Chicken Bog Southern Stew

I’ve made this Chicken Bog Southern Stew three times now and it’s one of those things where the name doesn’t really tell you what you’re in for. Last Tuesday I got home around 6:30 and just wanted something that could sit on the stove without me having to check it every five minutes, and this chicken bog worked out great.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The sausage gets browned first so there’s actual texture happening, not just everything soft
• You’re using 8 cups of broth you made yourself from the chicken so it tastes like something, not just rice water
• Takes 2 hours total but most of that is the chicken simmering while you sit down
• The rice soaks up all that sausage fat and chicken flavor without turning into mush if you keep the heat low
• Feeds 8 people from one pot
• You can taste the celery and garlic in the broth even though you strain them out later

The Story Behind This Recipe

I started making southern stew versions after my neighbor brought over a container of something similar last year. She called it chicken bog and I had no idea what that meant but it was really good. I looked up a few recipes and most of them just dumped everything in at once which seemed wrong to me. This version browns the sausage in butter first and that makes a huge difference. The other thing I changed was keeping the simmer really gentle when the whole chicken cooks — I noticed if you let it actually boil the meat gets stringy and dry. Now I just listen for that quiet bubble sound and check it after 40 minutes.

What You Need

You’ll need a whole chicken with the neck still attached because that neck adds gelatin to the broth while it simmers. I used a 4-pound bird last time. Grab 3 stalks of celery and just wash them and chop them rough — you’re straining these out later so don’t worry about making them pretty. One onion gets peeled and cut into quarters, and 4 garlic cloves you just smash with the side of your knife to split them open.

For the sausage part you want about a pound of smoked sausage, the kind that’s already cooked. Slice it into 1/3-inch rounds so they get surface area to brown in the butter. Speaking of butter, you need 2 tablespoons for browning those sausage pieces and that’s what makes the whole pot taste richer than if you just used oil. The rice is 2 cups uncooked — I use long grain white rice because it holds its shape better during the simmer. If you skip the butter and just boil everything together it tastes flat and you lose that caramelized sausage flavor that makes this chicken sausage rice stew worth making instead of just ordering takeout.

You’ll also need 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper for the initial simmer, plus more to taste at the end.

How to Make Chicken Bog Southern Stew

First thing is checking inside the chicken cavity for any bag of organs and tossing that. Put the whole chicken and its neck into your biggest stock pot and add the chopped celery, quartered onion and smashed garlic. Pour in enough water to cover the bird completely — for me that was about 10 cups but it depends on your pot size. Add 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, give it one stir, then put it over low heat.

Let it simmer for 40 to 60 minutes and this is where you really can’t rush it. If you let it actually boil the meat gets stringy. I keep my burner on the lowest setting where I can still hear those tiny bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds, and after about 50 minutes I check if the skin is starting to pull away from the drumsticks.

When the chicken’s done, lift it out onto a plate and let it sit for maybe 5 minutes so you don’t burn your hands. Pull all the meat off the bones and shred it with your fingers — I tried using forks once but hands work way better. Throw out the skin, bones and neck.

Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a big bowl or another pot. You should end up with more than 8 cups but you only need 8 for this southern stew. In a Dutch oven melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat and add your sliced sausage. Let those pieces cook until they’re browned and the edges get a little crispy — takes about 6 or 7 minutes and you’ll smell it when it’s ready.

Pour the 8 cups of reserved broth right over the sausage and crank the heat up to bring it to a boil. Taste it now and add more salt and pepper if you need to. Stir in 2 cups uncooked rice and make sure every grain gets coated, then add your shredded chicken back in. Cover the pot, drop the heat to low, and let it cook for 20 minutes. I usually lift the lid and stir it twice during that time just to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom.

The rice should soak up most of the liquid and turn tender without getting mushy. If it looks dry before the 20 minutes are up, splash in a little more of that extra broth you saved.

