Brazilian

Serving

Frango com Quiabo (Chicken and Okra Stew)

Name: Frango com Quiabo (Chicken and Okra Stew)
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 2.5 lbs bone-in chicken thighs, cut into pieces; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 lime, juiced; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 onion, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 lb okra, trimmed and sliced into rounds; 2 cups chicken broth; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; Cooked white rice, for serving

A rustic Minas Gerais stew where bone-in chicken simmers with okra until the broth turns silky, brightened with garlic, tomato, and cilantro.

65 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

23 min prep

36 min cook

No common allergens detected

Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

7 steps

1
Toss the chicken pieces with lime juice, salt, and pepper, and let marinate for 15 minutes.
2
Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the chicken on all sides, about 8 minutes.
3
Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, then stir in the tomatoes and cook until they break down.
4
Pour in the chicken broth, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender.
5
Add the sliced okra and simmer uncovered for another 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the okra is tender and the broth thickens slightly.
6
Stir in cilantro and adjust seasoning.
7
Serve hot over white rice.

Frango com Quiabo (Chicken and Okra Stew) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Frango com Quiabo (Chicken and Okra Stew) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

72/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 100

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 52

Budget-friendly 82

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 48

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

510

Calories

53 g

Protein

11 g

Carbs

28 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Frango com quiabo traces back to Minas Gerais' Afro-Brazilian culinary heritage, where okra, brought over from West Africa, found a natural home in slow-simmered stews. The okra releases its characteristic thickening starch as it cooks, giving the stew a distinctive silky body that pairs with rice the way gumbo does in the American South.

Listahan note

This version browns the chicken first, then adds the okra only in the last 12-15 minutes so it thickens the broth without turning slimy from overcooking.

Technique cues

Marinating the chicken briefly in lime juice before browning adds a subtle brightness that cuts through the richness of the broth later on.
Adding the okra only after the chicken has already simmered 25 minutes is deliberate - okra needs just enough time to release its thickening mucilage without breaking down into an unpleasantly slick texture.
Simmering the okra uncovered for its portion of the cook lets some moisture evaporate as the vegetable thickens the broth, rather than trapping steam that would dilute it.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Slice the okra while the chicken simmers its first 25 minutes, so it's ready to go in right on schedule.
Make-ahead: The chicken can be browned and simmered a day ahead without the okra, then the okra added fresh when reheating to preserve its texture.
Leftover move: Reheat leftovers gently, expecting the broth to thicken further overnight - loosen with a splash of broth or water if needed.
Cleanup rhythm: Soak the pot briefly after serving, since the thickened okra broth can cling to the sides once it cools.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

bone-in chicken thighs, cut into pieces

main protein

Purpose: bone-in thighs stay moist through a longer simmer and their skin helps brown deeply for a flavorful base

Handling: marinate briefly in lime juice, salt, and pepper before browning on all sides

Adaptation: bone-in chicken drumsticks work the same way and hold up just as well to the simmer

okra, trimmed and sliced into rounds

thickener and defining vegetable

Purpose: sliced okra releases mucilage as it cooks, naturally thickening the broth into the silky consistency this dish is known for

Handling: slice into rounds and add only in the last 12-15 minutes, simmering uncovered so the broth thickens rather than stays watery

Adaptation: frozen sliced okra works nearly as well and can go in straight from frozen, added a couple minutes earlier to account for the temperature drop

lime, juiced

marinade brightness

Purpose: a short marinade with lime juice brightens the chicken before it goes into the rich, simmered broth

Handling: toss with the chicken pieces along with salt and pepper and let sit 15 minutes before browning

Adaptation: lemon juice works as a substitute, though lime is closer to the traditional flavor

chopped fresh cilantro

fresh finish

Purpose: stirred in at the end, it adds brightness against the thick, earthy okra broth

Handling: chop and stir in just before serving so it stays vibrant

Adaptation: chopped parsley is a milder substitute if cilantro isn't preferred

Technique notes

Brown the chicken thoroughly before adding liquid - this step builds most of the stew's flavor base and shouldn't be rushed just to get to the simmer faster.
Simmer the chicken covered for the first 25 minutes to keep it moist, then uncover once the okra goes in so the broth can reduce and thicken properly.
Stir gently once the okra is in, rather than vigorously, since aggressive stirring breaks up the okra rounds and can make the texture more slippery than silky.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Naturally gluten-free as written; just confirm the chicken broth doesn't include wheat-based additives.
Dairy-free option: Wherever dairy shows up here, a neutral dairy-free butter or oil and a full-fat plant milk (oat or coconut work best for body) is the straightforward stand-in. This one leans on the bone-in chicken thighs.
Lower-sodium direction: Use a low-sodium chicken broth and cut the added salt in the marinade by about a third.
Weeknight shortcut: Use boneless chicken thighs and frozen sliced okra to shave a few minutes off both the browning and prep time.

Serve alongside

White rice
Farofa
Sliced tomato salad
Crusty bread
Chilled white wine
Cold lager
Sparkling water with lime

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days
Reheat over low heat with a splash of broth, stirring gently to loosen the thickened stew
Freeze for up to 2 months, though the okra's texture softens further after thawing

Equipment

Large pot with a lid
Sharp knife for slicing okra
Wooden spoon
Rice pot

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