Slow Cooker Chicken and Bean Stew

This stew simmered with garlic, onions, tomatoes, ginger, thyme, and Caribbean spices is comfort food at its finest. So pull out your slow cooker because you'll want to make this ASAP!

Course dinner, Main

Cuisine Caribbean

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 15

Servings

Calories 725kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

2-2½ pounds (900-1,100g) chicken breast or thighs
1 tablespoon (15g) seasoning blend (pick your favorite or just use salt)
2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 green onion, diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (scotch bonnet peppers deliver more heat)
1½ tablespoons (22-23g) minced garlic
½ teaspoon (1-2g) ground allspice
½ teaspoon (1-2g) cumin
1½ teaspoons (1g) fresh thyme
2 teaspoons (10g) minced ginger
2 teaspoons (5g) smoked paprika
1 large bay leaf
¼-½ teaspoon (pinch) cayenne pepper
2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 cups (920g) cooked beans or 1-2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (475ml) chicken broth or more
1 tablespoon (10g) chicken bouillon powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro and parsley (optional)

Instructions

Place chicken in a large bowl and add your preferred seasoning and salt, or marinate with garlic, ginger, paprika, white pepper, and thyme.
When ready to prepare, heat a cast iron skillet or large saucepan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Sear the chicken for about 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. Remove and place in the crockpot. Drain excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons (adding more if needed).
Add the onions, green onions, jalapeño, garlic, allspice, cumin, thyme, ginger, and paprika. Sauté while stirring until the onions are soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add to the crockpot.
Then add the bay leaf, cayenne, tomato, beans, chicken broth, bouillon powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Stovetop Method

Put the ingredients in a large pot instead of the crockpot. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes or more until the chicken is tender and the stew is the desired consistency.
Adjust seasonings and thickness of soup according to preference with broth and spices.
Shred chicken if desired and serve hot with cornbread. Garnish with parsley, green onions, and cilantro.

Notes

Since slow cookers mellow out the spices, adjusting to taste towards the end of the cooking is best.
If you don't have a slow cooker, making it on the stovetop is easy and practical. Follow the same instructions, and instead of adding everything to the crockpot, add a little extra stock, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the chicken is tender. Easy!
Browning the chicken first and sautéing the spices before adding them to the crockpot seriously adds flavor.
However, if you want to throw everything in the crockpot, set it, and forget it, that's fine too.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition