This hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with carrots and potatoes is such a comforting and cozy dinner! Perfect for cold winter days.
This easy chicken stew starts on the stovetop to build amazing flavors, and then it finishes cooking in the slow cooker for 4 hours until the chicken is fall-apart tender.
I hope you try this recipe! It will make you feel right at home. It’s so good.
The weather is getting chillier already, which means it’s time to pull out my crockpot and make comfort food all season long, starting with my family’s favorite slow cooker chicken stew, which is loaded with hearty vegetables like red potatoes and carrots.
After several rounds of recipe testing, I think I finally perfected it. The secret is building the flavors over the stovetop first by searing the chicken and sautéing the aromatics. I know it’s an extra step, but trust me when I say it’s worth it!
We love it so much that it has become one of our go-to dinners every winter, along with other cozy stews like my Dutch Oven Beef Stew or Spanish Chicken Stew, or flavor-packed braises like my Red Wine Braised Beef.
Plus, you can make a big batch over the weekend, and reheat the rest later. In fact, the flavors get even better the next day!
I love serving this slow cooker chicken stew with flaky buttermilk biscuits or something simple like these easy buttered noodles.
Why we love this slow cooker chicken stew recipe:
- It’s a full meal on its own, with tender carrots and hearty potatoes. Pair with bread or biscuits, and dinner is served.
- SO flavorful. The trick is pre-searing everything first, and then let the slow cooker do its magic until the chicken is fall-apart tender and delicious.
- Make-ahead friendly and freezer-friendly. It’s convenient and keeps really well.
Jump to:
An Incredibly Flavorful Chicken Stew
I tested this recipe so many times, so that you can make the absolute BEST chicken stew at home! I tried adding everything straight to the slow cooker without any sort of searing, and also browning just the chicken – both methods fell flat and lacked flavor.
But when I browned both the chicken and aromatics on the stovetop before adding everything to my crockpot, the results were AMAZING!
Here are my best tips for making the best slow cooker chicken stew:
- Brown the chicken, and sauté the aromatics and veggies first. This process produces brown bits that pack tons and tons of flavor. The caramelization here is key.
- Bone-in chicken thighs rather than breasts. The bones keep the chicken extra moist and adds flavor to the entire stew. I like to brown the chicken with the skin on to make it even better (you can just remove it at the end).
- Cook on HIGH for 4 hours to allow the flavors to further develop. If you cook it for too long, it will turn stringy.
Ingredient Notes
Below, I included a few ingredient notes from recipe testing that you find helpful, especially if you need to make a few substitutions. As always, the quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
- Bone-in chicken thighs: The bones add lots of flavor to the stew throughout. Thighs are also moist and tender than breasts. You can also keep the skin, which you’ll brown first – this will actually add even more flavor!
- Yellow onions and minced garlic: These aromatics are the foundation for the stew.
- Tomato paste: Adds incredible depth of flavor.
- Potatoes and carrots: Use red potatoes (quartered, or even baby potatoes) or yukon golds.
- Thyme, rosemary, bay leaves: I like to use fresh herbs for best results.
- Chicken broth for the stew’s liquid base
- All-purpose flour: We’ll use this to make a slurry to thicken the stew at the very ends.
- Frozen peas and Italian parsley: The perfect way to sprinkle a little bit of green and freshness to the chicken stew!
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
You’ll need a 6-quart or 7-quart slow cooker to fit everything in. Let me show you how I make it!
Step 1 | Brown the chicken
Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown, and transfer to the slow cooker. It won’t be fully cooked through at this point.
Step 2 | Sauté carrots and aromatics
Don’t wipe the skillet clean – you want all those brown bits from the chicken! Heat more oil, and sauté the onions and carrots for just 5 minutes. As the onions sweat, scrape the brown bits using a wooden spoon.
Next, add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme for another 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste. Add about half a cup of the chicken broth (or as needed) to deglaze, and transfer everything to the slow cooker.
Step 3 | Add potatoes and broth
Next, add the potatoes, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.
Step 4 | Slow cook
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours until the chicken is tender (3.5 hours into the cooking time, you’ll need to add the flour – see next step).
