Spicy Chicken Stew Recipe (2024)

I made this 1/15/21. I followed the directions. My family enjoyed the stew. It is definitely a keeper!

We really enjoy this recipe. I make it with a little more chicken than called for and skip the tortillas. I also cut the cumin to half, because it's not a favorite, and increase the garlic, because we love it. I always use red potatoes and leave them unpeeled. This time I made it with roasted corn from Trader Joe's, and really liked the flavor it added. The quality of the salsa makes a difference, too. I like it hot!

My family loved this dish! I'm in middle school, and we started to have me cook a dish once a month. This was my first time, and it went great! It is such an easy dish, and "flexible" if you will. You can add or take out, or substitute anything you want. I would definitely recommend it. I used all the ingredients in the directions, and I used Tomato Roja Chipotle Salsa to give it a little more kick

This is a fantastic recipe. I just use a pound of whatever chicken I have on hand, and I don't use tortillas in the crockpot. I serve the chicken stew with a handful of tortilla chips or Fritos, and it is excellent. It also doesn't have to be precise to work... you can improvise and substitute as you wish. I've used Tabasco instead of chile powder, which also works well.

This is consistently one of my go-to recipes! Even my picky daughter loves it. I've prepared it exactly as written with great results---well, minus the strips of tortillas. We leave those out. I've also tweaked on occasion to reflect the ingredients I had on hand(or didn't have on hand!). I've doubled it and used a bag of diced frozen potatoes(hash brown) in lieu of the potatoes. And I've made it with a can of petite diced tomatoes when I didn't have salsa----just added taco seasoning or extra garlic and cumin. I've also used canned corn (added toward the end of cooking time) when I didn't have frozen corn. Love that I can just dump ingredients in and leave it. I also love how tender my chicken comes out(sometimes I pre-cut the chicken instead of shredding at the end but that's good, too!) I do almost always use chicken breast exclusively---and the recipe is very forgiving if you just use however much chicken you have in the fridge or freezer!

I added more chicken broth, prob almost 2 cups more and a can of black bean towards the end. mine took way longer to cook but my crock pot was full to the brim. I really like it and so does the BF but i feel like its missing something...maybe salt? did anyone have a problem with blandness in the veggies?

We loved this stew! I only added one potato, and I did substituted the salt for chicken bouillon. I also added a small jar of taco sauce after sampling, but I have a cold, so my taste buds needed more kick. I topped each bowl of soup with sour cream, pickled jalapenos, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

This was delicious - I made it exactly like the recipe except that I used cut up Rotisserie chicken and also did what another reviewer suggested and used a packet of Taco Seasoning in place of recipe seasonings. A great winter slow cooker dish...and because my chicken was pre-cooked, I cooked this on high in a slow cooker for 3.5 hrs.

Blah. The chicken didn't really pick up any of the flavor and the potatoes taste undercooked even though they were cut small and cooked on high for 4 hours. The highlight of the soup is that I used hot chipotle salsa, which gives the broth a nice flavor. Nevertheless, I won't make this again.

I made this in the slow cooker yesterday and the house smelled Fantastic!!! This was an awesome recipe. We love spicy food so I had to kick up the spice a notch. I changed a couple of things- I browned the chicken before putting it into the crock pot, added some jarred jalapenos and their juice, added chipotle powder and subbed canned black beans for the corn (added the black beans during the last 1/2 hour). This stew was amazing!!! I will definitely put it into the rotation. The perfect meal for a crisp autumn day!!

I didn't hate it, but it's not something I'll make again. This was a little liquidy for me. Despite being a carnivore, I'm not a big fan of meats in soup. There's something about meat brewing in liquid/broth for a period of time, that grosses me out. I love crockpot meals, and lately, I've been obsessed with reciepes I can freeze for lunches, but this was much better the first day. Maybe I did something wrong.

This was very good and was almost a twist on chicken tortilla soup but thicker or more chunky. Nice spice and color.

Delish, a fair amount of prep work, but can be prepared ahead of time. I used hot salsa, and will make it again for sure

This is one of the best dishes I make in the crock pot and my family LOVES it! If you like tortilla soup then you'll love this. I've made it many times and often I leave out the potatoes or I only add one and I use a whole jar of Pace Picante (16 oz.). It really is delicious and easy.

Great recipe:) I omitted the corn and added a can of black beans, a can of stewed tomatoes, and a can of tomatoes with green chilies:)

I used sweet potatoes instead of baking potatoes and browned the chicken before I put it in the slow cooker. I also didn't have salsa so I used a can of spicy diced tomatoes. Made a beer bread to go with this. My family loved it all. Will definitely be a keeper reciepe! To leb7934.... I would not have been able to double this in my crock pot.....was filled to the top , however my crockpot is pretty old, newer ones have more room

I want to make this for a camping trip next week. I have a decent amount of people to feed over the course of 4 days. Does this batch fill up the crockpot or could you potentially double the recipe? let me know please, thanks!

