This Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans is simple, hearty, healthy, and cheap. It tastes amazing, and is one of the highest rated recipes on Bowl of Delicious! It’s simply seasoned to allow the main ingredients to be the stars. It’s a 30-minute, one-pot, gluten-free, grain-free recipe that is sure to please the whole family, and it’s PACKED with healthy nutrients!
In fact, this chicken stew recipe is so packed with healthy, nutritious ingredients that you can easily omit either the beans or the chicken to make it paleo/whole30 compliant or vegetarian/vegan.
The secret ingredient that makes this taste so good is smoked paprika. It gives the soup a slightly smoky flavor (which goes insanely well with the sweetness of the potatoes) and makes it taste like it’s been cooking for hours.
The stew isn’t spicy, but you can add some cayenne pepper to it if you want. Besides a bit of fresh parsley thrown in at the end, there aren’t any other spices besides salt and pepper, making the taste of the chicken, sweet potatoes, and black beans really shine through.
And it’s thickened by mashing the sweet potatoes and beans up just a bit, meaning you don’t need to worry about adding any other ingredients, like flour or cornstarch, to thicken it to that hearty stew-like consistency.
What makes this chicken stew so healthy?
Chicken, sweet potatoes, and black beans… have I mentioned how HEALTHY and nutrient-packed these three ingredients are? Let’s take a look:
- Chicken is an excellent source of lean protein, all of the B vitamins, and has a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Did you know just a 4 oz. portion of chicken breast is 70% of your daily value in protein? There are also so many options- a skinless breast has the least amount of fat, but is pricier, whereas a skin-on thigh has the most, but is cheaper.
- Sweet potatoes are ridiculously high in vitamin A with 214% of your daily value per a 1-cup serving, which is great for bone growth, eyesight, reproductive health, and immune system health. Their orange color makes them high in vitamin C and beta-carotene, similarly to carrots, which is absorbed better when sweet potatoes are eaten simultaneously with fat (the olive oil in this recipe alone is enough for this benefit). And let’s not forget- their sweetness and texture makes them absolutely DELICIOUS!
- Black beans are high in folate and fiber, and provide key support for your digestive health. They’re also a high source of plant protein and iron, which makes them key in any plant-based diet. Plus, they’re SO inexpensive!
How to make Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans
Just sauté some onions in oil in a large pot, then add stock, tomatoes, black beans, and sweet potatoes, mash up a bit, and add some cooked chicken! It’s SO easy.
- First, sauté some diced onions in olive oil. If you want, you can add some garlic, but I like this particular recipe without it. I sometimes use butter or even chicken fat for this part instead of olive oil. You want to soften the onions and let them brown just a bit- this is best to do over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
- Then, add some chicken stock (homemade chicken stock is the best!). Or, if you’re making a vegan/vegetarian sweet potato and black bean stew, add some vegetable stock.
- Add some tomatoes, black beans, and smoked paprika and bring to a boil. I like using diced, fire-roasted tomatoes (they’re super flavorful). And make sure you drain and rinse your canned black beans.
- Next, add the sweet potatoes and simmer. I usually peel them, but you can leave the peels on if you want even more nutrition and fiber. I recommend cutting them into approximately 1″ pieces, but the bigger they are, the longer they will take to cook. If you want to cut down on cooking time, dice them smaller.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, mash the stew up a bit to thicken it. Don’t go crazy- you want it to be thick, but you also want some of the beans and sweet potatoes to be intact. I used a potato masher for this, but you can use an immersion blender to give it a few quick pulses if you prefer.
- Then, just stir some cooked chicken and fresh parsley in and let it heat up a bit! You’re done!
Can I use raw chicken instead of cooked?
Absolutely! I love using leftover cooked chicken, such as from a rotisserie from the grocery store, from roasting a whole chicken in my dutch oven, poached chicken breasts, or from leftover roasted chicken thighs.
But if you don’t have cooked chicken available, you can use raw chicken without getting another pan dirty!
