Arabic Chicken Stew

Arabic Chicken Stew is a popular dish in the Arabian Gulf Countries. The stew has tender chicken, potatoes, and carrots and warm, earthy spices like cumin, coriander, and black pepper, which bring out the unique flavor Middle Eastern dishes are known for. 

this recipe

The sauce can be thick or thin. It’s a tasty chicken stew with plenty of protein and good carbohydrates. 

Middle Eastern Chicken Stew is one of the dishes cooked regularly in Ramadan. Arabs cook chicken stew more than often since it’s part of another dish called (Thareed) which is a mixture of stew and Arabic thin crispy bread called Reqaq.

Don’t be surprised if chicken stew tastes different in each Arabian Gulf Country. If you like cooking stews, try these Middle Eastern Stew recipes: Arabian Lamb Stew, Tunisian Lamb Stew, and Bamya Recipe.

Why You’ll Love Middle Eastern Chicken Stew

1. It’s Comforting: It will keep you warm and full, and you can enjoy it all year long; chicken stew is the go-to. It’s got that hearty, 
2. Super Versatile: You can add whatever veggies you have lying around, and you can change it up with different herbs and spices. It’s never dull.
3. Easy to Make: You don’t need to be a master chef to make Arabian chicken stew. It’s great for anyone who just wants a good meal without a lot of fuss. And it is made in one pot.
4. It’s Affordable: Chicken and veggies aren’t too expensive, so chicken stew is a budget-friendly meal. You get a lot of food without spending a ton.
5. Delicious: Above all, this Middle Eastern Stew is delicious; the stew has balanced flavors that make the chicken and vegetables taste great.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Skinless chicken legs and thighs: In the old-fashioned way, the skin is left on, but the spices we’ll add and the method we’ll use will make this stew flavorful. However, you can use chicken breast instead of thighs.

Vegetables: Onion, potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini make Arabian Chicken Stew filling and delicious.

A blend of spices: Besides the regular salt and pepper, I’ve used warm, earthy spices similar to those used in Indian cooking, such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric. 

Boiling water: It is traditional to add boiling water when making this dish, but you can replace it with chicken broth if you wish.

Cooking oil: I used Sunflower oil, but you can use olive oil or, even better, try adding ghee instead.

How to Make Arabic Chicken Stew

Step 1

In a large pot, add the oil and when it’s hot, add the onion and fry until light brown.

Step 2

Add the chicken thighs on the side facing up, brown the chicken, then turn the chicken. The potato and the carrot go next. Mix well.

Step 3

Add the chopped tomatoes and minced garlic. Cook the chicken stew on medium heat.

Step 4

For the seasoning, add the spices and mix for a minute on medium-low. Add the zucchini.

Step 5

After adding the tomato paste, mix the ingredients then pour the boiling water. Let the mixture simmer for 20 or 40 minutes. It is optional to add the chopped coriander at the end, or you can skip it. And your Arabic Chicken stew is ready.

If you liked this recipe, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Chicken Mandi, Maqlouba recipe and, Moroccan stew couscous.

Pro Tips For Arab-style Chicken Stew

• Use russet potato since the cooking time is longer than 15 minutes.
• Clean the chicken properly and pat it dry before cooking, you can also use my brine recipe to make the chicken more tender and odorless. 
• You can add more vegetables, green beans, cauliflower, celery, and onion pearls.
• Cut the onion into thin slices to cook the Arabic chicken stew faster and get a hint of sweetness.
• You need to brown the chicken, do not skip it, it adds great flavor.
• Use 5 cups of boiling water if you want a thick gravy. Add 8 cups to give it a soup-like texture. In Arab countries.
• If you wish to make Middle Eastern Chicken Stew using chicken broth. Add half the amount of water mentioned in this recipe and substitute the other half with broth.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve the chicken stew over a bed of rice like Parboiled Rice, or Vermecillie Rice.
• Try it with some creamy mashed potatoes. 
• Serve it with some freshly Homemade Bread.

How To Store And Reheat Arabic Stew

Place what is left from the stew in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.

If you want to freeze the stew, place every serving in a different freezer-friendly plastic container.

To thaw the frozen stew, place it in the fridge overnight. Later pour the stew into a pan, and heat in a microwave or on a stovetop.

More Middle Eastern Recipes 

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Arabian Chicken Stew

Discover the authentic flavors of Arabic Chicken Stew. Tender chicken, potatoes, and carrots cooked in warm Middle Eastern spices.

4.78 from 18 votes

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Course: Main

Cuisine: Arabian

Keyword: Arabic chicken stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 people

Calories: 332kcal

Author: Muna Kenny

Ingredients

• ▢ 450 grams skinless chicken thighs
• ▢ 450 grams skinless chicken legs Or 900gm skinless chicken cut into eight pieces
• ▢ 2 large tomatoes finely chopped
• ▢ 2 medium zucchini diced
• ▢ 1 large onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1 large potato diced
• ▢ 1 large carrot diced
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 8 cups boiling water Use 5 cups for a thicker stew.

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Instructions

• In a hot pan, add oil, when hot add the chopped onion, cook until the onion turns light brown.
• Add the chicken bone facing up and cook on medium heat until light brown. Flip and cook the other side.
• Add the potatoes and carrot and stir for three minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, stir for three minutes, then cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. (Do check on it so it doesn’t burn since the heat of different stoves varies and my medium heat might be high on your stove.)
• Add the garlic and spices and stir to combine.
• Add the zucchini and tomato paste and stir for two minutes.
• Now is the time to season with salt, then pour the boiling water and let the stew cook for 20 – 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Turn off the heat and cover the stew for 15 minutes before serving.
• Add the coriander and stir for three minutes.
• Serve hot with rice or bread.

Video

Notes

• To use chicken breast in this stew, add oil to a hot pan, season the chicken breast with salt and black pepper. Sear the chicken breast from both sides on medium-high heat. Remove the chicken breast, cover, and keep aside. Add the chicken breast after adding the zucchini and continue cooking. This way, the chicken breast won’t go dry.
• Not everyone is fond of coriander; I suggest that you use around a tablespoon of chopped coriander and then taste the stew. You can also skip the coriander; the chicken stew will taste good without it too!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 1217mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3317IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3mg

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