Paleo chicken and chorizo stew is made from lots of pantry-friendly ingredients. Start with sweet potatoes and tomatoes, add some chicken, sausage, garlic, and onions. Drop in some broth and a handful of herbs and spices and you’re done. Tasty, healthy, easy.
Adapted from Ciarra Colacino | The Frugal Paleo Cookbook | Page Street Publishing, 2021
Like most of the Paleo-specific recipes I make, they are easily modified. Most don’t taste like “Paleo” at all…This is because I start with the basics: a common protein, easy vegetables, herbs and spices you probably have already, and cooking methods that are tried and true. Basically, there’s nothing new going on here. We’re building flavor by cooking specific groupings of ingredients in order to create depth and make it taste like you’ve been simmering this all day (instead of just one hour).—Ciarra Colacino
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Paleo Chicken and Chorizo Stew FAQs
Can I freeze paleo chicken and chorizo stew?
To freeze the stew, let it cool completely. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container. It will keep for up to one month. Reheat on the stovetop while stirring occasionally.
Can I substitute bone-in chicken breasts for boneless?
You absolutely can. Because the recipe requires you to shred the chicken, it doesn’t matter either way. We’d just like to say that bone-in chicken will give you more flavor and they’re generally less expensive, too.
Can I make a paleo chicken and chorizo soup instead?
You certainly can. We had testers try it that way and they enjoyed it just as much. In fact, this stew is pretty close to soup already. Just add a couple more cupfuls of broth, depending on how soupy you want it, and let it finish simmering.
Paleo Chicken and Chorizo Stew
Ingredients
For the chicken and chorizo stew
- 1 tablespoon duck fat bacon fat, or olive oil
- 3 cups diced white or yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 12 to 16 ounces ground pork chorizo sausage
- 4 cups diced white sweet potato
- 4 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon store-bought or homemade adobo seasoning blend
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 5 cups canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For serving
- Sliced avocado
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Sliced jalapeño (optional)
Directions
Make the chicken and chorizo stew
- In a Dutch oven, or another large stockpot with a lid, over medium heat, melt the fat.
- Add the onions, garlic, and chorizo and cook, breaking up the sausage. Cook until the onions have softened and the sausage is browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, adobo seasoning, sea salt, and pepper flakes. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Once the broth is bubbling, carefully lower in the whole chicken breasts. They will poach in the spicy broth over the next hour.
- Cover the Dutch oven and lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Let the soup bubble away until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the flavors have melded, 45 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the fresh toppings and stash them in the refrigerator until it’s time to eat.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and place it in a bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken, then return the shredded chicken to the stew and stir everything together.
Serve
- To serve, ladle portions into individual bowls and top with fresh avocado and radish slices, cilantro, and a squeeze from a lime wedge. If you’d like extra heat, toss a few jalapeño slices on top. Serve the stew immediately.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This paleo chicken and chorizo stew was such a hit at my house. I love that it’s packed with flavor with so few ingredients. And healthy sweet potatoes! I literally had everything at home to make this between the cupboard and the freezer. It’s easily a weekday wonder since it is ready in an hour and a half including chopping everything up.
Like most stews, it was even better the next day. We enjoyed the healthy paleo way the first night: straight up with lime, radishes, avocado, razor-thin jalapeno slices, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime—muy bien! The next day, I reheated the rest as tortilla soup: added a can of hominy and a can of Rotel and garnished with tortilla chips, more jalapeño and cilantro, raw onion, and sour cream. Will use this recipe again for sure.
This paleo chicken and chorizo stew is ease and virtue in a pot—what could be better? Really love this meal. It’s one pot, full of flavors, affordable, make-ahead, and feeds a crowd. Oh and toppings! Who doesn’t love a meal with toppings? Big fan—this will go in the family rotation.
Originally published November 11, 2021
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Greg Crawford
“Everyone should make this.” That’s a direct quote from my wife. I don’t disagree. For me, the words that come to mind are “flavor bomb”.
This paleo chicken and chorizo stew (mine was more of a soup than a stew) has a lot going on but all the flavors are wonderful together. You get some heat in the broth, the spice of the chorizo, the creamy sweetness of the sweet potato, and the flavors of your toppings (we used cilantro, lime, and avocado). The ingredients are all pretty standard except maybe for the white sweet potatoes, which I couldn’t find. Regular ones worked fine.
I loved being able to make my own adobo seasoning; it was quick and easy and now I have a jar full! There’s a lot of chopping to do but other than that, the recipe is a breeze… and only takes one pot.