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Spiced Chicken Stew with Carrots

Moroccan spices and golden raisins enhance the carrots in this chicken stew.
Everyday Food, March 2009
  • Prep Time 10 minutes
  • Total Time 10 minutes plus slow cooking
  • Yield Serves 4
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
  • 8 skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted if desired
  • Couscous, for serving (optional)

Directions

  • Slow-Cooker Method:

    1. Place carrots in slow cooker. In a bowl, toss together chicken, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add to slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours), adding raisins 15 minutes before cooking is done.

    2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and carrots to a dish (remove cinnamon stick); top with cilantro and almonds. Season cooking liquid with salt and pepper; spoon over chicken. Serve with couscous, if desired.

  • Oven Method:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid, adding 1 cup water. Cover, and bake until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed with step 2.

Recipe Reviews

Reviews (21)

  • Jeanine Pardon
    8 Dec, 2012

    I've made this 3 times in the slow cooker now and it's on my menu plan for this week again. We waited a couple months because we ate it every week there for a while and decided we needed a break! Now I can't wait to make it again. I make it exactly as written every time and serve it over couscous. I can taste it now. So good! Don't worry about there being no liquid. It's fine, I promise! My boyfriend LOVES this. Best Martha recipe I've tried and I love them all! P.S. Toast the almonds!

  • girlwithcurlz
    14 Aug, 2012

    I made this and it was great! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. I think it might was been meant to use with the bone but it didn't affect the end result. I will repeat what others have said in the fact that the almonds, raisins and cilantro make the dish.

  • Eviebelle
    7 Jan, 2012

    I made this as is except for substituting currants for raisins, and served it over brown rice. It's really delicious and has lots of flavor. I suggest putting the cinnamon stick down in with the carrots so that the flavors can fuse well.

  • Zappykins
    26 Nov, 2011

    I was worried this would not work out with no liquid cooking the chicken as it sits on top of the carrots, but it turned out tender and delicious. (I made it in a slow cooker.)

    I made it with a bone in, skin on, chicken leg and thigh and it was wonderful. It’s so easy, and I served it with brown rice. I will definitely add this to my go to list of easy slow cooker meals.

  • JenofLA
    6 Mar, 2011

    I've made this a lot

  • mitymick
    15 Feb, 2011

    can you omit the raisins in this recipe? I do not like raisins.

  • mitymick
    15 Feb, 2011

    can you omit the raisins in this recipe? I do not like raisins.

  • jennynoel
    15 Feb, 2011

    This is a stand-by at our house. We love it! We always cook it on high for the shorter amount of time (I work from home and have the luxury of being able to start it at lunch time, though.)

  • KosmicKitty
    18 Jan, 2011

    I have yet to make this, but it is on my list for next week. As for the meat being dry, I may be a heretic, but I'd bet not removing the skin from the chicken would make a difference. Take the skin off after cooking

  • tyflm
    25 Sep, 2009

    My family isn't crazy about chicken thighs, so I made this with bone-in chicken breasts instead, and the crock pot method. It was fabulous! Not dry at all. Next time I plan to use some of the delicious liquid to make my couscous, at the end.

  • Alexandria22305
    26 Mar, 2009

    I made this dish two weeks ago in our slow cooker overnight and the flavor was fantastic! My husband and I could smell the wonderful spices as the stew cooked throughout the night. Yes, it was truly delicious. But I must say that the texture of the thighs was kind of mealy. I'm thinking that maybe using the oven might make a better difference. Has anyone tried both versions--slow cooker and oven? Was there a difference?

  • Alexandria22305
    26 Mar, 2009

    I made this dish two weeks ago in our slow cooker overnight and the flavor was fantastic! My husband and I could smell the wonderful spices as the stew cooked throughout the night. Yes, it was truly delicious. But I must say that the texture of the thighs was kind of mealy. I'm thinking that maybe using the oven might make a better difference. Has anyone tried both versions--slow cooker and oven? Was there a difference?

  • knittygirl
    10 Mar, 2009

    I wasn't happy with the overall flavor of the dish. It was worth the try though.

  • agfdurkin
    5 Mar, 2009

    Made this last night and it was FANTASTIC! I also used boneless breasts and they were a bit dry. Might shorten cooking time a bit if using breasts. I wouldn't add liquid because I suspect that would result in overcooked carrots - they were JUST right as written. I recommend trying currants instead of raisins (I always do this in Moroccan dishes), they are less sweet and the small size means more little morsels per 1/4 cup :) I agree with nolamom, do not omit them or the almonds and cilantro.

  • nolamom
    4 Mar, 2009

    So delicious..and literally could NOT be easier. The raisins, almonds and cilatro absolutely MADE this dish -- do not omit them. The only thing I would do differently is I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs and they were somewhat dry..next time I might add some chicken broth to add some moisture.

  • agfdurkin
    1 Mar, 2009

    I've been using my slow cooker a lot lately and just wanted to add that I have tried out the slow cooker liners (basically an oven bag) and while they make clean up easier, I don't think I'm going to continue using them, they seem to interfere with the liquid seal and moisture creation...

  • agfdurkin
    1 Mar, 2009

    To burg60: The slow cooker method doesn't need added liquid because it is a moist cooking environment. You'll notice that the lid of your slow cooker get all steamed up, well that moisture does two things 1) drips into the pot thereby adding liquid and 2) 'seals' the lid to the pot allowing it to create more steam. FYI - don't lift the lid of your slow cooker to check on it. It will break the moisture seal as well as cool the pot down rapidly and you'll need to cook longer.

  • agfdurkin
    1 Mar, 2009

    To burg60: The slow cooker method doesn't need added liquid because it is a moist cooking environment. You'll notice that the lid of your slow cooker get all steamed up, well that moisture does two things 1) drips into the pot thereby adding liquid and 2) 'seals' the lid to the pot allowing it to create more steam. FYI - don't lift the lid of your slow cooker to check on it. It will break the moisture seal as well as cool the pot down rapidly and you'll need to cook longer.

  • burg60
    1 Mar, 2009

    How come there is no liquid in the slow-cooker method? I am going to add 1 cup of chicken broth just to make sure everything cooks well. Comments?

  • mamaluvsfe
    1 Mar, 2009

    Wonderful recipe! So delicious and soooo easy.

  • DomesticSpice
    27 Feb, 2009

    I made this using the oven method. It turned out fantastic!! Definitely will make again. The only things I changed were adding more garlic (3 more cloves - my husband loves garlic)