Step 5 | Thicken stew, shred chicken and serve
3.5 hours into the cooking time, make a slurry by dissolving the flour with broth. Stir it into the stew and combine. Cover and continue cooking for the remaining 30 minutes. At this point, you can also add the green peas.
Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred it (not too much though, you want a few good-sized pieces of chicken). Discard the bones. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and finish with chopped parsley. And there you have it, the most comforting chicken stew ever!
Serve with buttermilk biscuits, rolls, or anything you’d like!
How Long to Cook
Cook on HIGH for 4 hours total. I’ve tried 6 to 8 hours on LOW, and the chicken pretty much fell apart too much. It actually became stringy.
In fact, if you want it to not fall apart too much, cook for 3.5 hours total rather than 4.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
There are so many side dishes to pair with this slow cooker chicken stew. I always serve with some sort of bread or biscuits to soak up all the stew. Try these:
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
- Honey Butter Rolls
- Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls
- Or any kind of bread
If you’re looking for more comforting stews and braises to make this weekend, these are my all-time favorites:
Recipe FAQs
Yes, that would be ideal!
You can, but the chicken may fall apart a bit too much for my taste, but totally up to you! You’re looking for tender pieces of chicken, which can be achieved with 4 hours (or even 3.5 hours) on the HIGH setting.
Yes, although I find that thighs turn out more tender and tasty. If possible, find bone-in breasts. The bones add lots of flavor to the stew.
This post was originally published in 2021 and updated in December 2024 to include new photos and information.
Tips for Success
- Brown and sauté everything first. It’s an extra step, but so worth it! Otherwise, the stew will turn out bland. It takes an additional 15-20 minutes.
- I’d recommend using bone-in chicken thighs. The bones will infuse the stew with even more flavor, and chicken thighs in general are moist and tender.
- I like to use skin-on chicken – it adds even more flavor! Just remove it before serving.
- If you want chicken to fall apart less (it will still be very tender), cook for a total of 3.5 hours.
- Try not to cook for more than 4 hours. I’ve tried 6-8 hours and it became a bit too stringy.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker or 7-quart
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs - extra fat trimmed
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil - for searing
- 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
- 5 cups chicken broth, divided - plus more as needed
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Season chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown. Then, transfer to a large slow cooker. Tip: Let chicken sear on each side undisturbed to get that golden brown color.
- To the same skillet (don’t wipe it clean), add more olive oil. Sauté the onions and carrots for 5 minutes. As the onions release moisture, scrape the brown bits from the pan using a wooden spoon to deglaze. Tip: If any spots are burning, add a splash of broth to deglaze.
- Next, add the minced garlic, thyme, and rosemary, and sauté until fragrant for another 1-2 minutes. Then, add the tomato paste and stir to coat the veggies. Add about ½ to ¾ cup of chicken broth and deglaze the brown bits. Transfer everything into the slow cooker, along with the chicken.
- To the slow cooker, add the potatoes and bay leaves, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Add in 4 cups of the chicken broth. Cover and set it for 4 hours on the HIGH setting.
- 3.5 hours into the cooking time, dilute flour with about ⅓ cup chicken broth (at room temperature, don’t use hot broth) to make a slurry. Add the slurry, along with the peas. Stir to combine. Cook for the remaining 30 minutes. It will thicken up as it cooks.
- Remove the chicken and roughly shred it with a fork, discard the bones. Return the chicken and stir to combine, along with fresh chopped parsley. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Serve warm with bread of biscuits. Enjoy!
Notes
- If your slow cooker or multi-cooker has a sauté or browning function, you can just use that instead and make everything in one pot.
- I’d recommend cooking on the HIGH setting for 4 hours. I’ve found that longer cooking times made the chicken a bit stringy. However, if you don’t mind that, feel free to cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Why use bone-in chicken thighs. The bones will infuse the stew with tons of flavor. Thighs are also moist and tender.
- If you used skin-on chicken, be sure to remove the skin from the stew at the very end before serving.
- Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
- Make-ahead: You can make ahead and keep it warm for a few hours, or make it the day before and refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave oven.
