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This hearty crockpot chicken stew is loaded with veggies like carrots, celery, and potatoes with tender, juicy slow cooked chicken thighs! The rich, hearty broth makes this a filling and satisfying meal for a cold night.
Whether it’s a cold Fall or Winter night, or even the middle of summer, the best kind of comfort food is a hearty bowl of stew! And it’s even better when you serve it up with some crusty bread.
I love a good soup recipe but it’s hard to beat a thick stew with lots of meat and veggies. They’re just more filling and you can load them up with lots and lots of your favorite ingredients.
I’ve added a bit of milk and flour to the broth in this recipe to help thicken it up and add rich, creamy flavor. This stew pairs well with just about any kind of bread too. My sweet corn bread recipe is a good choice too. The savory and sweet flavors work well together!
This crockpot chicken stew is a great way to prepare it too without a lot of effort. You can prepare it in the morning and let it slow cook all day until dinner for maximum flavor and tender, juicy chicken!
Expert Tips:
Potatoes – Be sure to use a waxy potato, such as new potatoes or even Yukon golds, so that they don’t fall apart in the stew. Russet potatoes won’t hold up as well after hours in the crockpot.
Chicken – You can easily swap the chicken thighs for breasts, if your family prefers white meat! No other changes needed.
Flour Mixture – Be sure to really whisk the flour and milk together well so you don’t end up with lumps in your stew. If the flour mixture is lumpy when poured into the stew, it will still be lumpy in the finished product.
Stove Top – Don’t have hours to wait for this stew to slow cook? Make it on the stove using this chicken stew recipe.
Crockpot Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 pound waxy potatoes quartered or halved depending on size
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 medium onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup milk
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat.
- While the oil heats, season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Add seasoned chicken thighs to the skillet and brown the chicken, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to a 6 quart slow cooker along with the seared chicken. Pour the chicken broth over the top.
- Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, thyme, basil, paprika, rosemary, and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- Add the milk and flour to a small bowl and whisk well to combine, ensuring no lumps remain. Add the milk mixture along with the peas to the crockpot and stir. Cook for 20 minutes on high to thicken the stew.
- Remove bay leaves, taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Ingredient Notes:
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Chicken Thighs – I usually prefer white meat but when it comes to soups and stews the chicken thighs work great! They’re extra juicy and flavorful. You can use chicken breasts instead if that’s what you’ve got.
Veggies – I’m loading this hearty stew with fresh veggies like chopped carrots and celery, diced onion, garlic cloves, and waxy potatoes! We’ll also add some frozen peas. Waxy potatoes will hold up best in the crockpot!
Stew Base – This starts with some chicken broth. After the ingredients slow cook for a few hours you’ll mix in milk and flour to thicken the chicken stew up and add some rich, creamy flavor to it!
Herbs & Seasoning – Salt and pepper for seasoning the chicken, along with some dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary with paprika, basil, and bay leaves.
Tomato Paste – It’s pretty much just concentrated tomato flavor. It works too! A little bit will add lots of flavor to this chicken stew.
What We Love About This Recipe:
- The herbs add wonderful flavor! You don’t want to skip those. They’re a simple thing to add but they really make a difference.
- The crockpot keeps this recipe nice and simple. Aside from searing the chicken, there isn’t a lot of additional prep needed. The slow cooker will do the work and you’ll come home to a cozy meal.
- This recipe is easy to customize. Swap the chicken thighs for breasts, use your favorite veggies, and adjust the seasoning to suit your tastes.
How To Make Chicken Stew:
Sear: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and then sear them over medium high heat in a skillet. You don’t need to cook them through, they’ll finish in the crockpot so just brown the chicken.
Veggies: When the chicken is ready you can place it into your slow cooker along with the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic! Pour the chicken broth over the top and stir in the oregano, thyme, basil, paprika, rosemary, bay leaves, and tomato paste. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
Crockpot Recommendation!
In the market for a new slow cooker? We love this 7 quart Crockpot. It’s simple to use, cooks evenly, and is very budget friendly. Plus, it has a 4 1/2 star rating with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon!
Thicken: Before serving the stew you’ll need to thicken it up a bit. Mix some milk and flour in a small bowl and whisk together to combined. Add it to the crockpot along with the frozen peas and let it cook for 20 minutes.
Helpful Tip!
When mixing the milk and flour make sure you whisk it until it is smooth and there are no lumps. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a lumpy stew! And that doesn’t sound very good.
Finish: When the chicken stew has thickened you can turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve it hot!
What To Serve With Chicken Stew:
As with most stews the best side dish is also probably the simplest. A nice crusty bread is perfect for soaking up the stew and it makes a hearty dish even heartier.
Try it with my jalapeno cheddar bread or our Irish soda bread! And what about biscuits? They’re perfect for stews. My homemade biscuits are just what you need.
Our quick dinner rolls are also a hit.
No time to make biscuits or bread from scratch? No worries! My air fryer garlic bread is perfect.
FAQ’s:
You can keep this slow cooker chicken stew stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days.
Yes, it can be frozen in a freezer safe container or bag for up to a few months. It can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove top after thawing.
Sure! You can swap out any ingredients you like, or add in new ones. Other veggies like green beans, frozen corn, peppers, cauliflower, etc. are all good choices. Canned beans work well too and are a simple addition.
Yes, you could cook this stew on the stove rather than slow cooking in a crockpot. I have a similar chicken stew recipe that is prepared on the stove. Follow the link to check it out!
MORE SOUP AND STEW RECIPES!
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Keto Beef Stew
- Cajun Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- White Bean and Ham Soup
Sandy Van Malsen says
Whoops forgot to give this soup 5 stars!!!!
Karly Campbell says
Thank you so much, Sandy! Those 5 star ratings are gold for recipe bloggers. <3
So glad to hear this was such a hit for you guys!
Sandy Van Malsen says
This soup was absolutely delicious!! Followed the recipe to a tee. Would not change anything. It has become by husband’s new favorite soup.
Gail Ortiz says
This chicken stew is delicious. Followed the directions to the tee. I wouldn’t change anything. Great winter meal
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks, Gail!