Sweet potato and chicken recipes are a delicious combination, and this Skillet Sweet Potato Chicken is hearty and comforting and full of rich and deep flavors.
Inspiration
I’ve never forgotten a delicious soup I once had at a Japanese restaurant years ago. It was a warmly spiced, slightly spicy, noodle soup -- it was when my love of sweet potato and chicken recipes came to be.
It was also my third date with my now husband. (Irrelevant, but fun fact.)
It was more than fifteen years ago that I fell in love with this flavor combination that would one day become this Skillet Sweet Potato Chicken. I thought is was a divine soup and I've often imagined it in many other forms.
I’ve imagined it in casseroles, stews, and as a sauce for this chicken dish, and so on.
The broth was creamy and thick and blended with deep, rich spices, and an overtone of sweetness from potatoes. Truly, it was somewhere between a soup and a stew, which is my favorite kind of soup. Hearty!
And here's an opportunity for a reminder to pause while you're cooking to admire the beauty of the raw ingredients. Between their colors and textures, they often paint a picture before your eyes.
Truth is, other than the sweet potato, which I’m guessing was a Japanese variety, I’m not sure what was in it. I suppose I could really try to dissect it in my mind, but it was really mostly about was the vibe.
Yes it was really delicious, but it was more about the feeling derived from the flavors, than the flavors themselves.
So rather than try to recreate the exact flavors, I’ve tried to recreate the vibe . . . .
In a skillet with super succulent chicken and a few vegetables and fresh herbs.
What's in this recipe?
- sweet potato
- chicken
- onion
- garlic
- shiitake mushrooms
- vermouth
- warming spices (see below)
- coconut milk
- honey
- fresh basil
- peas
What are warming spices?
- Generally, warming spices are those that have a deep aroma and strong flavor. They can make any dish richer.
- The warming spices in this recipe make it one of the most comforting chicken dishes of all time. It includes turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
Skillet Sweet Potato Chicken is definitely impressive enough for guests, and at the same time, it’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner. It's delicious over rice, pasta, rustic bread, or simply on its own.
Please don’t be daunted by the long ingredient list for the Skillet Sweet Potato Chicken. If you read through the recipe, and follow the steps, you’ll cruise right through it.
Enjoy every last comforting, cozy, super delicious bite! And I hope this becomes one of your favorite sweet potato and chicken recipes!
More delicious and comforting chicken recipes:
- Skillet Chicken Thighs with Apricots and Olives
- Baked Coconut Mango Chicken
- Simple Honey-lemon Roasted Chicken
What is exactly is a comfort food? Read this article to find out!
Skillet Sweet Potato Braised Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potato, baked (see notes)
- olive oil for the pan
- 1 approximately (3-pound) whole cut up chicken, skinless, bone-in
- 2 cups yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1½ tablespoons garlic, minced
- 3 cups Shiitake, thinly sliced (about 5-ounces)
- ¼ cup vermouth
- ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 13½ ounces coconut milk (1 can should be 13½-ounces)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
- 1 cup green peas frozen and thawed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the baked sweet potato in half and use a spoon to gently scrape out the potato. Add it to a small mixing bowl and then use a fork to mash it. Set aside.
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet (at least 12-inches) with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Once the pan is very hot, place them, presentation side down, in the pan. Use kitchen tongs to flip the pieces over once they’ve browned, after about 2 minutes. Cook for another minute. (This gives the chicken a nice caramelization, and will speed up the overall cooking time.) Remove the chicken form the pan and place it on a plate. Set aside. The chicken will finish cooking with the sauce later in the recipe.
- With the medium-high heat still under the pan, add the onions and garlic and sauté, stirring often, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add a bit more oil to the pan and add the mushrooms. Sauté until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low to add the vermouth, and then turn it up to medium. Use a flat-edged wooden spatula, to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits of food that are stuck. Once the vermouth has almost completely cooked off, turn the heat to low again and add cardamon, cinnamon and turmeric. Stir and cook just until it's aromatic, about 30 seconds.
