Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Stew is a comforting, hearty dish featuring tender bone-in chicken thighs simmered with fresh vegetables, herbs, and potatoes in a rich broth, thickened with a flour slurry for a perfect stew consistency. Ideal for an easy, aromatic meal prepared with minimal hands-on time.
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 2 tablespoons initially, plus more as needed)
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
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced - or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 3 medium red potatoes, quartered
- 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 the chicken thighs with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, letting each side cook undisturbed for a nice crust. Transfer the seared chicken to a large slow cooker.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet (without wiping it clean), add more olive oil if needed. Sauté the diced onions and sliced carrots for 5 minutes, scraping brown bits from the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. If any spots start to burn, add a splash of chicken broth to prevent sticking.
- Add Aromatics and Tomato Paste: Add minced garlic, fresh thyme, and rosemary to the skillet and sauté for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste to coat the vegetables, then pour in ½ to ¾ cup chicken broth to deglaze the pan, loosening any browned bits. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker along with the chicken.
- Prepare Slow Cooker: Add quartered red potatoes, bay leaves, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to the slow cooker. Pour in 4 cups of chicken broth. Cover and cook on the HIGH setting for 4 hours.
- Make Flour Slurry and Add Peas: About 3 hours and 30 minutes into cooking, mix the ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour with ⅓ cup room temperature chicken broth to create a slurry. Stir the slurry and frozen peas into the slow cooker to thicken the stew, then cook for the remaining 30 minutes.
- Shred Chicken and Finish: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred the meat with a fork, discarding bones. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stir in finely chopped Italian parsley, and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the stew into bowls and serve warm, ideally accompanied by warm bread or biscuits for a complete meal. Enjoy!
Notes
- If your slow cooker has a sauté or browning function, you can use it to sear the chicken and cook the vegetables directly in one pot for convenience.
- Recommended cooking on HIGH for 4 hours to keep chicken tender; cooking longer or on LOW for 6 hours may cause stringy chicken.
- Bone-in chicken thighs add extra flavor and moisture; if using skin-on chicken, remove skin before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This recipe can be made ahead; keep warm for a few hours or refrigerate and reheat in the microwave.
- Substitutions: Use boneless thighs or chicken breasts instead of bone-in thighs. Yukon gold potatoes can be used instead of red potatoes. Avoid russet potatoes as they disintegrate easily.
- Use dried herbs if fresh are unavailable, adjusting quantities accordingly (¾ teaspoon dried thyme and ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
