Best Potjiekos recipes chicken in South Africa: small pot food for everyone

• Everyone is always asking which is the best Potjie recipe but there are several Potjiekos recipes chicken that you can work with to make a delicious meal. In this article, we look at chicken Potjie recipes that are easy to follow.
• The literal meaning of Potjiekos is “small pot food”. It is a popular South African dish that is prepared outdoors. Usually, the food is cooked with a potjie which is a three-legged pot. Dried animal dung, charcoal, or wood is used to cook the food inside the pot.
• Ruhana Ebrahim, food styling expert and recipe developer shared with Briefly.co.za specific cuts of chicken that are traditionally preferred for Potjiekos.

Award-winning chicken Potjie recipes

There are many Potjiekos recipes in South Africa. Chicken, oxtail, lamb, seafood, mushroom, beef and potato can be cooked using a Potjie. In this article, we will look at the Chicken Potjie recipe in South Africa.

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1. Simple chicken Potjiekos recipe

Ingredients

• One or two medium sweet potatoes, sliced
• 3 medium potatoes, sliced
• 350g green beans, topped and tailed
• 250g white button mushrooms, halved
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• 8 chicken thighs
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 250g dried peaches
• 2 tablespoons of coarse sea salt
• 2 cups of white wine
• 1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper

Procedure for cooking chicken Potjie

1. Make a three-stoned fireplace with sufficient coals.
2. Place the Potjie on the fire and heat the oil in it. Add the chicken thighs and then add the onions and garlic. Let it cook until the chicken is brown and the onions are well cooked.
3. On top of the chicken, add the vegetables and then add salt to taste.
4. In a different bowl, mix black pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon and wine. Pour this mixture on top of the chicken.
5. Let the food simmer for about one hour. Keep adding water until the chicken becomes tender. For best results, do not stir the food.
6. You can then serve the chicken with rice or bread.

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2. Creamy chicken Potjie

Ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts
• 12 peeled baby onions
• 60ml smooth apricot jam
• Chicken spice to taste
• 300g sliced mushrooms
• Aromat to taste
• 100ml water
• 15ml Worcester sauce
• 1 packet of onion soup
• 500ml fresh cream or 250ml Cream + 250ml milk
• 10 baby potatoes, peeled
• 250g cubed rindless bacon
• 750ml frozen mixed vegetables
• 4 diced medium onions
• 1 packet of oxtail soup

This creamy chicken Potjie recipe serves up to 6 people and takes about 1.5 hours to prepare.

Procedure for cooking creamy chicken Potjie

1. Take the chicken spice and use it to spice the chicken breasts.
2. Pour oil into the Potjie. Add the bacon and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onions, apricot jam and braai. Cook until it becomes tender.
4. Add the chicken breasts to the pot. Pour the water and the Worcester sauce. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes while covered.
5. Add the diced onions and the potatoes into the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the vegetables and the mushrooms. Add Aromat into the mixture, cover the pot and simmer for half an hour.
7. In a bowl, mix the soup powder with the cream. Pour this mixture on top of the pot. Let it simmer for another 30 minutes.

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3. Chicken Potjie curry recipe

Ingredients

• 12 chicken thighs
• 15ml cooking oil
• 15ml butter
• 3 crushed cloves garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoon mild curry powder
• 30ml chopped root ginger
• 1 chopped small piece chilli
• 2 onions, cut into rings
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 x 410g can chopped tomatoes
• 500g packet of mixed vegetables
• 6 peeled medium potatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock

Procedure for cooking chicken curry Potjie

1. In a bowl, add the curry powder, chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, coriander, turmeric, cloves and salt. Grind all these ingredients into a paste.
2. In the Potjie, heat the oil and butter. Add the chicken thighs, a few pieces at a time. Let the chicken cook and then remove it.
3. Add the onions to the pot. Let it cook until brown and tender. Add the spice paste to the onion and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Put the chicken pieces on the onions and on top, add the tomatoes.
5. On top of the tomatoes, layer the potatoes. You can then add another layer of tomatoes, but this is optional.
6. Pour the chicken stock.
7. Let the dish simmer for around 1.5 hours under medium heat. The food is ready when the chicken and potatoes become soft.
8. You can serve this chicken curry potjie with rice.

