Description

This Slow Cooker Chicken Stew is a hearty, comforting dish made with tender bone-in chicken thighs, fresh vegetables, and fragrant herbs. Slow-cooked to perfection, this stew is infused with rich flavors from seared chicken and a medley of vegetables, thickened with a simple flour slurry and finished with fresh parsley. Perfect for a cozy family dinner, it pairs wonderfully with crusty bread or biscuits.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Seasoning

3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs - extra fat trimmed
2 teaspoons salt (for seasoning chicken)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (for seasoning chicken)
Salt and pepper to taste (additional)

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
3 bay leaves, dried or fresh
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

Liquids and Thickener

Olive oil, for searing and sautéing (about 3 tablespoons total)
5 cups chicken broth, divided (plus more as needed)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

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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, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a large slow cooker.
Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet, add a bit more olive oil if needed. Sauté diced onions and sliced carrots for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scrape the brown bits from the pan to deglaze while adding a splash of chicken broth if anything starts to stick or burn.
Add Aromatics and Tomato Paste: Add minced garlic, thyme, and rosemary to the skillet and sauté for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste to coat the vegetables. Pour ½ to ¾ cup chicken broth into the skillet to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits. Transfer everything to the slow cooker with the chicken.
Add Potatoes and Bay Leaves: Add quartered potatoes, bay leaves, 4 cups chicken broth, ½ teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
Prepare and Add Slurry: At 3.5 hours into cooking, mix ⅓ cup all-purpose flour with ⅓ cup room temperature chicken broth to create a slurry. Stir the slurry and frozen peas into the slow cooker. Continue cooking for the remaining 30 minutes until the stew thickens.
Shred Chicken and Finish: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, shred the meat with a fork, discarding bones, and return the shredded chicken to the stew. Stir in finely chopped Italian parsley. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as desired.
Serve: Serve the stew warm, accompanied by bread or biscuits for a satisfying meal.

Notes

If your slow cooker has a sauté or browning function, you can use it to sear the chicken and sauté vegetables all in one pot, reducing cleanup.
Cooking on HIGH for 4 hours yields tender, juicy chicken; longer cooking times may make the chicken stringy. Alternatively, cook on LOW for 6 hours if preferred.
Bone-in chicken thighs add more flavor and moisture compared to boneless; remove skin at the end if using skin-on chicken to avoid excess fat.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can prepare this stew ahead of time and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Substitutions: Use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts if preferred. Yukon gold potatoes are a good alternative to red potatoes. Avoid Russet potatoes as they may disintegrate during cooking.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 1/2 cups)
Calories: 370 kcal
Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 700 mg
Fat: 15 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: Thirty three g
Cholesterol: 110 mg