Just add about 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or boneless, skinless thighs, for a cheaper option) to the stew when you add the sweet potatoes. Allow it to cook for about 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are cooked AND the chicken is completely cooked through.
Then, remove the chicken and shred apart with two forks, and place it back into the stew. Easy peasy!
How to make it in your slow cooker
It’s easy to make this chicken stew in your slow cooker. Just add everything EXCEPT the beans, chicken, and parsley to your crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Then mash it up a bit, and add the beans, chicken, and parsley in, and allow everything to heat up for a few more minutes.
Other tips and tricks
- This chicken stew freezes beautifully in an airtight container or bag for up to 6 months. When defrosting and reheating, you may want to add a little bit of water or some more chicken broth since it will be extra thick.
- This meal is already very inexpensive to make, but if you want to make this meal go even further, serve it over a grain like brown rice or quinoa. This is also great if you’re making it for a crowd.
Other recipes with chicken stews and soups
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Easy Chicken Tikka Masala
- Green Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
Other black bean and sweet potato recipes
- Quick and Easy Black Beans and Rice
- Spicy Quinoa and Black Beans
- Maple and Rosemary Glazed Sweet Potatoes
- Smoky Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Blue Cheese
Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans
Equipment
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cups chicken stock/broth
- 15 oz. canned fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 15 oz. canned black beans or 1.5 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 sweet potatoes diced into 1" pieces (about 4 cups total)
- 2-3 cups cooked shredded chicken such as rotisserie
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Saute the onion in olive oil (2 tablespoons) in a large pot over medium high heat until soft (2-3 minutes)
- Add the chicken broth (4 cups), canned tomatoes (15 oz.), drained/rinsed black beans (15 oz.), smoked paprika (1 teaspoon), salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and add the sweet potatoes. Simmer until sweet potatoes are cooked through, approximately 15 minutes (depending on how small you cut them).
- Use a potato masher (or a few pulses with an immersion blender) to mash the soup a few times to thicken it up a bit. Don't completely puree it- you want some intact beans and sweet potatoes.
- Turn the heat off and add the chicken (2 cups) and parsley (2 tablespoons). Stir and allow to sit for a minute or so to make sure the chicken gets warmed through.
- Serve hot garnished with extra fresh parsley.
Notes
- To make this Paleo/whole30 compliant, omit the beans.
- To make this vegetarian/vegan, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
- For a little spiciness, add a little bit of cayenne pepper with the smoked paprika.
- Freeze in an airtight container or bag for up to 6 months.
- If you don't already have cooked chicken, poach raw chicken with the sweet potatoes in the soup for about 20 minutes, until completely cooked. Remove and shred with two forks and add back to the stew.
- Money saving tip: To make this meal go even further, serve it over a grain like brown rice or quinoa.
- Slow cooker instructions: add everything except the black beans, chicken, and parsley, and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. Then mash, and add the drained and rinsed beans and chicken and parsley, and let it heat up for a few minutes until all ingredients are warmed through.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This post first appeared on Bowl of Delicious in September, 2016. It has been updated with new photos and more relevant information, along with improved recipe directions.
Lexi
Would love see this modified for the instant pot – starting with dry beans, too.
Elizabeth
This is an awesome idea! I recently did an Instant Pot Chili recipe with dry beans, and it came out great. I think you could probably use the same technique to make this stew- but with fewer beans, since this recipe only calls for one can.
Jennifer
Was looking for a recipe with ingredients I had on hand. This was delicious! I added spinach and zucchini at the end for extra veggies and they worked well!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! I’m going to make it this week too :-)
Kristina
I added spicy peppers to the onions and a little sugar to help them brown. I used Beef broth instead of chicken broth which gave it more meaty variety flavor, and over 2 cups of black beans so the ratios would be more appropriate to the sweet potato. I added a bit of chili powder too. In the end I cooked it for more like 2 hours until it cooked down almost all the liquid and turned into a hearty stew, with some chunks and some threads of chicken throughout. Delicious, and not too sweet.