This is AMAZING. Probably one of the best things I've ever made in the crock pot. Used an 8 oz jar of salsa instead of 12.5 oz and only 3 large chicken thighs instead of four and a breast. That was PLENTY of meat for this. Note that the cooking time was shorter for this recipe than for most slow cooker recipes so the potatoes were a little undercooked - def. cut them smaller than you would for most crock pot recipes.

I made this today and my family loved it. I cooked it longer than 4 hours, shredding the chicken after 4 and putting it back in the pot. Added the tortillas also, but ended up adding two more sliced tortillas so that it would be more like stew instead of soup. Ended up cooking it in the crock pot a total of 6 hours. Served it over rice. Delicious!

I tripled the recipe. Hubby really likes it as do I. I did not add the corn tortilla shells, instead, it was served with french bread. Per hubby's request.

One of my "go to" meals. I usually just do frozen breasts or chicken tenderloins and leave out the tortilla strips (personal preference). Really like the kick and it freezes pretty well, only the potatoes don't really un-thaw to their full just out of the crock pot potential.

Delicious!!! So I made mine into a mexican version by adding a small can of green chili's, 2 serrano's, 1.5 C chopped cilantro, doubled the cumin and chili powder, omitted the salsa, and used only 1 potato instead of 2. I added 4 of the 6 tortillas to the soup early on in the cooking so they would become very mushy and pliable and almost disinegrate into the stew. At the end of the cooking time, I removed the chicken, and using an emersion blender I partially blended the stew without the chicken, this thckened it up quite nicely. Then shredded the chicken and added it back in. With the remaining 2 tortillas, I made into strips and fried them up in some very hot peanut oil and were used for serving as a garnish. I laddled some of the stew into the bowl, topped it with shredded jack cheese, then some of the crunchy tortilla strips, and topped with some chopped cilantro. My friends raved about this for weeks, and everyone wanted the recipe!

Made it without the potatoes because they seemed unnecessary. Wonderful flavor. I sprayed the tortilla slices with cooking spray and baked them in the oven for about 15 minutes and sprinkled them on top for some wonderful crunch. Definitely a keeper!

Added 3 large chix breasts (cut up in big chunks), 3 potatoes, 16 oz of Paul Newman's Mild tequila lime salsa, used more chicken broth (3 cups) and added cilantro. This was decilious. 5 star. The smells in the house were wonderful when finished. Done in exactly 4 hrs. Will definitely make again.

Nice recipe, but found it slightly lacking in seasoning. I just bumped it up by adding about 1 additional tsp of salt and about a Tbsp of hot sauce (Cholula is my favorite). Added 5 tortillas only because I had 5 and didn't want to have 1 hangin' out in the fridge. Thickened up nicely, very warm and comforting....will definitely make again!

I made this last night, left it in the crock pot overnight. It is delicious. I made enough for left overs and lunch, so it tastes even better the next day. Great recipe, easy to make.

This soup is AMAZING. My family want me to make it again!

Made this tonight and it was very good!! I like to make a recipe the first time as it's written, and then I can change it. I wouldn't change this recipe. Flavors were great with just a little bite. Very filling and so easy to prepare for such a hearty meal!!

While the flavor overall was good - the potatoes don't seem to fit in a stew with these flavors. Skip the potatoes and maybe the carrots and it's pretty good

this recipe is outstanding just as written. I followed it to the letter and came up with a delicious chicken stew. Other reviews sort of had me worried, glad I tried it anyway. I am sure that the various selections of salsa make a difference as some are so sweet. I used a spicy chipotle one. Also, the tortilla strips at the end are essential as my pot was thin until I put those in and they thickened it to just right. Try this one!

When I was about to serve the meal it was still a soup so I added a can of cream of chicken and slices of Velveeta cheese and it was a yummy creamy stew and we ate on it for a couple of days! Thanks

My family enjoyed it. I added a little more of each spice and probably could have added a little more salt. It was very tasty and warmed on us on the first really cool day of Fall. Just want to add that I appreciate everyone who comments on the recipes. Your comments help me to decide which ones to make or pass on. Thank you!!!

Made this stew and it was very good very simular to tortilla soup. Had with torn tortillas but instead of adding to the stew I added them as served also very good with tortilla chips instead of the tortillas.....

After reading the reviews and tasting the initial, pretty bland stew I added one can of drained black beans, one drained can of pinto beans, one drained can of diced tomatoes and a small can of medium diced green chilis. This stew tastes very similar to Tortilla Soup, and I'll serve it like I would the soup- with diced avocado, cilantro, and a little shredded cheese. To make it even easier, if you have access to a Trader Joes, buy their Mirepoix (pre-chopped celery onion and carrots) and throw whole container into the stew. (I always keep a container in the freezer) Wondering if a better salsa would change outcome? I used Herdez, not a very flavorful or high quality salsa.

