Tender Chicken and Chorizo Stew

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Like everything I like to eat, my food has to be loaded with flavor. This chicken stew is no exception. Charring the tomato paste, deglazing the pot with wine, and adding chicken broth instead of water intensify this recipe's flavor elements.

a bowl of chicken and chorizo stew served over rice and a wedge of avocado.

Why you would love this recipe

I want to give a "warning" that although I use Puerto Rican condiments and seasonings, this is not a "traditional" Puerto Rican chicken stew. This is how I make my chicken stew. With that said, this is why I think you will love this recipe.

Bold flavors: I am not going to deny the power of water in cooking, but I am also going to state that water, in it of itself, does not provide more flavor to what you are cooking. I come across many recipes that call for quarts and quarts of water. Using broths and stocks instead of water, add flavor to whatever you are cooking.
Charring tomato paste: Tomato paste is a concentrated tomato flavor agent. However, a little goes a long way. Recently I came across the idea of toasting the tomato paste to intensify the flavor even more. Not only does it intensifies the flavor, but it also caramelizes the tomato, adding a level of sweetness.
Deglazing the pot: Tomato paste will stick to the bottom of the pot while charring; this is just another layer of flavor to be added to the final product. Deglazing is the process of adding a liquid or ingredient that has a level of acidity, which will lift the cooked bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. But, again, a little can go a long way. What we are looking for is to lift the food and see the bottom of the pot. The stuck bits then incorporate into the sauce.

Ingredients

Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because I did not want to deal with obstructions while eating. No, the truth is those were the chicken thighs I had at home at the moment. Bone-in, Skin-on chicken thighs are perfect for this recipe.
Chorizo: There are benefits to using uncured chorizo to a cured chorizo (the dried links). The cured chorizo has a more robust flavor profile, while the uncured chorizo behaves like a regular sausage. I often buy uncured chorizo because I like pulling them from their casing and adding them to my ground beef. You can use dried chorizo if you would like to.
Potatoes: Baby gold potatoes are creamy and buttery. They hold their shape well and maintain their beautiful color through cooking.
White Wine: I cook with what I have available, and today I have white wine. Yes, typically, you would add red wine to a tomato-based sauce, but white wine works just as well.
Other ingredients: Canned tomatoes, Onions, Garlic, Tomato Paste, Bay Leaf, Sofrito, Salt and Pepper, Powdered Sazón and Adobo, Paprika

Variations

Wine: I am using white wine in this recipe because I ran out of red. Red wine would work just as well in this recipe. Consider the sweetness or dryness of the wine as you plan your recipe.
Root vegetables: Potatoes could easily be omitted and replaced by Yucca, Yautia, or Batata (sweet potato).
Tomatoes: Omit the tomatoes completely. The stew will be more of a golden color or a "blonde" stew.

Step-by-Step Instructions

I seasoned the chicken with powdered adobo, paprika, and sazón. I let the chicken rest for at least 30 minutes while I continued to prep the rest of my ingredients.

searing chicken and chorizo in a cast iron skillet. view of ingredients that will be added, like onions, potatoes, tomatoes paste and bay leaves.

Heat a skillet. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, and heat through. Place chicken thighs skin side down (or where the skin would have been), and sear with two links of chorizo.

cast iron skillet. the chicken and the chorizo has been removed. we added diced onions, whole garlic cloves and bay leaves.

Once the chicken and chorizo are seared but not cooked through, remove them from the pan. Add diced onions, garlic cloves, and bay leaves.

cast iron skillet with caramelized onions and garlic and a dollop of tomato paste to be caramelized as well for extra flavor.

Caramelize the onions and garlic to a light golden brown, then add tomato paste. Continuously turn the onions, garlic, and paste to continue caramelization.

cast iron skillet with caramelized onions, garlic, tomato paste and we added chicken thighs and chorizo. chorizo has been cut into rounds.

Add chicken thighs and chorizo. Turn all ingredients together to incorporate flavors. Add any drippings left on the plate where the chicken and chorizo were resting.

in the cast iron we add canned tomatoes, white wine, and chicken broth to deglaze the pan.

Add tomatoes, wine, and broth to deglaze the pan. Lightly lift the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat to low.

image of cast iron skillet to which potatoes have been added.

Cover the pan and turn the heat to low. Let the stew cook for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and tender.

skillet view after stew had been cooking for 30 to 40 minutes covered.

a serving of chicken chorizo stew over rice with a wedge of avocado and a glass of water.

Serve over rice. And for a more authentic Puerto Rican feel, add a wedge of avocado and a lettuce and tomato salad.

My best advice

Plan ahead: Always allow time for your proteins to marinate and soak in the flavors of your seasonings.
Sear, then cut: When using an uncured or raw sausage like I am in this recipe. sear the sausage, then cut it into rounds. If you cut it first, it will create a mess. However, removing the casing of the sausage will create a chunkier sauce full of spice and bite to the tooth.