I am often left standing in front of my fridge/freezer before dinner not having a clue what to cook. During these times my creativity is tested to the max and I sometimes come up with the most (surprisingly) delicious meals. The idea for this dish came up a few nights ago when I was left with a pack of skinless chicken thighs and not much else in my kitchen.

I always have my pantry stocked with tinned tomatoes and tinned beans so I didn’t have to think twice about including these into my dish. Along with spices and smoked chillies it was settled : Mexican Chicken & Bean stew was born.

The end result was a stew so rich and delicious, it was difficult to imagine that it had only been on the stove top for 45 minutes and that I had used every day ingredients in it, which is, I guess the key to most successful recipes. Using simple ingredients and doing something amazing with them. I served the stew with crusty bread (My pantry was so empty, I didn’t even have rice!) , a dollop of sour cream, fresh limes and some fresh coriander. Definitely a perfect weekday meal and absolutely perfect for Winter.

Serves 4

1kg (2.2 pounds) skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked crushed chillies (you could also use fresh chillies)
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika (you could use smoked paprika if you can’t find smoked chillies)
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
1 tin beans of your choice, rinsed (I used barlotti beans)
salt & pepper to taste
sour cream, to serve
fresh limes, to serve
fresh coriander, to serve

1. In a large pot, fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
2. Add the chicken thighs and brown for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the spices and coat the chicken in them, then add the chopped tomatoes.
4. Rinse the tomato cans with water and add 1 tin of water to the chicken. Add the sugar and allow to come to a gentle simmer.
5. Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
6. Remove the lid and add the beans. Allow to simmer for another 15 minutes, uncovered so the stew can reduce slightly.
7. Serve with sour cream, lime and fresh coriander.

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Tags: Beans, Chicken, chicken and bean stew, chicken stew, Mexican chicken & bean stew, mexican stew, Stew