Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Stew is a hearty and flavorful dish, featuring tender bone-in chicken thighs simmered with carrots, potatoes, and fragrant herbs. Perfect for an easy, comforting meal, it combines simple ingredients with a rich broth thickened to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs - extra fat trimmed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Olive oil - for searing (about 3 tablespoons)
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium carrots - peeled and sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3 medium red potatoes, quartered or baby red potatoes
- 3 bay leaves - dried or fresh
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Liquids and Thickener
- 5 cups chicken broth, divided (plus more as needed)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Season and Sear Chicken: Season chicken thighs evenly with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side, without moving them to ensure good browning. Transfer seared chicken to the slow cooker.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add more olive oil to the same skillet. Sauté diced onions and sliced carrots for 5 minutes until onions start releasing moisture. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze, adding a splash of chicken broth if needed to avoid burning.
- Add Aromatics and Tomato Paste: Stir in minced garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add tomato paste and coat the vegetables well. Pour ½ to ¾ cup chicken broth to further deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer all contents to the slow cooker with the chicken.
- Add Potatoes and Season: Add quartered red potatoes and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Pour in 4 cups of chicken broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Prepare Flour Slurry and Add Peas: About 3.5 hours into cooking, mix ⅓ cup flour with ⅓ cup room temperature chicken broth to create a slurry. Add the slurry and frozen peas into the slow cooker. Stir well to combine and continue cooking for the remaining 30 minutes. The stew will thicken during this time.
- Shred Chicken and Finish: Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred the meat with a fork, discarding the bones. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir in chopped Italian parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve: Serve the stew warm, ideally accompanied by bread or biscuits for a complete meal. Enjoy your hearty chicken stew!
Notes
- If your slow cooker has a sauté or browning function, you can complete the entire recipe in one pot, skipping the skillet.
- Cooking on HIGH for 4 hours is recommended to keep chicken tender and juicy; cooking longer or on LOW for 6 hours may cause the chicken to become stringy.
- Using bone-in chicken thighs infuses the stew with rich flavor and helps keep the chicken moist and tender.
- If skin-on chicken is used, remove the skin after cooking before serving to reduce grease.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can make this stew ahead of time, keep it warm for a few hours, or refrigerate and reheat it in the microwave.
- For substitutions, boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts can be used instead of bone-in.
- Fresh thyme and rosemary can be replaced with dried herbs at adjusted quantities specified in the ingredients.
- Yukon gold potatoes work well as a substitute for red potatoes; avoid Russet potatoes as they tend to break down too much.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
