Chicken & Okra
Stewed Chicken & Okra
If you are from the south, then you know about okra! If you aren’t familiar with okra, it is a vegetable (some say a fruit since it has seeds) that has a slight sweet taste and can be slimy. Okra is great when it is either fried or stewed, like in this recipe. It definitely packs flavor to any stewed dish. Many people put okra in their gumbo, which is an option as well. This dish is similar to gumbo but the main difference is that it has a tomato based sauce instead of a roux base, like gumbo. If you dont feel like slaving over a stove make a roux, this is the next best thing. This recipe was passed down from my Mom, which I have made it many times for her and she approved. First, chop 1 bell pepper, 1/3 of an onion and 1 pack of smoked sausage (you can use turkey sausage if you prefer). Grab 6 cups of frozen okra. I prefer frozen okra in this recipe since it prevents the okra from being slimy. NOTE: If you prefer fresh okra, to easy the “sliminess”, add one tsp of pickle juice to your recipe. The pickle juice cuts out the sliminess. If you are using frozen okra, you do not need to add pickle juice.
In a pot, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, sausage, onion and bell peppers. To the sausage and veggies, add 1 tbsp of garlic powder, 1 tbsp of onion powder and 1 tbsp of cajun seasoning. Cook until the sausage has turned a brown color.
Once the sausage has turned a brown color, add the frozen okra to the pot and stir.
Add you favorite pieces of chicken. In this recipe I used chicken thighs and chicken breast on the bone. Make sure whatever chicken pieces you use, have the bone. The bone adds more flavor to the dish and I am all about adding flavor! No bland dishes!!
Add 3 cups of water to the pot. If you want it to be more of a “gumbo/soup” texture, add 4 cups of water instead of 3. I like a thicker “stewed” texture for this dish, so I added 3 cups of water.
Take 16 oz of tomato paste and mix into the water. The water will turn a redish color once it is mixed it.
Cover and cook on medium heat for 1 hour.
After 1 hour of cooking, uncover and grab a large cooking spoon and remove any excess oil that has floated to the top of the pot. Also, add 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of cajun seasoning and 1 package of dried shrimp. More added flavor!
Stir and cook for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
The longer it cooks, the sauce will turn a brownish color. Serve with rice and add some hot sauce for more spice.
Be careful not to eat any bones. If you would like, remove the chicken from the bones before serving. ENJOY!
Chicken and Okra
Ingredients
- 6 pieces of uncooked bone-in chicken
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/3 white onion
- 1 pack of smoked sausage
- 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 1 pack of dried shrimp
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp of onion powder
- 1 tbsp of cajun seasoning
- 6 cups frozen okra
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of cajun seasoning
- 3 cups of water
Instructions
- Dice onion and bell pepper. Slice the smoked sausage into small circles.
- In a pan, add vegetable oil. Once hot, add onion, bell pepper and sausage to the pan.
- Stir and add 1 tbsp of garlic powder, onion powder and cajun seasoning. Stir and cook until the sausage has turned a brown color.
- Add frozen okra and stir.
- Add raw chicken and stir.
- Add 3 cups of water to the pot.
- Mix in 1 can of tomato paste. The water will turn a redish color once the tomato paste is fully mixed in.
- Cover and cook for 1 hour.
- Uncover and remove any excess grease that has floated to the top of the pot.
- Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of cajun seasoning. Taste to make sure it is seasoned to your liking. Add 1 pack of dried shrimp.
- Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has turned a brownish color.
- Be careful of the bones in the dish. You can remove the chicken from the bones prior to serving.
- Serve with rice and ENJOY!
Hi there, I’m Shauntra! My blog is full of recipes made with simple ingredients for delicious food. Read more about me.
