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African Peanut Chicken Stew

Peanut or “groundnut” chicken stew is popular all over West Africa. This slow cooker version combines economical chicken legs, chickpeas, potatoes and peanut butter to make a satisfying one-pot meal. Feel free to substitute sweet potatoes.
Serves: 8
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 8 hours

Ingredients

4 cups potatoes, skin on, cut in cubes
1 cup onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cups peanut butter
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp hot red chili pepper flakes
½ tsp salt
2 cups chickpeas, boiled and drained
2.2 lb bone-in, skinless chicken legs, thighs or drumsticks
1 red pepper, diced
4 cups baby spinach
½ cup cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional)

Food Safety

Before you start, wash all surfaces and your hands with soap and warm water, and remember to wash your hands, utensils and cutting boards after they touch raw meat or eggs. Avoid cross-contamination by using a different cutting board for your meat and other ingredients. Make sure you’re cooking to safe temperatures and chilling any leftovers within two hours. For more food safety tips, visit our Food Safety at Home Section.

Steps

  1. Cut potatoes in 1 inch cubes (2.5 cm). Add to the bottom of the crock of the slow cooker. Top with diced onion and minced garlic.

  2. Combine the peanut butter and the chicken broth in a medium bowl and microwave 3-4 minutes. Whisk to dissolve. It is not necessary for the peanut butter to be completely dissolved as it will melt and distribute during cooking. Whisk in ground cumin, ground coriander, hot red chili pepper flakes and the salt. Pour mixture over potatoes, onions and garlic in the crock.

  3. Spread cooked, drained chickpeas over top.

  4. Separate chicken legs at the joint between the drum stick and the thigh using a sharp knife. Alternately, use bone-in thighs, drums or a mix of the two. Most chicken legs are sold with skin on so you will have to remove this first. Spread chicken pieces over top of chickpeas. Cover and cook on LOW heat 6-8 hours (HIGH 3-4 hours). It will cook faster if you use boneless chicken pieces.

  5. Remove lid and stir. Sprinkle leaves of baby spinach and diced red pepper over top. Put lid back on and leave spinach to wilt – about 20 minutes. Stir gently with a large spoon to mix in spinach and red pepper. Garnish with some minced cilantro and serve.

Helpful Tip

This recipe was tested with raw chickpeas cooked without salt. If you are using canned chickpeas rinse under cold water to remove some of the surface starch and salt.

Nutrition Info

Per 345 g serving Amount
Calories450
Protein36 g
Fat20 g
Saturated Fat4 g
Carbohydrate35 g
Fibre6 g
Sugar6 g
Cholesterol100 mg
Sodium410 mg
Per 345 g serving % Daily Value
Potassium29
Calcium8
Iron20
Vitamin A15
Vitamin C70
Vitamin B651
Vitamin B1224
Folate55
Zinc46