What I Did Wrong the First Time

The first time I made chicken bog I left the heat too high after adding the rice and didn’t stir it enough. About 15 minutes in I smelled something burning and when I lifted the lid the bottom layer of rice had scorched onto the pot. The top was still soupy and the bottom was stuck there like cement, so I had to scrape what I could into a different pot and the whole thing tasted slightly burnt. Now I keep the heat barely on and I set a timer to stir it at 8 minutes and again at 15 minutes and I haven’t burned it since.

Chicken Bog Southern Stew

By Emma

Prep:

30 min

Cook:

1h 30min

Total:

2h

Servings:

8 servings

Ingredients

• whole chicken with neck
• celery, washed and coarsely chopped
• onion, peeled and quartered
• garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• water to cover chicken
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• butter
• sausage, sliced in 1/3-inch pieces
• 8 cups reserved chicken broth
• uncooked rice

Method

1. 1 Remove any chicken innards and discard. Place the whole chicken and neck in a large stock pot.
2. 2 Add the coarsely chopped celery, quartered onion, and smashed garlic to the pot. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken completely. Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; stir gently.
3. 3 Simmer over low heat for 40 to 60 minutes. Avoid boiling to keep the chicken moist; listen for a gentle bubble and watch for tender skin shifting before testing doneness.
4. 4 Take the chicken out and set it on a plate to cool slightly. Strip the meat from skin, bones, and neck, shredding it by hand. Discard discarded parts.
5. 5 Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, capturing a clear, flavorful stock. Reserve 8 cups for cooking; set aside any extras.
6. 6 In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add sausage slices and cook until browned with a slight sizzle and crispy edges.
7. 7 Pour 8 cups of the reserved broth over the sausage, bringing it to a rolling boil. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
8. 8 Stir in the rice, coating every grain in the rich liquid. Add shredded chicken back in. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer.
9. 9 Cook for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. The rice should absorb most broth and become tender. If it stays dry before the rice softens, add more broth.
10. 10 Serve the mixture piping hot, tasting for seasoning and enjoying the melded textures of juicy meat, tender rice, and caramelized sausage.

Nutritional information

Calories

545

Protein

N/A

Carbs

N/A

Fat

N/A

Print Recipe Save to Pinterest

Tips for the Best Chicken Bog

Don’t lift the lid too much during that final 20 minute rice simmer or you’ll release the steam and the grains won’t cook evenly. I check it twice and that’s it.

If your broth tastes weak after straining, boil it down for 10 minutes before adding it to the sausage. Sometimes a bigger chicken releases more water than flavor and you need to concentrate it. The rice will only taste as good as that liquid.

When you’re shredding the chicken, save any little crispy bits from the skin before you throw it out and toss those back in with the meat. They add texture and nobody will know they’re there but it makes a difference.

The sausage needs actual color on it, not just warmed through. If you add it to the broth while it’s still pale the whole pot tastes flat. I let mine sit in the butter without moving it for 3 minutes before I stir, then another 3 minutes so both sides get contact with the pan.

Your stirring during the rice cook time should be gentle or you’ll break the grains and it’ll turn gummy. I use a wooden spoon and just pull from the bottom up twice, then put the lid back on fast.

Serving Ideas

I put hot sauce on the table and about half the people use it. The vinegar cuts through the richness and wakes everything up.

Cornbread on the side works but it’s almost too much starch. I usually just put out saltines or oyster crackers and people can crumble them on top if they want something crunchy. A simple green salad with lemon juice keeps it from feeling too heavy, or if you’ve got collard greens already made those work too.

Sometimes I’ll slice a few scallions over each bowl right before serving and that adds a sharp bite that the southern stew doesn’t have on its own.

Variations

You can swap the smoked sausage for andouille if you want more spice but it’ll make the whole pot pretty intense so cut back to 12 ounces instead of a full pound. I tried that once and it was almost too much.

Adding a cup of frozen peas in the last 5 minutes of the rice cooking gives you something green without having to make a separate vegetable. They don’t change the flavor much but they look nice and add a little sweetness.

If you want to make this in a slow cooker you’d have to brown the sausage first in a pan, then transfer everything to the slow cooker for about 4 hours on low. I haven’t done it myself but my sister tried it and said the rice got softer than the stovetop version. Some people use their Instant Pot but I don’t know the timing for that and I’m not testing it.