Elizabeth
Glad you liked it, and love your suggestions!
Krysta
Everyone loves the taste! ATTENTION: DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR ON THE POTATO, BEAN, TOMATO MIXTURE! It looks gross haha. Awesome recipe though!
Elizabeth
Haha glad you liked it and thanks for the warning! :-)
Cate | Chez CateyLou
Just came across this post when I was looking for something to make for dinner – this is just perfect! Looks hearty and filling but still healthy and easy! Can’t beat that!
Zach
We are trying to get our three-year-old daughter into cooking since we cook every night. This is a pretty simple recipe with tasty ingredients. I’m going to give it a go tonight!
Elizabeth
That’s awesome! We have a 7 week old and I’m so excited to teach her how to cook when the time comes :) hope y’all have fun making this and enjoy the recipe!
Rachel
Hi, I just found this recipe and made a variation of it. I also added spinach, cumin and a touch of maple syrup — and used a purple sweet potato. It came out great, but very very purple. ;)
Thanks!
Allison
Hi! You have a couple of meat dishes under your vegan category. I just wanted to let you know! Incidentally, many of your recipes look super yummy. I’m going to start out easy by making one of your homemade granola bars. Thanks!!
Elizabeth
Hi Allison! Thanks for the head’s up :-) I actually have them there on purpose- whenever I add a note to the recipe on how to make it vegan, I include it on the list. I’m always second guessing myself because I’m not sure if I should do that (some people get surprisingly angry about things like that haha), but I don’t want anyone to miss out on yumminess! Thanks again and hope you like the granola bars!
Janet
I love this stew! The first time I made it at home and took it on a camping trip with 8 campers. They all loved it and so did the fellows at the next camp site. I made it for a small luncheon and am now making it for my book club dinner. I noticed it was even better the second and third day so now I’m making on Monday evening to serve on Wednesday. It is my new favorite dish.
Elizabeth
I’m so happy you like this recipe, Janet! Thanks so much for leaving such a nice comment :-) I love it when you find one of those recipes that you know you can make again and again, especially as a go-to for serving other people.
Lisa Tillson
Made it, LOVE IT!!! Looking forward to my lunch ALL week!!
Lisa Tillson
Made last night for this weeks lunches, can’t wait to try! How much is considered a serving?
Elizabeth
I hope you like it! In the recipe I wrote that it served about 4-6 servings. That said, I take serving sizes with a grain of salt (hah) and, as I usually don’t pay any attention to them in my personal life, I tend to estimate them for my blog (I just eat until I’m satisfied!) For lunch, I’d say you can probably divide it into 5-6 servings as a smaller portion. If you want a more accurate read on calories and nutrition for each serving, I recommend using this tool- copy and paste the ingredients and it will break it down for you, and you can adjust the amount of servings as needed. https://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
Lisa Tillson
Ok thanks..I’m estimating 1 1/2 to 2 Cups per serving
Mary
I make a very similar soup using white beans and for a completely different flavor, rosemary.
Keith
Anyone tried this with chopped cilantro leaves instead of parsley? Seems like it would add a matching flavor into this dish.
Elizabeth
I haven’t tried it but I bet it would be awesome! Maybe with a little squeeze of fresh lime juice as well?
Karen
Just made this for lunch, I added some baby carrots and a little cayenne pepper and chipotle chili pepper, we loved it!
I especially appreciated your comment on how to make it vegetarian. I will definitely make this again as it is easy to take to work for a filling lunch.
Elizabeth
Thank you, and I’m so glad you liked it!
Paulette
Hi Elizabeth,
I saw your recipe for chicken, sweet potatoe & black bean soup and want so much to try it. It sounds and looks delicious! I however am having a hard time getting to the directions. It’s not showing for me under the post and before the comments. Can you help?
