Chilindron, Spanish Stew

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chilindron recipe in a bowl
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Chilindron is a Spanish stew, and is one of my favorite dishes, so versatile that it stands outside the normal categories of venison, upland birds, etc.

Chilindron (chill-in-DRONE)  is dominated by roasted red peppers, paprika and onions. Most recipes also call for rosemary, olive oil, garlic, some tomatoes, good stock and wine.

The stew originates in Aragon, a part of central Spain. I first heard about this stew in the late, great Penelope Casas’ Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain, but I’ve since read about a dozen other recipes for this classic in other Spanish cookbooks.

It is rich, woodsy, and bright, a perfect combination of the “red food” many of us crave (spaghetti sauce, chili, etc – think about the colors in your favorite foods and you’ll find many of them are reddish) with the slightly austere, piney flavors that mark European wild game cooking.

I make this stew every few weeks I love it so much; it is one of the few “standards” I will repeat on a regular basis.

As for what meat to use, the Spanish stew typically features lamb or chicken. This hints at the range this stew possesses. I have made chilindron with good results from chicken, pheasant, rabbit, beef, venison and antelope, wild boar and pork. There is no reason you cannot toss in whatever you like.

I suppose you could even make a vegetarian version with mushrooms. When switching from light to dark meat, switch from white to red wine, too. Other than that, I use this basic recipe.

I also have a recipe for a similar Spanish stew – caldereta – that’s thicker and cooks longer, making it well suited for meats with a lot of connective tissue, such as a venison neck roast.

chilindron recipe in a bowl
4.94 from 66 votes

Chilindron, a Spanish Stew

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.
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 6
Author: Hank Shaw
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 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)

Instructions 

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 514mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2426IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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158 Comments

  1. I used pheasant, lamb, and mule deer in my first attempt at Chilindron, and I was blown away at how much flavor comes from a relatively simply recipe. I also replaced hot paprika with smoked so that the kids could eat it, and they have been downing large portions without hesitation. It is a great way to keep pheasant moist. I also used morels, and I added the steeping water. Thanks again for a great site and great recipe.

  2. Yes, want to try Chilindron! Reminds me of description of Polish traditional hunter’s feast dish Bigos from polish cook book by Marja Ochorwicz-Monatowa. My version is translated and adapted, so probably watered down. Venison, hare, wild boar, ham, sausage, roast veal, duck,etc. each cooked separately with various vegetables (veg. traditionally not added to main dish). Dice the separately cooked meats and stew 1/2 hr in a preparation of sauerkraut, onion, wild mushrooms salt pork, adding Madeira wine, bring to simmer and cover till served. She says it is “famous in poetry and in novels, was served at royal banquets and hunts…”

  3. Just finished eating my first batch with some Thanksgiving Day Pheasant. Amazing! I did one thing I haven’t seen mentioned. If your using dried mushrooms, rehydrate them in the wine. By just soaking in water and tossing, your wasting a lot of flavor. I didn’t have any hot paprika around so I used some dried Chipotle powder, added a nice smokiness and a little extra heat. Thank you for the recipe Mr. Shaw.

  4. We love any type of recipe that includes lamb! I will be saving this delicious looking stew for a cold night!!! Thanks for sharing!

  5. This is good stuff. Made a triple batch with 10 lbs of elk meat and it was the hit of a halloween party. A few thoughts: I’m at 8,000 feet, so a simmer is lower temperature than at sea-level. Pieces didn’t even begin to get tender till about hour five, but were mazingly tender after the second reheat, probably 6 or seven hours of cooking total. By that point, the dish looks a little monochromatic — rich brown, but still a single color. Another jar of red peppers and a bit more rosemary added toward the end adds a bit of color and flavor that makes a huge difference.

  6. This is a wonderful stew. I used venison roast, pheasant legs (can’t waste those), morels and bacon. I did not have hot paprika, so used all sweet. I was concerned the rosemary may be too strong, but it was very subtle (I’m not a big rosemary fan). I pulled the pheasant legs once tender and removed the meat from the bones, then placed back in stew. Although it takes time to make, it is easy and worth every minute put in.

