Ghanaian Chicken and Peanut Stew (Groundnut Soup) Recipe

Peanut butter and tomatoes lend a rich and creamy backdrop to this simple, hearty Ghanaian chicken stew.

By
Niki Achitoff-Gray
Niki Achitoff-Gray
Niki Achitoff-Gray

Niki Achitoff-Gray is the former editor-in-chief at Serious Eats and a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She's pretty big into oysters, offal, and most edible things.

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Updated Feb. 23, 2023
Ghanaian chicken and peanut stew served in a shallow white bowl. A chicken drumstick is partially submerged in the peanut-tomato broth.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Using two different methods to cook the vegetables creates a more layered, nuanced flavor profile.
  • Chicken legs cook up more tender and succulent than white-meat chicken.

Peanut butter and tomatoes lend a rich and creamy backdrop to this simple, hearty Ghanaian chicken stew. Up for something a bit bolder? Try this goat- and tripe-based version instead. Our recipe was inspired by Sara'o Maozac's story "East, West, Then Backward: Falling for Groundnut Soup in Ghana" and was adapted from Maame Serwa’s recipe instructions.

June 2017

Recipe Facts

5

(3)

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Active: 15 mins
Total: 90 mins
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2 medium yellow onions (about 12 ounces; 340g), halved and ends trimmed, divided

  • 2 cups (480ml) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed, divided

  • 5 medium cloves garlic, divided

  • 1 ounce (28g) fresh ginger (about a 1-inch knob), divided

  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (about 2 pounds; 900g)

  • 1 hot chili pepper, such as bird's eye, habanero, or Scotch bonnet (see note)

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (9 ounces; 255g)

  • 1 (28-ounce; 794g) can plum tomatoes

  • 1 whole smoke-dried fish, such as tilapia or snapper (see note)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Hot cooked white rice or fufu, to serve (see note)

Directions

  1. In a blender, purée 2 onion halves, 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken stock, 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 ounce ginger, and tomato paste. In a Dutch oven, combine chicken legs with purée, remaining onion halves, remaining 1/2 ounce ginger, and remaining 2 cloves garlic, along with hot pepper and bay leaves. Toss to coat.

  2. Set Dutch oven over medium heat and bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until halved onion is soft and translucent, about 20 minutes. Add an extra 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken stock if mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pot.

  3. Transfer chunks of onion, ginger, garlic cloves, and hot pepper to blender. Add peanut butter, canned tomatoes and their juices, and remaining 1 1/2 cups (360ml) chicken stock and purée until smooth. Pass blended mix through a fine-mesh strainer into the Dutch oven, stirring to incorporate.

  4. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, oils have surfaced, and mixture has thickened and reduced by about one-third, about 40 minutes. Add smoked fish, reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook an additional 5 minutes. (If omitting the smoked fish, you can skip this 5-minute covered-cooking step.) Remove and discard smoked fish and bay leaves, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot over white rice or fufu.

Special Equipment

Blender (or immersion blender), Dutch oven, fine-mesh strainer

Notes

For a milder dish, cut the pepper in half and remove its seeds. Alternatively, use just half a pepper, or choose a less spicy pepper, such as a jalapeño.

Hot-smoked fish is a traditional ingredient in groundnut soup and adds a savory, fishy, smoked undercurrent of flavor to the dish. It can be found in most West African and Caribbean markets, but can be omitted if you're unable to find it or prefer to leave it out.

Fufu is a starchy dish made from pounded and boiled cassava root and green plantains.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
746 Calories
38g Fat
51g Carbs
50g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 746
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 49%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 197mg 66%
Sodium 517mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 19%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 50g
Vitamin C 35mg 176%
Calcium 86mg 7%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 1450mg 31%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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