A versatile Spanish stew that can use any meat. It is dominated by paprika, roasted red peppers, and onions. You can also add rosemary and wild mushrooms, too.
3 pounds chicken, (pheasant, lamb, venison or rabbit, in serving pieces)
2 large onions, (sliced root to tip)
10 cloves chopped garlic
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon hot paprika
1 jar (15 ounces or so), or 5 roasted red sweet peppers, (chopped)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 cups red or white wine
Stock if needed ((whatever goes with your choice of meat))
1/2 cup diced cured meat: Bacon, (pancetta, ham, etc.)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
4 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Large handful of dried mushrooms ((optional))
Categories
Main Course
Soup
Cuisine
Spanish
Steps
If using, put the mushrooms in a container just large enough to hold them and pour hot water over them. Cover and set aside.
Salt the meat and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature. Use this time to chop the veggies.
Pat the meat dry and pour the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a lid. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides in batches. Do not overcrowd the pot. Set the meat aside in a bowl when browned. Take your time and do this right. Add more oil if needed.
When the meat is browned, add the onions and stir to bring up some of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the onions with a little salt. Cook until they begin to brown, then add the garlic, the cured meat and the mushrooms, if using. Cook until fragrant, then add the meat back to the pot and mix well.
Pour in the wine and turn the heat up to high. Stir and boil furiously until the wine is half gone. Turn the heat back down to medium and add the tomatoes, the roasted red peppers and all the spices and herbs (except the parsley). Stir well. The level of liquid should be about 2/3 the way up the sides of the meat. If it is low, add the stock. I typically need about 2 cups.
Cover and cook at a bare simmer — just barely bubbling — until done. How long is that? Depends on the meat. Rarely is any meat done within an hour, but I’d check a store-bought chicken then. I find pheasants and rabbits take about 90 minutes, boar, pork and hares about 2 hours, and venison and beef up to 3 hours or more. Use your judgment.
Right before serving, test for salt and add some if needed. Add black pepper and the parsley and stir well. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, polenta or bread. Simple sauteed greens are a good accompaniment. A big red wine is also a must, ideally something Spanish, like a Rioja.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 459 kcal
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Protein: 27 g
Fat: 28 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 89 mg
Sodium: 500 mg
Sugar: 4 g
Reviews
Chris on 2026-02-16 (5 stars): Went full clean out the fridge stew with this recipe today, the base, plus carrots, celery, sweet potato chunks, as always fantastic.
alex on 2026-02-08 (5 stars): Made this today with 3-plus pounds of flat iron steak. It's wonderful! Reminds me very much of Hungarian Pörkölt but the wine and garlic give it a more refined flavor profile. We had it over gouda mashed potatoes.
Brandon Guard on 2025-12-09 (5 stars): This is about my 8th time making this, and as I looked it up on here today, I thought I'd give back a little by leaving a comment. We always use red wine and elk or venison hind quarter roasts, cubed up in about 1-1.5" cubes. I've done it where I roast my own peppers, and that is fanstastic, but I keep an eye out for roasted peppers in the can for weeknight efforts. I tend to brown in bacon grease and add bacon bits, as that is the cured meat I typically have available. I like to let it simmer for ~3 hours with those hind roasts as they can be a little tougher and really start to fall apart. The liquid turns into almost a gravy-like sauce. Its amazing. No matter how I bend or tweak it, the stew comes out fantastic. My wife and kids love it. I've been messing around with paprika varieties as well for some variety. I've actually never tried it with birds or anything else, but I can't see how it'd be bad. I'm sure each meat would create its own variant here. I have found that I'm not overly fond of the optional mushrooms, or at least the ones I've tried, they tend to be a little overdone and seem odd with my specific mixture here. A great one, a family favorite, and nothing I've ever had before. Thanks Hank.
Mark Nebergall on 2025-11-16 (5 stars): Hank, We're cleaning out the freezer and have some teal and widgeon boneless breasts. Would those work well in a chilindrone?
BTW: we've made this in the past with pheasants and it is out of this world.
Susanne on 2025-06-02 (5 stars): This recipe is simply divine. Made it with a pork shoulder roast and followed recipe as written. Served it with smashed nee potatoes from the garden. Will definitely make this again, next time venison. Thanks Hank, another winner!
Kevin Massaro on 2025-03-22 (5 stars): I made it with wild boar Italian sausage and elk because that's what I had at the top of my freezer. Simple, easy recipe, just takes time managing it. Great flavor, and the longer it sits, the better it gets. It's packed for a hog hunting trip or I'd have a photo with it today. If you're new to cooking, this is an excellent one to start with. Pretty much foolproof......and a little goes a long way. Of course I used about 3x the recipe, since the work takes about the same time. Still easy....and the kitchen will smell great.
But then again, I've probably made 15 or 20 dinners from Hank's cookbooks and never been dissapointed.
Tom Greek on 2025-02-14 (5 stars): This has become our favorite stew, perfect for a rainy weekend. I think it is the rosemary that really sets it apart.
Craig Masarei on 2024-11-24 (5 stars): Hank your Chilindron stew is wonderful thank you so much. We used tender farm rabbit.
Kerry Hanes on 2023-11-21 (5 stars): This is one of my favorite recipes using elk meat. Hank Shaw is also my favorite chef. I have adapted the recipe to appeal to my household's tastes. I like to double the quantity of roast red pepper, which I also roast fresh for this recipe. I double the fresh rosemary. I substitute a few tablespoons of tomato paste for the crushed tomatoes. I add about a dozen drops of liquid smoke just before the simmer. (Hank's choice of smoked paprika may be smokier than mine.)
Eddie Nickels on 2023-05-22 (5 stars): Every time I make Chilindron I cannot believe how good it is. I add hot sauce to spice it up a bit.