More like a soup, but I added a can of small white beans and made it even simpler by using canned diced potatoes. Added a small can of green chiles. I would leave out the carrots and celery- my kids said it was "too carroty"- I agree. So easy and good!!!

Yum, definitely the best slow cooker recipe yet! It came out surprisingly flavorful. I omitted the celery and used all chicken thighs. I also added two chipotle peppers and a little of the chipotle sauce that was in the jar. As with all Mexican or bean soups, I added cilantro, chopped avocado, and a little sour cream on top of each bowl. I will definitely repeat this recipe, perhaps substituting chickpeas for the potatoes, which would make it a little more authentic.

This is my husband's new favorite thing i make! It is really easy and VERY good! Great comfort food but not too heavy even for a warm summer day! Top it with fresh avocado, cilantro, a little bit of cheddar or pepperjack cheese and a dollop of sourcream!! The corn tortillas are a must!

Very, very good! I made a few extremely minor changes: -added about 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper -used about 1.5 lbs of skinless, boneless chicken thighs, no breast meat -did not use the tortilla strips -added parsley as a garnish This dish is probably in the top 5 meals I have ever made...and I have cooked at home at least 5 days a week. The chicken was so juicy, and it had the perfect amout of spice for me! Excellent meal!

My family loved this - we used hot salsa and added some hot sauce for a little more kick. Have made this many times.

Delicious stew - I added salsa with habenero peppers in it to make it spicier. The chicken pulled apart easily. Froze the extra to have at a later date.

I find it weird that 4 stars equal "worthy of a special occasion". This is an excellent, 4-star stew but it's not like i'd break it out to congratulate anybody. But I digress. This is a good strong, slow cooker recipe! I had to make one substitution but it turned out fine. I didnt have any potatoes but i had a bag of frozen o'brien hashbrowns (the cubed cut with peppers and onions). Tossed 1lb of those in and it turned out great. Next time I will up the spiciness either with a a hotter salsa or some sriracha as I would have a liked a bit more heat. This one definitely goes on the "keep" list.

Very quick preparation and easy. Tastes absolutely wonderful. I've made it with the potatoes and without. It's heartier with the potatoes but still tasty without. Spices give it a great flavor. This recipe is now a winter staple!

I am not sure what I did wrong but this turned out awful. I did follow all the directions and even added a bit more chicken stock. The stew had hardly any color and it cooked to a bunch of mush. My kids however ate two helpings so maybe it was good to them. I prefer something spicier and this obviously wasn't spicy at all or my kids would have not gone back for seconds. I would be very hesitant to try again. It was pretty easy to assemhle though.

Excellent, I loved it replaced 1/4 of reg salsa for Green jalapeno salsa since my husband and I enjoy spicy food I also omitted the extra salt. Great balance of flavors and the heat level was just right. I highly recommend.

This was very good and SO easy. I used 2 frozen chicken breasts (omitted the chicken thighs) -- the chicken was tender and very easy to shred at the end. It was not spicy at all, so I would recommend a chipotle chili or two if you like a kick. It needed cilantro or green onions as a garnish (for aesthetic appeal). Next time I might add a can of black beans for color, and a bit more chicken stock, but this was VERY good -- I'll be saving this recipe!

So much flavor!! I added some extra veggies that I had- cauliflour and some green pepper. Also, I added a can of black beans and used a cup more broth. Next time I'll use less potato, also will only use breasts next time. Served with lowfat sour cream, cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.

This is a great dish. I did not make any changes to recipe and it turned out great.

This is a keeper. Used 2 large skinless/boneless breasts only. Next time I think I'll add half corn and half hominy. Also I added some fresh cilantro at the end. Fabulous.

The recipe was great. I didn't have time to do the slow cooker, so i used my dutch oven, and cooked it for an hour to get the veggies cooked thru. Delicious! I also added a can of black beans toward the end, used only chicken breast that I had on hand, and used more chicken broth than the recipe called for. My hubsand told me this was DEFINATELY a make again meal!

Easy to put together. Very tasty and a "stick to your ribs" meal.Good hearty stew worthy of family gathering, buffet addition or pot luck. Serve with large drop buscuits to complete the meal.

Best and easiest chicken stew ever!!! The flavors are not too spicy - just the right kick!! I've made this stew 3 times and my family loves it.

Every day meal rather than worthy of a special occasion, but still worth 4 stars. Very tasty and easy. Added can of black beans later during cooking.

This is my new favorite! This recipe is so easy to make and sooooo delicious! My 5 year old daughter requests this for dinner at least twice a month! Thank you for this!

This recipe was delicious, but I would not call it spicy at all! So easy, it's a new family favorite!

