Peruvian chicken stew is a comforting home-style dish made with browned chicken pieces, a flavorful sauce of onion, garlic, ají panca pepper paste, and tomato, plus potatoes, carrots, and peas. Raisins and dried mushrooms add the gentle sweetness and deep savory flavor found in many traditional versions.
It is a familiar family lunch throughout Peru and is usually served with fluffy white rice. Its rich reddish sauce develops slowly as the chicken and vegetables cook together.
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Peruvian Chicken Stew
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients
Nutrition
- Calories: 585
Ingredients
- 1 kg bone-in chicken pieces (about 8 small pieces)
- 8 g salt (1 ¼ teaspoons), divided
- 3 g ground black pepper (1 teaspoon), divided
- 30 ml vegetable oil (2 tablespoons)
- 200 g red onion, finely chopped (1 large onion)
- 20 g garlic paste (1 ½ tablespoons)
- 30 g ají panca paste (2 tablespoons)
- 30 g tomato paste (2 tablespoons)
- 300 g ripe tomatoes, blended (2 medium tomatoes)
- 120 ml dry red wine (½ cup)
- 500 ml chicken stock (2 cups)
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 g ground cumin (1 ½ teaspoons)
- 10 g dried mushrooms (½ cup), soaked and chopped
- 40 g dark raisins (¼ cup)
- 400 g white potatoes, peeled and halved (4 medium potatoes)
- 150 g carrots, sliced (1 large carrot)
- 120 g fresh or frozen green peas (1 cup)
- 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
Preparation
- Season and brown the chicken, season the chicken with 5 g of salt and 2 g of black pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on both sides for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove it from the pot and set it aside.
- Make the base sauce, in the same pot, cook the onion for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic paste, ají panca paste, tomato paste, cumin, and remaining black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often so the seasoning paste does not burn.
- Build the stew sauce, add the blended tomatoes, red wine, dried mushrooms, and bay leaves. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the tomato loses its raw flavor and the sauce begins to thicken.
- Simmer the stew, return the chicken to the pot, pour in the chicken stock, and add the potatoes, carrots, and raisins. Cover partially and cook over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are starting to soften.
- Finish and serve, add the peas and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste the sauce, adjust the salt, and remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle with parsley before serving, then let the stew rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles.
Chef’s tips
- Brown the chicken well before making the sauce, since the caramelized bits at the bottom of the pot add important flavor.
- Use white potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes because they hold their shape well during simmering.
- Add the raisins carefully; they should create a subtle sweet contrast rather than make the stew taste sweet.
- Keep the heat low after adding the stock so the chicken remains tender and the sauce thickens gradually.
Traditional variations
Peruvian home cooks often adjust the amount of raisins, use dried mushrooms, or omit them according to family preference. Some versions add a little dried oregano or red bell pepper, but the traditional core remains the same: ají panca-based sauce, tomato, chicken, potatoes, carrots, and peas.
How to serve
Serve the stew in a deep plate with one piece of chicken, potato, carrot, peas, and plenty of sauce. Fluffy white rice is the classic accompaniment because it absorbs the rich sauce beautifully.
Recommended accompaniments
- Fluffy white rice.
- A fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion salad.
- Peruvian-style hot sauce for extra heat.
Did you know?
Peruvian chicken stew blends a European-style slow-cooking technique with ingredients that are central to Peruvian cooking, especially ají panca. That pepper gives the sauce its deeper color and distinctive savory flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but bone-in chicken pieces such as thighs and drumsticks give a juicier and more flavorful result. The bones enrich the sauce while the stew simmers. When using chicken breast, cut it into large pieces and reduce the cooking time slightly so it does not become dry.
Raisins are not included in every family recipe, but they are traditional in many versions. They add a mild sweet-and-savory contrast that works well with ají panca and tomato. You can use fewer raisins for a less sweet result, but keeping some will give the stew a more classic flavor.
Simmer the stew partially covered so some liquid evaporates while the chicken stays moist. Blended ripe tomatoes and the starch released by the potatoes will also help thicken the sauce. Avoid adding too much water; the sauce should partially cover the chicken rather than turn the dish into soup.
Yes. This stew often tastes even better the next day because the chicken and vegetables absorb more of the seasoning. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat it gently over low heat. Add a splash of hot stock if the sauce becomes too thick.
