Haitian Hard Chicken Stew (Old Hen Stew Recipe)
This Haitian Hard Chicken Stew is made with old hen, traditional seasonings, peppers, onions, and tomato paste for a rich and flavorful Caribbean meal. Learn how to cook hard chicken until tender and serve it with rice for the ultimate comfort food experience.
Servings 6 servings
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan or Dutch Oven
- Instant Pot optional
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- Old hen cut into serving pieces
- Savory Thoughts All-Purpose Seasoning
- Savory Thoughts Saint-Marc Seasoning
- 1 medium onion
- Water
- Neutral oil
For The Stew
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 green onion sliced
- 1 shallot diced
- ½ bell pepper sliced
- 1 habanero pepper
- Fresh thyme
- Juice from ½ lemon
- Additional seasoning as needed
Instructions
- Start by seasoning the old hen generously with the All-Purpose Seasoning, Saint-Marc Seasoning, onion, and a drizzle of neutral oil. Allow the flavors to penetrate the meat before cooking.Place the chicken in a large pot and add 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.As the liquid reduces, add another cup of water and continue cooking. At this point, the chicken will have been cooking for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.Add 4 cups of water and an additional tablespoon of seasoning. Continue simmering until the meat becomes fork tender but still holds its shape. Depending on the age of the hen, this can take considerably longer than regular chicken.
- Once tender, remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot.Stir in the tomato paste and cook briefly before adding the sliced onions, bell peppers, green onions, and shallots.Return the chicken to the pot along with 1 cup of water. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Add fresh thyme, habanero pepper, and the lemon juice. Finish by layering sliced onions over the top, allowing them to soften slightly while still maintaining that signature Haitian onion crunch.Cover the pot halfway and simmer for about 10 minutes.Serve warm with white rice, diri kole, boiled plantains, or your favorite side dish.
Notes
**** When printing the recipe, please unselect the camera so that the pictures are NOT printed with the recipe (if preferred).
**** This post may contain affiliate links. See our full Privacy Policy. We may receive compensation by clicking on the links and or making a purchase.
Calories are estimated per serving.