Elizabeth
I can’t figure this problem out- you’re the second person to not be able to see them! I’m going to copy and paste them below. It might be the browser you are using- that’s the only thing I can think of. Well, if anyone else is having this issue, the directions will be right here now! Thanks for bringing this to my attention- I’m going to try and figure it out today :-)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 14-oz. can (small can) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can (small can) black beans, or 1.5 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
2 small-medium sweet potatoes, diced (about 3-4 cups total)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (such as rotisserie)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Saute the onion in olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat until soft (2-3 minutes)
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Turn the heat to low and add the sweet potatoes. Simmer until sweet potatoes are cooked through, approximately 15 minutes (depending on how small you cut them).
Use a potato masher (or immersion blender) to mash the soup a few times to thicken it up a bit.
Turn the heat off and add the chicken and parsley. Stir and allow to sit for a minute or so to make sure the chicken gets warmed through.
Serve hot garnished with extra fresh parsley.
Elizabeth
I’ve just updated the recipe card plugin. Hopefully that took care of it!
Paulette
Thank you so much, your willingness to repost is very much appreciated! I am buying the ingredients today. I can hardly wait to try it…my taste buds are already saying yum-yum!
Linda
I’m excited about this stew but I am allergic to olive oil, is there another oil I can use? Should I just ignore this ingredient? Thank you for your time!
Elizabeth
Absolutely! You can really use anything with this- I’d probably use butter (because yum… butter) but you can use canola or vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil you have on hand. Hope you like it!
Linda
Thank you so very much for your reply, I love the idea of using “butter! ” I cannot wait! Thank you so much.
Donna Bond
Made this tonight since I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, and it was a HUGE hit! Plus there are enough leftovers to serve again tomorrow night. Best new recipe I’ve tried in a while!
Elizabeth
Hooray! So glad you liked it!
Eileen Hubbard
I love the recipe but how can I find the directions . Please help
Elizabeth
Hi Eileen! The directions are right at the bottom of the post, above the comments. Are they not showing up for you? Just checked on my end and they seem to be showing up fine from over here. Let me know and I’ll post them in the comments here so you have them!
Elizabeth
Good idea- I’ll add it to the recipe card! Small to medium sweet potatoes will do. When I made it, I used only one humungous one (it was seriously the biggest sweet potato I’d ever seen!). All in all, you’ll want about 3-4 cups of diced sweet potato. Hope that helps, and thanks for the feedback!
Michelle
Have you tried in this in a slow-cooker? I’m wondering if it would turn out OK.
Elizabeth
I haven’t tried it, but I am certain it would turn out great. I would add the onions, chicken broth, spices, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before it’s done I’d add the beans, mash it a bit, then add the shredded chicken. Add the parsley right at the end. Alternatively, you can add raw chicken with the sweet potatoes and remove it, shred it, and add it back into the pot if you don’t have already cooked chicken. Hope that helps!
Uschi Webb
Super thank you for this recipe, we are running a soup kitchen here in Windhoek, Katutura, and this is the best !!!
Elizabeth
This is PERFECT for a soup kitchen- it’s so nourishing, but also very inexpensive. Keep up the good work, and I’m so happy that you all are able to use my recipe for the wonderful work you are doing!
Chris
Huge fan of all the ingredients in this dish, especially the black beans and sweet potato. Under orders from my wife to cook more so I think I’ll try to surprise her with your recipe.
Elizabeth
Thanks, Chris! That will be a GREAT surprise :-)
Jess Wright @ The Cookbook Obsession
I love everything about this – I can’t wait to try it! My husband isn’t wild about black beans but he loves kidney beans (he’s weird, I know :)) so I think I’ll try this and mix it up a bit.
Elizabeth
Thanks, Jess! Kidney beans would work perfectly in it- we used white kidney beans for it once and it was great. A little more mild tasting than black beans (and easier to digest for some people). Hope you and your hubby like it!
Cindy
Try cannill or white kidney beans, works great!
Elizabeth
The first time we made it we used white beans and it was awesome! I think chickpeas would be good, too.