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4. Chicken and vegetable potjie recipe

Ingredients

• 12 chicken thighs
• 1 packet of chopped streaky bacon
• 2 finely chopped onions
• 45ml cooking oil
• 15ml butter
• 6 drumsticks
• 1 chopped carrot
• 3 sticks of chopped celery
• Baby corn
• 5 sage leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 250ml cream
• Crushed garlic
• 250ml chicken stock
• 250ml wine
• Peeled baby carrots
• Thickly sliced baby marrows, 6 pieces
• 250g of button mushrooms
• Salt, pepper, parsley

Procedure for cooking chicken and vegetable Potjie

1. Prepare the fire and place the Potjie with oil and butter in it.
2. Place the chicken thighs and after they become brown, remove them.
3. Put the bacon in the pot, and fry it until it is cooked.
4. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until soft.
5. 5. Put the chicken back into the pot. Add the chicken stock and the wine.
6. 6. Let the dish cook for one hour.
7. 7. Add the herbs and vegetables.
8. 8. Cover the pot. On top of the lid, add hot coals. This enables the meal to cook evenly.
9. 9. Let it cook for around 40 minutes. Avoid stirring the dish.
10. 10. Next, add the cream, stir gently, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes. Add the seasoning. You can serve it with rice, bread or pasta.

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5. Thai chicken Potjie pie recipe

A Potjie can also be used to make a chicken pie. Cooking this pie requires that you first prepare the filling and then the crust as illustrated below.

a) Filling ingredients

• One finely chopped onion
• Cooking oil
• 6 cubed chicken breasts
• Finely grated root ginger
• Finely grated garlic
• ½ tablespoon of curry powder
• Copped cherry tomatoes
• ½ can of coconut cream
• Freshly chopped coriander
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt
• Black pepper

b) Crust ingredients

• 2 cups of flour
• 2 tablespoons of baking powder
• Salt
• ¼ cup of butter
• ½ can of whole-kernel mielies
• ½ cup of buttermilk or amazi

Procedure for cooking the Thai chicken Potjie pie

1. In the Potjie, add the onions and fry until soft.
2. Put the chicken breasts. Add the garlic, curry powder, and ginger. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Pour the coconut cream and simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Add the coriander, sugar, salt, and pepper while stirring.
6. Prepare the crust by mixing the flour, baking powder, and salt. Rub the butter onto the mixture until it appears like dried bread crumbs. Pour all the other ingredients as you stir until moist batter forms.
7. Divide the pie mixture into four. Put the pieces in four different Potjies. Add the batter on the top. Place the Potjies on medium heat over the coals. Cover them and on top, place few hot coals until the batter has been cooked and risen. This process should take about 20 minutes. Alternatively, you could use tin mugs and place them in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius until the pie becomes brown.

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The chicken Potjie pie is very delicious and it does not take a long time to prepare.

Which cuts of chicken should you use for Potjiekos?

Ruhana Ebrahim, food styling expert and recipe developer shared with Briefly.co.za specific cuts of chicken that are traditionally preferred for Potjiekos, and what makes them well-suited for this cooking style:

Chicken thighs (also known as dark meat) is the best cut for a Chicken Potjie. It can withstand the slow cooking process, and stays tender and moist in the slow cooked stew. You can use bone-in or deboned.

Potjiekos recipes with chicken are very easy to follow and the ingredients are readily available. Foods cooked with Potjies are very sweet and many people associate them with their culture. The best thing about Potjiekos is that you can play around with ingredients and make a very good meal.

Source: Briefly News