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This bone-in chicken with butternut squash stew is hearty, delicious, and the ultimate one-pot meal. Made with chicken legs and thighs, onions, garlic, celery, and chunks of butternut squash.
Enjoy it with creamy mashed potatoes, garlic butter rice, or fresh bread!
Chicken stew is my favorite recipe to make on a chilly fall or winter day. I like to use bone-in chicken because it has so much flavor! The meat falls off the bone and the skin becomes super crispy. The trick to getting the chicken skin crispy is to sear it for a few minutes in oil and then finish cooking it in the oven. This chicken has a lot of color because I seasoned it with spices and seared it a few extra minutes. I like a lot of color on my chicken!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – Although I used bone-in chicken thighs and legs, feel free to use boneless chicken thighs. Avoid chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken for this recipe. If using boneless chicken, reduce the cooking time by half or cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Keep in mind that boneless chicken cooks a lot quicker than bone-in chicken.
- Butternut Squash – I love butternut squash in this dish because it adds sweetness and really good flavor but potatoes or pumpkin work too.
- Garlic – Use fresh for best results.
- Worcestershire Sauce – It adds good flavor but is completely optional.
- Chicken Stock – If you don’t have chicken stock on hand, feel free to use water or vegetable stock.
Top Tips
- Trim off any excess chicken skin. Only keep the skin on the top otherwise, the broth may become a little too greasy.
- If you don’t want the chicken skin to soften, don’t pour the broth over the skin. Once the liquid touches the chicken skin, it will become soft.
- Not a fan of too many spices? Season the chicken with just kosher salt and pepper. Just make sure to season the chicken under the skin otherwise it can turn out bland.
- Skim the fat off the stew with a ladle or spoon.
Storage
Allow the stew to cool completely then refrigerate it for up to 4 days. It tastes even better the following day!
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Chicken with Butternut Squash Stew
Ingredients
- 4 lbs bone-in chicken
- 2 cups butternut squash , chopped into cubes
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 2 celery stalks , chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 & ¾ cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 & ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red crushed pepper flakes, optional
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Trim off any excess chicken fat and then season the chicken with salt, pepper, and the spice blend on both sides and under the skin. Be careful not to tear the chicken skin.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pot skin side down and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Work in batches if you have to.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.
- Add the onions and celery and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and red crushed pepper flakes. Cook for 15 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken back into the pot skin-side up, keeping the skin above the liquid. Bring to a simmer then cover and place it in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Once the 45 minutes are up, uncover and cook for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes are up, add the butternut squash, pushing them into the liquid. Cook for 25 minutes or until the broth is thickened and the butternut squash is fork-tender.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, discard the rosemary and thyme sprigs, skim the fat off the stew with a ladle or spoon, check for seasoning and then place the chicken back into the pot.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Trim off any excess chicken skin. Only keep the skin on the top otherwise, the broth may become a little too greasy.
- If you don’t want the chicken skin to soften, don’t pour the broth over the skin. Once the liquid touches the chicken skin, it will become soft.
- Not a fan of too many spices? Season the chicken with just kosher salt and pepper. Just make sure to season the chicken under the skin otherwise it can turn out bland.
- Skim the fat off the stew with a ladle or spoon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