- Bone-in chicken thighs: Boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- Herbs: Instead of 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, use 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme. Instead of ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, use ¼ teaspoons dried. Adjust to taste.
- Potatoes: Yukon gold is a great option. Use any kind of potatoes, except Russet potatoes because they disintegrate easily.
Alka Singh says
Hi Tania, having a dinner party 6 adults 3 men 3 women serving with pillsbury biscuits is this enough to feed everyone,. Also will oven give same results taste wise? If so, you said 350 degrees for up to 1 hour correct, following same instructions?
Tania says
Hi! Yes, that will be enough for sure. You can definitely bake it, 350F for 1.5 hours or until tender. You can add the cornstarch slurry before putting it in the oven. Let me know how it goes!
Alka Singh says
Hi Tania, Thank You for the reply, I will add the flour slurry like your recipe before puting in the oven. Another question, when do the peas go in when I cook in the oven.
Tania says
You’re welcome! The peas can go in like 10 minutes before the cook time is up.
Alka Singh says
The recipe was a hit and everyone found it delicious! Thank You Tania
Paul says
Hello from Plymouth UK! This is our favourite winter stew recipe! My son loves the stringy chicken when you cook it for 8 hours on low. The smell around the house made the neighbours ask what we were cooking! Absolutely amazing flavours and we make it every month! Smells like autumn!
Debby says
Can you do it in the oven. What temperature?
Tania says
Yes! 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender.
Elizabeth says
This was absolutely delicious! 5/5! My son (10) loved it too, so this will be a go to. I made a few substitutions to use what I had on hand, like boneless skinless chicken breast, Yukon potatoes, celery for peas, and dried herbs. I didn’t have tomato paste, so I added about 2 Tbsps of ketchup and some wine to the broth to deglaze the pan. It gave it a sweetness that we enjoyed, and still had enough acid to tenderize the meat. I also subbed a gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour), which worked beautifully! The chicken was delicious from being seared beforehand and was so tender and juicy at the 4 hour mark! Thanks for sharing!
Tania says
Thank you for your kind words, Elizabeth!
Ellie says
Thank you, this looks delicious! I love how you have the extra steps like sautéing and deglazing the pan to add a great flavor. I really appreciate that you gave possible substitutions at the bottom. Also love that this is gluten-free and kid friendly!
Tania says
Glad to hear, Ellie!
Lucas says
So flavorful that I didn’t have any left after the party! It was a hit! Thank you for this delicious recipe
Tania says
So glad to hear, Lucas! Happy holidays!
Becky Clement says
Can I use sweet potatoes in this?
Tania says
Hi Becky. Yes, I think so! You may need less cornstarch, as I imagine the sweet potatoes will help thicken the stew a little bit.
Graham Richardson says
Hi,
Can this stew be frozen?
Tania says
Yes! Freeze in a freezer-friendly container or bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and heat up over the stovetop, or reheat from froze over the stovetop.
Pam says
This is a keeper for sure. It’s the first time I’ve made a flour thickener that was like thick cream when added to the pot with not an trace of lumps. Made soda biscuits. The peas and carrots made for a nice color.
Dave says
Greetings from Ann Arbor! I made it this weekend with local organic veggies from the Farmers Market and it was really wonderful. My crockpot isn’t large enough so I baked it in the oven at 325º for nearly three hours to get the potatoes and carrots soft. The chicken fell apart too much, but it was still delicious. Thank you!
Tania says
Hi Dave! The Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market is one of my favorite places. Thank you for your kind comment!
Natalie says
Can I halve this recipe? It’s just two of us, and I’m not sure we could eat it all!
Tania says
Hi! Yes, definitely!
Patty says
Best chicken stew I’ve ever made. Chicken was tender and everything had a lot of great flavor. Will make again especially during winter. Thank u
Tania says
Great to hear! Thank you!
Dianne says
Delicious! The two step process of pan and crockpot cooking produced the tastiest chicken stew I’ve ever made. I used frozen corn instead of peas. Everyone loved it.
Tania says
Thank you Dianne!