Cajun Chicken Stew with Mushrooms: Even Better the Next Day
Sneak Preview: This Cajun Chicken Stew with Mushrooms starts with sautéed chicken. Add a delicious roux sauce and lots of veggies, including baby Bella mushrooms and baby carrots. Simmer for an hour. Serve immediately or the next day. As you can imagine, leftovers are outstanding.
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The messiest pages in my 3-ring binder of favorite recipes are those for make-ahead entrees. I couldn’t live without them. Can you? Cajun Chicken Stew with Mushrooms only improves as it rests in the fridge.
No worries if you want to eat it immediately. Please do so.
Happy Cooks Speak Up
I am making this dish for a second time today. Just forgot to print it out the first time. This was soooo good that all my family loved it, and it is very rare I can please both dad and kids at the same time. There was not a drop left.” —Violet
Ingredients and Substitutions
- CHICKEN: Use a whole chicken if you like all the different pieces. One of the advantages of a whole chicken is that you can make broth with the backbone, wings, etc. However, use only the thighs, breasts, or boneless chicken if you prefer. I pull the skin off because, after the chicken cooks for an hour, the skin will no longer be crispy.
- BUTTER: Substitute vegetable oil for the butter. Several readers have suggested that oil works better in getting the roux brown before it burns. Suit yourself.
- FLOUR: Bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour will work. If you need to go gluten-free, you can substitute almond flour. However, the texture will not be as smooth and rich as it is with regular flour.
- ONIONS: Use fresh or frozen diced onions.
- CELERY: Celery is an essential part of this dish. I can’t think of any substitutes to recommend.
- BELL PEPPERS: I like to use many colors of bell peppers: red, yellow, orange, and green. At the very least, use green bell peppers to get the authentic Cajun taste.
- GARLIC: Garlic is an important ingredient. Fresh is always better, but jarred garlic is acceptable.
- MUSHROOMS: Baby Bellas hold their shape better than standard white button mushrooms. They are also more attractive in the final dish. Although you see them sliced in the pictures, I now prefer to quarter them.
- CARROTS: After making this for years, I started adding baby carrots because it’s easy to throw them in the pot, and then I don’t have to prepare another vegetable for dinner.
- SEASONINGS: Adding the spices as specified will produce a fairly spicy dish typical of Cajun fare.
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?
A couple of days ago, I made this for our mid-week family dinner–an informal affair with our married kids, their spouses, and our grandson. Even though it was my day off, I knew I would be gone all day. It was easy to put together early in the morning, refrigerate, and serve for dinner.
This Cajun Chicken Stew recipe improves after hanging out in the fridge for a few hours. The flavors mix, meld, and marry, producing a wonderful gumbo-like flavor. Make it 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerate for the best flavor.
How To Make Cajun Chicken Stew
How to make the roux: Melt butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add flour and continue to stir with a wooden spatula. At first, the mixture will be crumbly. Keep stirring. It will eventually start to turn brown. Aim for dark butterscotch or the color of milk chocolate. If you start to see black specks, it has burned, and the taste will be off. Throw the roux out and start over.
If preferred, make a roux with your microwave and transfer the roux mixture to the Dutch oven.
FAQ
The sauce makes a deliciously rich and silky gravy best enjoyed over a pile of long-grain rice. I use a rice cooker with a timer so the rice will be ready when I walk in the door. Try mashed cauliflower or riced cauliflower as a low-carb alternative.
Round out the menu with a good loaf of homemade French bread to sop up the gravy.
Yes. After it cools, pour it into a freezer-safe container. Seal well. Freeze for 2-3 months.
Cut pork loin into small pieces and sauté it like the chicken. If using shellfish, wait about ten minutes before you’re ready to serve before adding it to the vegetables and sauce. It won’t take long for the seafood to cook. Overcooking makes shrimp or crawfish tough.
Several possibilities: 1)Tried to cook it too fast on HIGH heat 2)Didn’t stir often enough 3) Didn’t use a heavy pan
Parting thoughts: Just like gumbo, this dish shines brightest the next day. You don’t have to be in Cajun country to enjoy it.
More chicken recipes:
- Never-Fail Chicken and Dumplings
- Breaded Chicken Tenders with Rosemary and Parmesan
- Easy Cilantro Pizza with Chicken
Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Cajun Chicken Stew Recipe with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (50 g) vegetable oil (divided, 1 T for frying the chicken and 3 T for making the roux
- 1 (870 g) cut-up chicken or 5-6 chicken breasts or 6 boneless, skinless thighs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons (13 g) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups (225 g) chopped onions
- 1-1/2 cups (338 g) chopped celery
- 1 cup (175 g) chopped green bell peppers
- ½ cup (88 g) chopped red bell peppers
- 1-2 cloves chopped garlic
- 2-1/2 cups (568 g) hot chicken stock
- 8 ounces (227 g) fresh mushrooms, sliced baby bellas or white button mushroom
- ¼ pound (113 g) baby carrots
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2-3 drops Louisiana hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- Parsley for garnish or chop and add for fresh flavor
Instructions
- Pour 1/4 cup (50 g) vegetable oil into a large heavy pan. Pat 1 (870 g) cut-up chicken or 5-6 chicken breasts dry, sprinkle it with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and place them into the hot oil. When browned on both sides, remove them from the pan to another dish.
- Pour 3 tablespoons (13 g) vegetable oil into the same pan over medium heat. Stir in 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour and continue to stir until it is a dark butterscotch flavor. If necessary, add an extra tablespoon of oil to make the roux come together.
- Add 1-1/2 cups (225 g) chopped onions, 1-1/2 cups (338 g) chopped celery, 1 cup (175 g) chopped green bell peppers, 1/2 cup (88 g) chopped red bell peppers, and 1-2 cloves chopped garlic, chopped, to the roux. Cook until softened. Stir frequently.
- Add 2-1/2 cups (568 g) hot chicken stock to the vegetables, stirring as you go.
- Add the 8 ounces (227 g) fresh mushrooms, sliced, 1/4 pound (113 g) baby carrots, browned chicken, and the remaining seasonings: 1 bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2-3 drops Louisiana hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt except for parsley. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.
- Remove bay leaf and add Parsley for garnish or chop and add for fresh flavor before serving over rice. This recipe is even better served the next day.
Notes
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.