Zambian chicken stew

Name: Zambian chicken stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil; 1 kg chicken pieces, skin-on, bone-in; 2 onions, sliced; 4 tomatoes, chopped; 1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional); 250 ml water; 1½ tsp salt; 1 tsp curry powder (optional)

Non-vegetarian

Chicken simmered slowly with onion and lots of tomato into a simple, savoury stew, the centrepiece of Sunday lunch with nshima across Zambia.

Zambian chicken stew is a Zambian stew, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on and tomato. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

Appetizing chicken stew with potatoes and herbs, perfect for a hearty meal. — Photo: Muhammad Khawar Nazir / Pexels · Pexels License

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 55 min
Total: 1 h 10 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy
Calories: 641

Ingredients

4 servings

2 tbsp (27 g) Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab)
1 kg Chicken pieces, skin-on (opens in a new tab), bone-inFree-range 'village' chicken is prized; it needs about twice as long to cook.
2 (220 g) Onions (opens in a new tab), sliced
4 (480 g) Tomatoes (opens in a new tab), chopped
1 (120 g) Green bell pepper (opens in a new tab), chopped (optional)
250 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
1½ tsp (9 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1 tsp (2 g) Curry powder (opens in a new tab) (optional)A little curry powder or stock cube is a common addition.

Equipment

Dutch oven / casserole pot (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Put the chicken in a heavy pot with the water and salt, cover and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated and the chicken starts to fry in its own fat.
- 30 min
- medium-low heat
- Dutch oven / casserole pot (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw chicken.
2
Step 2
Add the oil and onions (opens in a new tab) and fry with the chicken, turning, until both are golden.
- 8 min
- medium heat
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels
3
Step 3
Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), pepper and curry powder (opens in a new tab), cover and cook until the tomatoes melt into a thick gravy and the chicken is tender.
- 15 min
- low heat
Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C in the thickest part.
How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Zambia · Commonly attributedSimilar tomato-based chicken stews are eaten throughout southern Africa.Also popular in Malawi, ZimbabweMore food from Zambia
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method: Stewed, Pan-fried
Taste: savoury, tangy, mild
Diet: No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
All labels
Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: One-pot · Everyday · Child-friendly
Cook more with: Chicken pieces, skin-on · Tomato · Onion
Techniques: Pan-frying · Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

May contain: Mustardfrom curry powder
May contain: Celeryfrom curry powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

641 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 497 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 30%
Carbohydrate 6%
Fat 63%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	641 kcal	129 kcal
Protein	48.2 g	9.7 g
Carbohydrate	9.8 g	2 g
Net carbohydrate	7.4 g	1.5 g
Sugars	5.5 g	1.1 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	2.4 g	0.5 g
Fat	44.7 g	9 g
Saturated fat	11.3 g	2.3 g
Trans fat	0.3 g	0.1 g
Cholesterol	188 mg	38 mg
Sodium	1058 mg	213 mg
Salt equivalent	2.6 g	0.5 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 837 mg
Calcium: 59 mg
Iron: 2.7 mg
Magnesium: 70 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 153 µg
Vitamin C: 25 mg
Vitamin D: 0.5 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.8 µg
Folate (DFE): 43 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: green bell pepper, curry powder.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Boiling first and then frying is the traditional way to make tough village chickens tender.

Common mistakes

Adding the tomatoes before the chicken has browned in its own fat — the stew loses its depth.

Serve with

Serve with nshima, ifisashi and a cabbage salad.

Storage

Keeps 3 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

Reheat gently until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Chicken pieces, skin-on, bone-in1000 g
Tomato, chopped4 piece · 480 g

Used in steps 1, 3

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Dry spice blend
Everyday curry powder (British-style)
This recipe uses 1 tsp (2.1 g for 4 servings).
Make Everyday curry powder (British-style)

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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