Our Family’s Southern Chicken Stew Recipe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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
“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.”
I’m confused….do I cook the potatoes in 1 cup of broth? Or, like in the photos, do I take out 1 cup of potatoes and mash them? What about the potatoes in the last step that are added with the chicken? I’m assuming that leaving in the potatoes too long would make them too soft.
Hey Daphne!
Looks like I need to modify this post, huh? lol I posted Mama’s original recipe and then did it how I do, which is a lot more streamlined.
Cook your potatoes like I did and then take out a cup of them and mash them. This adds body to the stew. You can also skip this step and add a few tablespoons of instant potato flakes to get the same result.
don’t worry about cooking the potatoes too long, they hold up really well. I’ve cooked them for hours at a time before!
sorry to confuse you. Two generations were at play in this recipe!
Thank you!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Thanks so much I’ll be making it this weekend.
I am cooking this right now and it smells great. We will be eating this for supper the next couple of nights. Thought I would make it in advance. I added butterbeans,extra tomatoes and extra corn. Hope it turns out alright.
I made this for my family when they came visit and everyone really enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hello
I just wanted to say this recipe makes the best chicken stew ,I have eaten. I looked for months to find a recipe that I liked. I eat stew lots more often now, thanks to you.
Christy, I love the “freezes well” category! I’ve never been a “make ahead & freeze” kinda gal but I’ve always thought it would be so great to have homemade meals already prepared in our freezer! In fact, I’ve been on myself to go back to your post where you spent a day preparing and freezing food so I can try that as well! This stew DOES look yummy! Maybe this will be my first “freezer meal”… or maybe the chili… or maybe … oh so many recipes here I want to try!! LOL
Just had my first bowl…totally awesome!! This recipe made a kajillion servings.. we will be freezing some for more rainy days.. thanks!
Hi Christy!
I am new to your website. I saw the link on Southern Savers, and had to check it out. I made your chicken stew yesterday, and I do believe it is THE best stew or soup I have ever had! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I look forward to trying some more of your recipes. You should compile these in a cookbook…I would buy one!
Thanks again…