  7. Hank, I have made this several times and it has become one of my families favorite dishes.thank you for introducing this dish to us!

  8. I made this in a crock pot (after browning the meat). Didn’t have a jar of roasted peppers, so I roasted some little bell peppers in the oven and gave them a quick chop. I used a bison roast and some pork chops. It was good, but probably would stick to just red meats next time.

  9. I made a pot of this using pork stew meat. Fantastic! -But it got me thinking… Has anyone ever tried this recipe with seafood? I have a few pounds of baby octopus in my deep-freeze. I’ll let you know.

  10. Have a pot of this simmering with venison, lamb, chicken and squirrel. Smells fantastic!
    Had venison backstrap with Cumberland sauce last night. A great mix of sweet and savory flavors. Thanks for all of the great recipes.

  11. Hello Hank, I’m going to give this recipe a go, on an overnight in the Wisconsin Woods this coming Saturday. My Brother and my English Setter Gunner and I are going to be making a shelter in the morning and grouse hunting for the afternoon. We are bringing along venison, aged pheasant(thank you) and rabbit, which all came from this past season. With a grouse(hopefully) it should make for a great warming meal at that night. I’m so excited I have the mis en place ready to go. Thanks for all the inspiration!

  12. Made this just as Hank describes with venison, but created an added taste by using broth I had made from some smoked duck carcasses. My wife and I cook a lot with broths made of smoked and roasted wild birds and find it really adds flavors. BTW, I highly recommend this recipe, having watched Hank make it in my kitchen using snowshoe hares. A real keeper!

  13. Wow what a great website! I’m from Ohio and we have our own garden,shitake and oyster mushrooms,also make my own beer and wine and do some cooking on the side for small groups. Hunting and fishing is a great pastime. I am going to try the chilindron stew with venison. We need more people like you to teach how to cook with basic foods and meat, less from prepared and prepackaged foods.

  14. Made this last Sunday with venison from my recently harvested CA blacktail and it was AWESOME! Rich deep flavors that were a hit with my entire family. As usual it was even better the next day for leftovers that I shared with a friend at work who told me that he’d just spent the weekend with his Spanish parents and they’d talked about how they used to travel into the country and eat goat Chilindron!

    Thanks Hank for the great recipes.

  15. Hank,

    As an avid outdoors-man and squeamish dabbler into the culinary world of wild game, I thank you. These recipes have opened my eyes to the possibilities the game I take hold. Usually I relegate most of my table fare from the woods/water to either the grill or hidden in a stew. This Chilindron looks magnificent. The color ,a dark smoky red ,draws you to it.I must try this out; do you think that duck would go well with this ? Waterfowling is my passion and I have plenty of fowl to use in a recipe such as this. I would think that the spices and tomato base would lend themselves to even the most gamey of birds (spoonies,scaup).

    Andrew

  16. I was going to ask if I could make this with rabbit, but you answered it for me. Thank you!

  17. Have never seen so many enthusiastic reviews on a rather unusual dish. Have hot and sweet Hungarian paprika on hand and ready to go…will try the Smoked Spanish Paprika next time. Has anyone tried both kinds?

  18. when in Spain…
    great recipe Hank.
    Even better vacationing in Spain, looking out the kitchen window at Alora Valley as I make it.
    8-D}}

  19. Excellent. Finished this off last night. I used venison from last year’s deer. Just cut a roast into serving size pieces. This dish smelled great the entire time it was cooking. I let it go for a full three hours; it was probably ready at least a half hour before that, but it was still wonderful.

    As someone mentioned earlier, will you clarify quantity of roasted peppers ( I used a jar that had no more than 2 peppers ) and when they should be added. Seemed best to dump them in with the crushed tomato.

    Anyway, thanks again.