Romanian Chicken Stew (Tocanita de Pui)
I wish I could say that tocanita, or Romanian chicken stew, was our favorite childhood meal that my mom would make, but it’s actually STILL our favorite meal she makes.
If we go over for Sunday lunch, it’s always homemade chicken soup (sharing that next!) and this tocanita, served over mashed potatoes. Simple and effective!
What Is Tocanita?
This version of tocanita is essentially a chicken stew that looks a bit like a curry butter chicken and is cooked in a somewhat similar way, but without any cream. Diced chicken simmers in a heavily seasoned broth until it’s reduced to a sauce.
I’m aware that tocanita can be made soooo many different ways and there are so many variations that are made with pork and beef, etc. however, this is the exact version we grew up with.
My mom is Romanian Hungarian and grew up in Romania near Oradea. This is how my Grandma used to make it as well, so those are my credentials lol.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Meat – I only recommend chicken – I know pork and beef are popular for this too but I was not a fan when my mom made it with pork and I have not made it myself.
- Veggies – I generally stick to onions and bell peppers for this but you can play around with different veggies here. You can see in my photos that my peppers are diced SUPER small because as kids, we didn’t like the chunks of veggies and my kids don’t either, so I partially blend them in a food processor. If I was making this just me, I would just dice them normally.
- Seasonings – You’ll need sweet paprika for this recipe. I don’t recommend smoked paprika because it will just taste smoky then. If the bottle doesn’t say anything except “paprika” it’s generally safe to assume that’s sweet and not smokey.
- A ‘true’ Romanian also uses vegeta so I did include that in the recipe however it is hard to come by. You’ll have to get it at a European store or on amazon. If you don’t find it, you can just double the salt and make sure to use chicken broth not water for more flavor.
- Liquid – my mom actually makes this with water but I have been making it with chicken broth or bone broth. Some of my kids don’t like meat very much so making the sauce with bone broth adds a little extra protein and nutrients. The photos in this post were made with chicken broth so if you do make it with bone broth, expect a slightly darker color (like in my video).
Let’s Make It
- Dice all your veggies and chicken. If you want smaller veggies, pulse them in a food processor just until they’re small like a chunky salsa, not completely pureed. The chicken should be about the size of chicken at Chipotle.
- Saute the vegetables with some garlic in a little olive oil.
- Stir in the flour and seasonings until they’re well combined.
- Add the meat and mix it into the seasonings a bit, immediately followed by the broth. The liquid should come just about up the surface of the chicken – not fully submerged. You can add more later if needed, too.
- Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Then reduce the heat to a low simmer, place the lid halfway on top of the pot and allow to simmer for about 2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes.
* The photos below show a double batch (2 pounds of chicken breast) in a larger pot.
How Do You Know It’s Done?
It’s done cooking when the chicken is tender and breaks apart easily when you put a fork through it. By this point, the liquid will have reduced to a sauce that holds a bit of a streak (pictured above).
Different Ways To Serve It
There are several ways to serve this chicken and they’re all so good!
- Mashed potatoes – the most popular way, similar to chicken and gravy or beef stew.
- Rice – just like butter chicken.
- Pasta – my favorite as a kid and my kids favorites. The sauce needs to be slightly thinner for this so make sure to reserve ½ -1 cup of the pasta water to add in when you mix it all up together (image below). I recommend just a 16 ounce bag of pasta for 1 lb of chicken.
- Bagel/Bread – this is my favorite unofficial way to eat tocanita. I am a bread girly and there is NOTHING better than soaking up that sauce with a fresh slice of warm homemade bread or a toasted bagel. My mom always left me a little in the pan growing up so I could eat it with bagel.
Storage
If you somehow happen to have leftovers, the chicken stores well in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for longer. Just make sure to keep it in an airtight container and thaw before reheating so you don’t get rubber chicken.
To reheat, you can microwave it but I prefer to add a little extra broth and heat it on the stove over medium heat. Adding a little extra liquid ensures the sauce doesn’t thicken too much and burn on the bottom of the pan.
I hope you guys love this recipe as much as we do. If you make it, please let me know what you think by leaving me a review with a star rating below!
& if you have any questions, just drop them down below. As always, have a blessed day and happy cooking!
Love, B
