Coastal Mains

Southern-Style Chicken Pot with Okra and Collards

Name: Southern-Style Chicken Pot with Okra and Collards
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 8 large bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (substitute or add chicken legs and wings); 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper; 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced, about 1 cup; 2 medium Red Fresno peppers, seeded, veins removed, diced, about 2 tablespoons (substitute with jalapeño peppers); 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon thyme; ½ teaspoon ground allspice; ⅓ cup tomato paste; 1 quart homemade or prepared low-sodium chicken broth; 1 pound collard greens, stems removed, chopped, about 6 to 7 cups; 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced, about 3 cups; 1 pound fresh okra, trimmed, cut into ½-inch circles, about 2 cups (substitute with frozen)

Jump to Recipe Print Menu

The Strategy:

Bring the classic flavors of the South to the table with this comforting chicken stew, packed with okra, collard greens, and sweet potatoes. Sear the chicken thighs until golden to build deep flavor, then simmer them in a rich tomato and herb broth until the chicken is tender. Serve this hearty one-pot meal warm with fresh cornbread.

Serves: 8 | Total Time: 45 minutes till it's ready

Ingredients

Chicken and Seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 large bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (substitute or add chicken legs and wings)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Aromatics and Spices

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced, about 1 cup
2 medium Red Fresno peppers, seeded, veins removed, diced, about 2 tablespoons (substitute with jalapeño peppers)
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon ground allspice
⅓ cup tomato paste

Broth and Vegetables

1 quart homemade or prepared low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound collard greens, stems removed, chopped, about 6 to 7 cups
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced, about 3 cups
1 pound fresh okra, trimmed, cut into ½-inch circles, about 2 cups (substitute with frozen)

Raw cooking ingredients for Southern-Style Chicken Pot with Okra and Collards arranged beautifully on a clean kitchen counter.

Instructions

Sear the chicken

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot.
Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and lay them in the oil in the pot. Be careful with this step; the hot oil will spit and hiss when you lay the chicken down.
Cook until the skin is golden on one side, about 5 minutes.
Turn and cook for 5 minutes more.
Transfer the chicken to a platter. You can do this in batches depending on the size of your pot.

Sauté the aromatics

Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings from the pot into a heat proof container and discard when cool enough to handle. Put the onion, pepper and garlic into the fat in the pot.
Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the bay leaves, thyme, allspice and tomato paste.

Simmer the stew

Pour in the chicken broth.
Simmer for 5 minutes more.
Add the collard greens, sweet potato and okra.
Return the chicken to the pot and bring the stew to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. Taste the broth and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Home cook prepared steps for assembling and cooking Southern-Style Chicken Pot with Okra and Collards.

The full recipe lives in the Vault

Ingredients, step-by-step method, and every chef-tested detail are reserved for members of the Estate Registry.

Join the Estate Registry

Sunday Know How

A Fresno chili pepper is similar to a jalapeño pepper but thinner and hotter. You can find them at a summer farmer's market – OR you can grow your own in a backyard pot. Substitute with jalapeño or poblano peppers. In all cases, reduce the heat of the pepper by removing the stem, seeds and veins.

Remember to wash your hands after handling hot peppers.

World's Best Cooking Tools Let's say you had a big night on Saturday and you didn't get around to making your Sunday social meal contribution. No problem! Pull out your pressure cooker, and make this dish in minutes. Simmer the veggies in oil in the bottom of the cooker. Brown the chicken in the cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients. Close the pressure cooker lid and bring the pressure to high, this will take 10 to 15 minutes depending on your cooker. Cook for 10 minutes. Release the pressure until the pressure indicator light indicates that all of the steam has been released, this will take another 5 to 10 minutes.

Carefully open the pot. Remove the bay leaves. Transfer to a portable container.

The Heart of the Table

This rich, steaming chicken pot represents the heart of comfort food, drawing everyone together with its deep savory aroma. The bright colors of sweet potatoes and greens make the table feel abundant, wrapping guests in a blanket of warm hospitality.

An appetizing, fresh serving of cooked Southern-Style Chicken Pot with Okra and Collards displayed beautifully on a styled dining table.

The Art of the Host

a seamless, high-heat resistant silicone spatula in a soft slate grey
a large, hand-thrown ceramic serving platter with an organic rim
a 7-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with dual helper handles
a set of heavy-gauge, satin-finished stainless steel mixing bowls
a pair of professional-grade stainless steel locking kitchen tongs

Neighborly Grace

THE PRESENTATION: Serve the stew in deep ceramic bowls, placing a piece of golden, skin-on chicken right in the center and surrounding it with the colorful broth and vegetables.
THE POUR: Pair with a crisp, dry Chardonnay or a tall glass of unsweetened lemon-basil iced tea.
THE VIBE: Covered Porch Dinner. The soft evening breeze, gentle guitar strumming, and the comforting aroma of stew create a warm, relaxed dining experience.

Chef’s Recommendations

The Glass of Tea: Citrus-Infused Iced Tea
The Southern Ending: Banana Pudding Ice Cream
A Classic Southern Side: Buttermilk Biscuits
The Cold Crunch: Classic Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw

The Estate Table

Build tonight’s menu around this dish.

✦ Set the Table

Southern-Style Chicken Pot with Okra and Collards

Southern-Style Chicken Pot with Okra and Collards

The full recipe lives in the Vault

The Heart of the Table

The Art of the Host

Neighborly Grace

✨ The Gilded Swaps