Homemade Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

This homemade slow cooker chicken stew is a delicious meal of slow-cooked chicken thighs, red potatoes, celery, onion, carrots, and more!

Hey Cousins! Today, I’m sharing this amazing, comforting homemade slow cooker chicken stew recipe. It’s absolutely perfect any time of year—not just the fall and winter months! This Crockpot chicken stew recipe will stick to your bones, leave you satisfied, and best of all, it’s a slow cooker meal! Actually… best of all is that it’s a budget-friendly slow cooker meal. I know it doesn’t get much better than that!

What’s the Difference Between Stew and Soup?

So, you might be thinking, “Rosie, this looks a lot like chicken soup… what the heck is the difference?!”

And that’s a great question! There are a few slight differences between soup and stew. The main difference is that soups typically have more liquid. Soups can be smooth and creamy, like tomato soup or cheddar broccoli soup, or have bite-sized ingredients cooked in the broth, like hamburger soup or vegetable soup.

On the other hand, stews usually have chunkier ingredients and less broth. They’re hearty, thick, typically slow-cooked, and have just enough liquid to cover and cook the ingredients. Beef stew, Brunswick Stew, and Jambalaya stew are all super hearty, flavorful stew recipes packed with meaty ingredients, tender vegetables, and a thick, flavor-packed broth.

Ingredients for Homemade Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

What ingredients do you need to make a hearty, vegetable-packed chicken stew recipe? These simple ingredients are super budget-friendly, and if you’re a regular in the kitchen, you probably have just about everything you need on hand already. Here’s what you need to make homemade chicken stew.

• Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken thighs in my recipe. You certainly can use bone-in chicken thighs, boneless skinless chicken breast, or even a whole chicken!
• Chicken broth: I am not married to a brand. Use what’s on sale! If you’re watching your sodium, choose low-sodium broth. Vegetable broth would also work.
• Carrots, celery, and onion: a classic chicken stew vegetable mix! These veggies are hearty and cook to tender perfection, adding flavor, color, and texture to the stew.
• Potatoes: I use red potatoes, but you could use cubed russet potatoes, Yukon golds, baby potatoes, fingerling potatoes–any smaller potatoes that will slow cook in the broth.
• Poultry seasoning: I use my go-to Rosamae Seasonings poultry seasoning. It’s packed with flavorful herbs such as rosemary, marjoram, and thyme. It also has a nice hint of garlic and celery salt!
• Black pepper & seasoning salt: these seasonings enhance the dish’s natural flavors along with the poultry seasoning.
• Garlic: a necessary aromatic that cooks into the broth, giving it so much flavor! You can use fresh minced garlic or jarred garlic, whatever you have on hand.
• All-purpose flour: instead of using a canned cream soup, I use all-purpose flour to thicken the broth of this chicken stew without adding extra salt, dairy, or calories.

How to Make Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

This delicious slow cooker chicken stew recipe is super easy to make and only needs about 10-15 minutes of prep time before the hearty stew slowly cooks for a few hours. I will break this recipe down into three simple steps for y’all. As always, you can find the complete printable ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step 1: Brown the Chicken

First, we start by heating neutral cooking oil in a larger skillet over medium heat. I use avocado oil in my recipe, but you could use your favorite kind of vegetable oil, like olive oil, canola oil, or whatever you prefer. Then it’s time to brown the seasoned raw chicken in the skillet. You only need to brown the chicken on each side for a few minutes. Don’t worry if it’s not fully cooked; it will finish cooking in the slow cooker!

Step 2: Sauté the Veggies & Make the Broth

Once the chicken thighs are out of the pan, toss in the onions, celery, and garlic and cook until translucent—it should only take about 3-5 minutes. Then you can either remove the cooked veggies from the pan or keep them in the skillet before adding the broth (I remove the onions and garlic, but it is okay to leave them in!).

Then, add the all-purpose flour and stir it for 2-3 minutes before adding the chicken broth. Stir to make sure there are no lumps of flour, and cook the broth for about 5 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Once the broth is ready, it’s time to move everything to the slow cooker.

Step 3: Put Everything into the Slow Cooker

The final step is to toss the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker—the chicken thighs (diced up, shredded, or whole), chopped carrots and celery, and potatoes, and pour in the broth. Season with more black pepper, close the lid, and you’re good to go! Pro-tip: if you decide to use russet potatoes, cut them into smaller cubes and don’t add them to the broth until halfway through the cooking time–otherwise, they will fall apart!

This slow cooker chicken stew recipe will cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. It’s a healthy dinner that requires minimal cooking time and feeds a crowd!

Crock Pot Chicken Stew Recipe FAQs, Pro-Tips & Tasty Variations

Want to make this hearty chicken stew recipe even MORE flavorful and delicious? I love slow cooker recipes because they’re super simple, usually pretty budget-friendly, and you can tweak the recipe to your tastes and still end up with delicious results.

How to Thicken Up Chicken Stew Broth

If the broth is a bit too thin for your preference, you can easily thicken it up. Add a bit more all-purpose flour while the broth is cooking in the skillet, or whip up a simple cornstarch slurry. If you want a creamy chicken stew, add some heavy cream, milk, or a dollop of sour cream for extra flavor.

What’s the best kind of chicken to use in a chicken stew recipe?

Since this delicious stew is slow-cooked in a hearty broth, any cut of chicken is perfect! I prefer boneless chicken thighs, but you could also use bone-in chicken thighs with skin. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts or a whole chicken (which might call for a larger slow cooker if you’re that ambitious!). Feel free to use shredded rotisserie chicken if you’re in a rush and want to skip the pre-cooking step.

Is it safe to cook raw chicken in a slow cooker?

Yes, cooking raw chicken in a slow cooker is perfectly safe. However, we brown the chicken before adding it to the slow cooker in this recipe, so you don’t even have to worry about it!

What other seasonings can I add to slow cooker chicken stew?

The poultry seasoning in this recipe adds the perfect amount of flavor, but if you want to kick it up a notch, feel free to add your favorite seasonings and spices! Fresh herbs add plenty of flavor—try fresh parsley or fresh rosemary. If you don’t have fresh on hand, dried herbs like bay leaf or an Italian seasoning blend work.

How to Store Leftover Chicken Stew

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. You can even freeze this chicken stew in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, and you’ve got yourself a healthy, freezer-friendly, homemade stew for dinner any time.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Chicken stew is usually served with rice, but you could also serve it with pasta, like egg noodles, for a thicker, heartier take on chicken noodle soup. Some other simple side dish options are mashed potatoes, homemade dinner rolls, crusty bread for dipping, or you can serve it alongside roasted vegetables like green beans, asparagus, sweet potatoes, or Brussels sprouts.

Make sure you print out my slow-cooked chicken stew recipe below! Don’t forget to share and follow me on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest, subscribe to my YouTube channel for more recipes, and pre-order my next upcoming cookbook, A Cousin Rosie Holiday!