Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Stew is a hearty, comforting dish featuring tender bone-in chicken thighs simmered with carrots, red potatoes, and aromatic herbs in a rich broth. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, this stew is thickened with a flour slurry and finished with fresh parsley for a burst of freshness.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs - extra fat trimmed
- 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper (divided)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - for searing
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 (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 with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown without disturbing to develop color. Transfer seared chicken to a large slow cooker.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet, add more olive oil if needed. Sauté diced onions and sliced carrots for 5 minutes. Scrape the brown bits from the pan with a wooden spoon as onions release moisture to deglaze. Add splash of broth if spots start to burn.
- Add Aromatics and Tomato Paste: Add minced garlic, thyme, and rosemary to the skillet; sauté until fragrant for 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste to coat the vegetables. Pour about ½ to ¾ cup chicken broth to deglaze brown bits. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker with the chicken.
- Add Potatoes and Bay Leaves: Add quartered potatoes and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Pour in 4 cups chicken broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Thicken Stew and Add Peas: About 30 minutes before cooking ends (3.5 hours in), mix ⅓ cup flour with ⅓ cup room temperature chicken broth to make a slurry. Stir slurry and frozen peas into the slow cooker. Continue cooking for the remaining 30 minutes until stew thickens.
- Shred Chicken and Final Seasoning: Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred meat with a fork, and discard bones. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker, stir in chopped parsley, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Serve the stew warm with bread or biscuits. Enjoy your comforting meal!
Notes
- If your slow cooker has a sauté or browning function, use it to sear chicken and sauté vegetables in one pot without transferring.
- Cook on HIGH for 4 hours to avoid stringy chicken; you may cook on LOW for 6 hours if preferred.
- Bone-in chicken thighs add more flavor and moisture to the stew.
- If you use skin-on chicken, remove skin before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Make-ahead option: Prepare the day before and reheat in a microwave or stovetop.
- Substitutions: Use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts instead of bone-in thighs.
- Use dried herbs as indicated if fresh herbs are unavailable.
- Yukon gold potatoes can be used in place of red potatoes; avoid russet potatoes as they disintegrate easily.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