I don't understand all of the positive reviews. This was a very uninspired recipe. I hesitated to include the celery, and do think it would have been better without as the taste does not fit the recipe. I don't like the thinness from the salsa, and I used a good salsa. I thought it was bland and added a whole chili pepper. I also added black beans to add.... something. I let it sit overnight in the hope that the flavors blended a little better, but I am not overly optimistic.

This recipe really surprised me. I followed the directions with three exceptions: I added more chicken broth, baked the tortilla chips, and I left out the cumin. I was out. My husband and son loved it. I will definitely make it for the rest of the family when they come home for the holidays.

This was wonderful, like a chicken taco soup... much better than I thought it was going to be. The only things I did differently was used taco seasoning instead of chili powder and I served tortillas on the side rather than putting on as a garnish. This will definitely be on my regular weekly rotation. I think tomorrow I'll make quesadillas to dip into it! Yummmmmy!

One of the best slow cooker recipes I have tried. Followed this one exactly. The tortilla strips really make this special. I was worried that they'd be soggy and would need to be fried, but they were fine. I might try toasting them next time to give it some extra crunch. I think you could also throw in whatever extra veggies you have on hand - a good way to use up various frozen veggies?

I browned the chicken first, cooked it a little, then cut into large chunks to lay on top. I used all chicken breast meat, also. I substituted chile verde for the salsa. It thickened up very nicely- especially after adding tortilla strips. Great recipe- will make again.

I made the recipe as written except used chipotle flavored salsa and Yukon gold potatoes and it was excellent. The sauce thickened by the time we ate it. Plenty of leftovers and it reheated well. Will definitely make it again.

Used chicken breast, no thighs. So easy. Smelled great when we walked in the door after work. Taste was ok. Should make great left overs for lunches later this week. We will make it again, but even with a mild salsa the 5 year old called it spicy.

Love it! Used 15 oz medium spice salsa and will add can of black beans next time.

Overall it was a good enough dish but I made many changes to bring it up to speed. The sauce was too thin and didn't have that much flavor. After having it for dinner, the next day I cooked the sauce a little more to thicken it then added more stock and salsa. Then, I blended the veggies in the sauce with a hand blender to make it more like a soup. Added some more salt and cilantro, then added the chicken. Much better.

This was an easy but very delicious recipe. I used more carrots and celery than called for. I also used frozen chicken breast tenderloins instead of full breasts and thighs.

This was great! I added 2 more cups of chicken broth. My husband loved it. I would make it again.

Great flavor! A great meal on a cold night. I would make two changes the next time: additional cooking time and extra chicken broth. I will definitely make this again.

Good basic recipe. I added a 16 oz can of tomatoes with green chiles just to spice it up. Maybe my salsa wasn't hot enough. The corn tortillas definitely thicken it. I added some shredded cheese and low fat sour cream on top. It was great that way.

My kids loved it, said it tasted like the enchiladas our Mexican nanny used to make for their birthdays that they just loved. I tried cooking it on low since I was gone most of the day, the chicken was done but the potatoes were not. May have worked if I'd cut them smaller.

This soup recipe was good. I added 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of chipolte chili powder and an extra clove of garlic to the recipe. I also added 10 more ounces of chicken broth. This recipe is a keeper.

Good flavor, easy to put together. I used two chicken breasts and a mild salsa with corn and black beans. My husband-who never comments on new recipes--said it was good and went back for seconds. I omitted the tortillas and served it with cornbread. It will go into the Fall/Winter Football recipe file.

I omitted any starchy added Carbs at end of recipe. Used a medium spiced red salsa and yams instead of potatoes. Added a green mildly spicy pepper and sweet corn form the cob. Doubled the chicken meat since I had room and was planning for left overs. Spices stayed the same. Very Nice!!! would make over and over while adding different things to keep it unique. Did add home made broth from night before chicken bones. Great Stew to share when friends are sick.

This was really good and very easy to make. I did it with all chicken breast and it was great. Really good re-heated too. Will definitely make again.

I added an extra heaping teaspoon of chile powder and about 3 TBS of green chile sauce. We like things spicy! Not sure if it's my crock pot, but 4 hours on high did not cook the carrots and potatoes enough. I would probably use all breasts next time I make this. The flavor was wonderful

Excellent soup that my husband and I both loved! Easy to make and delicious. I used fresh corn shaved off the ear and put it in at the end -- what a taste difference!

I though this was very good and I will make it again. I was not sure how it would be with the salsa, but it was good! I put the corn in frozen, so it took a bit longer to cook. It was very yummy and hit the spot!

This is good - I wouldn't call it spicy, it's got a little kick, but it's not truly spicy. We enjoyed it, but it could use a little color - something else green maybe? I'll make it again, but I might have to tweak it.

Bet you would like this one. Spicy, hearty, filling and with fall coming on just perfect.