This hearty chicken stew, cooked with tiny lima beans, can be on your table in less than an hour. Chicken thighs that are skinless and boneless require less time to cook and maintain their tenderness throughout the simmering process. Add as much or as little Creole seasoning as you wish to suit the preferences of your family. It was served with cooked white rice and a hot, crunchy cracker to make it even more “down home”!
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 45 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 slices reduced-sodium bacon
- 1 ¾ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound frozen lima beans
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste
Instructions
- Brown bacon in a 4-quart chef’s pan or saute pan over medium heat, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to the bacon drippings in the pan. Brown over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the same pan and cook in the drippings over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut browned chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and chop the browned bacon. Add to the vegetables once tender. Stir in frozen baby lima beans, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth. Season with Creole seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Press lima beans down into the cooking broth so they cook evenly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Leaving the pan uncovered during cooking helps the liquid to cook down without a thickener.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 442 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 36 g |
| Cholesterol | 92 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Protein | 30 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Sodium | 846 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Loved it. We’re eating more beans now, so will use this recipe a lot. Cooked up some dried limas, since couldn’t find frozen. Seasoning is yummy with only a hint of spice