- Then add the mashed sweet potato, coconut milk and honey. Mix until it's as smooth as possible, and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here’s How to Season to Taste°.)
- Return the chicken to the pan, presentation side up, and spoon some of the sauce over each piece.°
- Add the basil leaves between the pieces of chicken and cover. Braise just until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
- Add the peas and mix them into the sauce.
- Serve! (You can gently “shred” the chicken off the bones and mix it into the sauce to serve, or keep it as is.)
Notes
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Chie Lee
Looks like another winner! Brava Valentina! Can't wait to try it after this heat wave.
valentina
Thank you for checking this out, Chie! Yes, hoping it cools down! XO 🙂
Coco
Dinner tomorrow night... check!
valentina
Yay! Enjoy!
Lisa Spencer
Serve with rice?
valentina
Sure! Or pasta or bread, whatever you'd like. 🙂
Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought
Gorgeously delicious.
valentina
Thank you, Cathy!! XO
sippitysup
Personally, I like the vibe of a long ingredients list. It builds that deep flavor you describe here so well. GREG
valentina
Thanks Greg. I do to! 🙂
Patricia Black
Maybe I missed it, but when do you add the spices (tumeric, cardamon, etc)?
Pat
valentina
Hi Pat, Thank you so much for pointing this out! I've now edited in that information -- you add the three spices after the vermouth and before the sweet potato. Sometimes I miss something like this and I always so appreciate when readers bring it to my attention. 🙂
Julia
My husband also likes a soup that is more like a stew. And I agree with you about the vibe. Food often is a time travel machine in my mind. The stew that you created looks amazing and I love the photo of the sweet potatoes.
valentina
Thanks so much, Julia. I love the time travel relation. 🙂
Ginny
Skillet recipes are the best. Love that pile of spices. The flavors sound delicious!
valentina
Thanks so much Ginny. Hope you try it!
Jenni LeBaron
I love the creative use of sweet potato and the addition of peas makes me happy! This recipe looks really creative and tasty!
valentina
Thank you Jenni! 🙂
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Comfort food season is here and this is perfect. Chicken is always a hit with adults and kids. This would be a crowd pleaser and leftovers would be great for down the road.
valentina
Oh my gosh, we just wrapped up the leftovers yesterday. Delicious!
Jacqueline Meldrum
I'm all about the sweet potatoes and I am loving the spices you used for this dish.
valentina
Thanks so much Jacqueline! Enjoy!
David
We, too, love this kind of dish - definitely one I am adding to my Paprika list!
valentina
Yay! Hope you both love it!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Valentina, this chicken dish sounds so good with the combination of sweet potato and spices. Perfect comfort food.
valentina
Thank you so much, Karen! I hope you try it and love it. 🙂
Dixie
I found this recipe because I had 3 ingredients I needed to use up. Chicken, sweet potato and basil. I was impressed with how it came out and especially how the potato just became part of the sauce making it creamy in the best way. This recipe is a keeper for sure. I had to change a couple of things because I did not have a couple of ingredients on hand like coconut milk so I used regular milk and I was out of fresh mushrooms so I used canned. Still the recipe turned out good.
valentina
Hi there! Thanks so much for writing in. This makes me so happy -- especially because my intention with the sweet potato is to make the sauce rich and creamy (and add flavor, of course). So glad it was such hit and that you want to make it again. Yay! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cherylynn
Is there something I can use in place of vermouth? Thank you
valentina
Hi Cherylnn. Thanks for writing in. Sherry is a great alternative to the vermouth in this recipe. I'd use medium dry or cream sherry. I hope you love this -- it's such a comforting chicken dish. Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cherylynn
Sorry! I should have asked if there was a non-alcoholic alternative to the sherry or vermouth? Thank you.
valentina
Hi! Ah, I see. You have a few choices . . . you can use chicken stock, water, coconut water, or even a touch more of the coconut milk. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina