When the days grow short, and the weather turns chilly this Southwestern Chicken Stew really hits the spot. It’s rich, flavorful comfort food — and it’s easy.
By sweating (cooking) the onions, chili powder, oil, garlic, and tomato paste in the microwave before adding them to the slow cooker, you’ll add a layer of richness in flavor that you won’t get by just tossing in the raw onion and garlic. And it’s such a short step.
Slow cookers are marvelous additions to the kitchen. While I do work from home these days, I find the ability to do food prep early — AND be able to go off and leave the slow cooker, either for a meeting, or to run errands — a very freeing thing.
This being the weekend, I got the stew going, went shopping and then met friends to see a movie. I arrived home to a fragrant kitchen. I finished up the last steps, and supper was ready to go.
You can cook this for as short a period as 4 hours, or for as long as 6 hours.
Slow Cooker: Southwest Chicken Stew
- 2 onions, (finely chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic, (minced)
- 2 jalapeños, (seeds removed, finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp. Ancho chili powder
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/4 cup minute tapioca ((used as a thickening agent))
- 3 lbs. chicken thighs, (boneless, skinless)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 15 oz. can black beans
- 1 3 oz can chipotle chile in adobo sauce, (finely chopped)
- Mix onions, jalapeños, tomato paste, garlic, oil, chili powder together well in a microwave safe container. Microwave for 6 minutes (pause 3 minutes in to stir).
- Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, tapioca to slow cooker and stir well. Add chicken thighs, settle well into liquid.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours. (I have cooked these 4 hours one time and five hours another — both worked fine. If you go over 6 hours, the chicken is really not as good — tends to be tough. This is where a good slow cooker that switches to a warming setting may help if you have to be gone for longer than 6 hours).
- Remove chicken thighs from cooker and allow to cool until you can handle the pieces without getting burned. Shred chicken.
- Stir in corn, black beans, shredded chicken, and chipotle chiles (to taste), and cook on high for 15 minutes. Taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Note on jalapenos and chipotle chiles: I don’t find this recipe spicy — to my taste, it has just enough heat to have some character.
But of course, I live in Texas. So — adjust the heat to your taste. By removing the seeds from the jalapeños, those two peppers will not make this volume of food hot. If you want it hotter, leave the seeds in. On the chipotle chilis, I use the whole can. It is a little can, after all 🙂 . If you are really sensitive to spicy foods, cut back to your taste). If you want it hotter, serve with fresh, chopped jalapeños on the side.
Do be sure to either use gloves when you chop the jalapeños, or wash your hands VERY thoroughly before touching your face or your eyes.
Substitution for Chipotle Chiles in Adobo
Can’t find chipotle chiles in adobo sauce? It’s a common product in many parts of the United States, but if you cannot find it where you live, here is a work-around substitution for chipotle chiles in adobo — to mimic the smoky, spicy flavor:
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. chipotle powder (if you cannot get chipotle powder, use 1 tsp. cayenne pepper and 1 tsp. smoked paprika)
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 2 pinches oregano
- 2 pinches garlic powder
- 2 pinches salt
Mix well. Add desired quantity to stew above — to taste.
Using a Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker? I have not cooked this in the oven, so I don’t have alternate instructions. You may find William Sonoma’s article on converting recipes between oven and slow cooker helpful.
