Boneless chicken thighs, small potatoes and carrots simmer in a tomato sauce seasoned with paprika, curry and cumin. I keep the heat gentle so the thighs stay tender while the potatoes soften; the mistake to avoid is a hard boil that breaks up the vegetables before their centres are cooked. The finished sauce should cling to the chicken and collect around the potatoes, with peas added near the end.

This is a family-style chicken stew: a full meal with vegetables and potatoes cooked in the same sauce. Fennel and fresh ginger give it a different direction from a plain tomato braise. Make it for a weekend supper, a cold-weather dinner or a meal prepared ahead, using regular carrots and frozen peas whenever seasonal vegetables are unavailable.

The recipe is based on my YouTube video, with a few adjustments since publication. The quantities below standardize the vegetables and liquids, keep the spice measures level and provide a clear cooking check. The batch makes six moderate servings; the three plates described in the video are considerably more generous.

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Why the fennel and ginger belong here

I make it this way because finely diced fennel and onions soften into the tomato sauce, while larger carrots and potatoes remain recognizable on the plate. Ginger gives a warm, fresh note rather than the flavour of a cream sauce. There is no flour or cream: the sauce gains body as the vegetables cook and the tomato reduces.

This is distinct from hunter-style chicken with mushrooms and chicken Marengo with white wine. It also differs from French-style chicken curry: curry is one part of the seasoning here, alongside paprika and cumin, with potatoes cooked directly in the stew.

Ingredients for a generous pan of stew

Use the quantities in the recipe card below. Boneless, skinless thighs are important for this timing; breasts need a shorter cooking period. Leave the thighs whole, trimming loose fat, so they do not disappear into the sauce.

Choose small, firm potatoes. Red, white and purple varieties match the video, but one colour works. Scrub them and halve any larger than about 1½ inches. Cut the carrots into 1-inch lengths, splitting thick ones lengthwise. Purple carrots can darken the sauce a little; orange carrots give a more consistent red finish.

Dice the fennel and both onions finely. Remove the tough fennel core and peel the ginger before chopping. Sweet paprika is the default, and a mild curry powder keeps the heat manageable. Ground cumin adds an earthy note, so use a level tablespoon rather than a heaped spoon.

For tomatoes, use plain crushed tomatoes or unsalted passata. A lightly seasoned homemade fresh tomato sauce also works if it has a similar consistency. Start with the measured stock rather than pouring in enough to turn the dish into soup. If using chicken stock concentrate, dilute it first and account for its salt.

Cook the stew step by step

1 Prepare everything before heating the pan

Dice the onions, fennel, ginger and garlic, keeping the carrots separate. Prepare the potatoes and measure the three spices. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Use a deep, wide pan or Dutch oven of at least 5 quarts with a lid; a shallow frying pan will be too crowded for this batch.

2 Give the chicken some colour

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the thighs in two batches, about 3–4 minutes on the first side and 2–3 minutes on the second, adjusting the heat if the pan starts smoking. Transfer them to a clean plate. They will finish cooking in the sauce. What I look for here is a light golden surface and a few browned juices in the pan, not a dark crust.

3 Soften the aromatics without burning the paprika

Reduce to medium heat. Add the onions, fennel and carrots to the same pan and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring. Add the ginger and garlic for the final minute. Stir in the paprika for about 20 seconds, then return the chicken and its juices. I keep this stage short because paprika can turn bitter if it sits on a dry, hot pan.

4 Build the tomato sauce

Add the crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of stock, scraping up the browned juices. The technique for deglazing a pan is useful here: loosen the brown bits, but leave any black, burnt residue behind. Stir in the curry powder, cumin, ½ teaspoon fine salt and the pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer. The liquid should surround the chicken and vegetables without completely burying them.

5 Add the potatoes and simmer gently

Nestle the potatoes into the sauce, cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 50–60 minutes, checking from 40 minutes onward. Stir carefully once or twice so the bottom does not catch. Add a little of the reserved stock only if the sauce becomes thick before the potatoes are tender.

A small knife should enter the centre of a potato easily. Check the thickest part of the chicken with a thermometer: it must reach at least 165°F. If the chicken is ready before the potatoes, lift it out temporarily and return it near the end. Tomato acidity can slow potato softening, so the knife test matters more than the clock.

6 Finish with peas and adjust the sauce

Stir in the frozen peas and simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes, until hot throughout. Taste and adjust the salt. If the sauce is thin, let it reduce uncovered briefly, removing the chicken first if needed. If it is too thick, add stock a spoonful at a time. Serve with the vegetables tucked around the thighs and sauce spooned over them.

Substitutions that keep the same character

Two yellow onions can replace the red and white onions. Regular orange carrots replace rainbow carrots without changing the method. If fennel is unavailable, use the same weight of additional onion and carrot; the sauce will lose its gentle anise note. A diluted homemade vegetable stock can replace chicken stock. Keep it low in salt.

Chicken breasts are possible, but do not simmer them for the full hour. Add them when the potatoes are nearly tender and cook only until they reach 165°F. Bone-in thighs need their own temperature and tenderness checks and are not a direct swap for the stated cooking time. For a different paprika-led chicken dish, Hungarian chicken is a separate recipe with its own sauce.

Questions about the potatoes and sauce

Why are my potatoes still firm when the chicken is cooked

They may be too large, or the acidic tomato sauce may be slowing their softening. Remove the cooked chicken, cover and continue simmering the potatoes. Halving larger potatoes at the start helps prevent this mismatch.

Does this need flour to thicken it

No. Finely diced vegetables and reduced tomato give the sauce body. Uncover the pan briefly at the end if necessary. A flour slurry would change the texture and is not part of this version.

Can I prepare it ahead

Yes. Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers within two hours, then eat within 2–3 days or freeze. Reheat the portion you need until the chicken reaches 165°F and the sauce is bubbling, stirring for even heating. Potatoes may soften further after freezing.

Serving ideas and other chicken dinners

The stew already includes potatoes, vegetables and a substantial serving of chicken, making it a hearty meal without cream. A crunchy romaine and endive salad gives a fresh contrast. Soft focaccia is useful for the sauce if you want bread at the table.

For a chicken supper with peppers and rice instead of potatoes in the sauce, try chicken basquaise. Keep this stew for the nights when you want everything to simmer together and the vegetables to be as much a part of dinner as the meat.