FAQ

Can I use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken? Yeah but you won’t get that rich broth from the bones and neck. Use 3 pounds of bone-in thighs, simmer them for 30 minutes, then shred the meat and use store-bought chicken stock for the liquid.

How do I know when the chicken is done simmering? The meat should pull away from the bone easily when you tug on a drumstick and the skin will look loose. If you’ve got a thermometer the thickest part of the thigh should hit 165°F but I usually just check by feel.

What if I don’t have a pot big enough for the whole chicken? You can cut the chicken into quarters before you simmer it but you’ll lose some of that gelatin from the bones cooking together. It’ll still work, just won’t be quite as rich.

Can I make the broth ahead of time? Yeah, you can simmer the chicken and strain the broth a day early and keep it in the fridge. The fat will solidify on top and you can scrape most of it off if you want, but I leave it because that’s where the flavor lives.

What kind of rice works best for chicken bog? Long grain white rice is what I use because it doesn’t turn sticky. Don’t use jasmine or basmati because they’re too delicate and don’t use instant rice because it’ll turn to paste. Regular long grain from the grocery store works fine.

Can I freeze leftovers? The rice gets a little mushy when you reheat it from frozen but it’s not terrible. I freeze it in containers for up to 3 months and then microwave it with a splash of water or broth to loosen it back up.

Do I have to use the chicken neck? No but it adds body to the broth because of the collagen. If your chicken didn’t come with one just use the chicken without it, the broth will be thinner but still taste good.

What do I do if the rice is still hard after 20 minutes? Add another half cup of broth, put the lid back on and cook for 5 more minutes. Sometimes the heat’s too low or the rice was older and dried out so it needs more time and liquid.

Can I use brown rice instead? I wouldn’t because brown rice takes 45 minutes to cook and by then the chicken will be sitting in there getting dry and the sausage will be overcooked. Stick with white rice for this chicken sausage rice stew.

What size Dutch oven do I need? I use a 6-quart and it fits everything with room to stir. You could go smaller if you’re halving the recipe but don’t go below 5 quarts or the rice won’t have space to expand.

Why does my chicken bog taste bland? You probably didn’t brown the sausage enough or you didn’t season the broth after straining. Taste it before you add the rice and add more salt then, because the rice will absorb whatever flavor is in that liquid.

How do I reheat leftovers without drying them out? Add a few tablespoons of water or broth to the bowl before you microwave it and cover it with a damp paper towel. Stir it halfway through heating. On the stove just put it in a pan with a little liquid over low heat and stir it until it’s warm.

Can I use turkey sausage to make it lighter? Yeah but it won’t taste as rich because turkey sausage doesn’t have as much fat. The whole point of browning the sausage in butter is to get that fat into the rice so if you use turkey it’ll be drier. You might need to add an extra tablespoon of butter.

What happens if I let the chicken boil instead of simmer? The meat gets stringy and tough and dry. I did this the second time I made it and the texture was wrong even though the flavor was okay. Keep it at a bare simmer where you just see a few bubbles every couple seconds.

Do I need to stir the rice while it’s cooking? Yeah, twice during the 20 minutes or the bottom will stick and burn. I set a timer for 8 minutes, stir gently, then again at 15 minutes. Don’t stir more than that or you’ll make it gummy.

Can I add vegetables to the chicken bog? You can toss in diced carrots or bell peppers with the sausage when you brown it but they’ll get pretty soft by the end. I don’t usually bother because the celery and onion already flavored the broth and I’d rather just serve a vegetable on the side.

What if my broth is too salty after I strain it? Add a peeled potato to the broth and simmer it for 10 minutes then fish it out. The potato will absorb some of the salt. Or just use less of the broth and add some plain water to dilute it.

How much extra broth should I save in case the rice needs more? I keep about 2 cups extra in a container nearby. Most of the time I don’t need it but if the rice looks dry at 15 minutes I’ll splash in a quarter cup and that usually fixes it.