEDIENTS PER GALLON OF YOUR ” OUR FAMILIES FAVORIET CHICKEN STEW” . AS A MAN I ONLY COOK THIS ONCE A YEAR AND FROGET FROM TIME TO TIME. NEED HELP!
PAT