Full of tender, juicy, and flavorful protein and veggies, this Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew is a cozy comfort food that will nourish your family! With just a few minutes of prep, you can set it on your counter and tend to your other priorities. An easy, low-calorie, high-protein Crock Pot dinner will be waiting for you at the end of the day!
Hey, friends! With Christmas behind us and the New Year just on the horizon, I thought that you might appreciate a lighter dinner option for the coming days.
If you’ve enjoyed a few too many glasses of eggnog, more than your fair share of cinnamon buns, or just a boatload of holiday cookies, then have no fear! You can still feed your family a delicious, hearty, and satisfying dinner…while giving your body a bit of a “detox,” too!
This chicken stew is very similar to a classic chicken noodle soup — minus the pasta! I also think that a stew should have a thicker broth and an abundance of filling add-ins, so you’ll find plenty of chunky carrots, potatoes, onions, and celery in this dish.
If you don’t mind a thinner, more soup-like broth, you can skip the final step with the cornstarch. It will still taste delicious!
I used bone-in chicken breasts for my chicken stew for a couple of reasons. The bone-in meat has a longer cooking time than a boneless, skinless chicken breast, so the meat stays juicy and tender while the carrots and potatoes finish cooking. The bones also give the broth tons of added flavor.
I highly recommend going the bone-in route, since the bone-in chicken breasts hold up so well in the slow cooker. However, if you can’t find them or if you don’t want to bother with them, then boneless thighs or breasts will also work.
If you need a simple, healthy, family-friendly dinner option that’s also incredibly affordable, then my Slow Cooker Chicken Stew is the answer to your prayers!
It will make you feel energized, strong, and nourished — while still comforted and satisfied by a cozy supper. It’s basically the best of all worlds, and it’s the perfect way to kick off the New Year!!
HEALTHY SLOW COOKER CHICKEN STEW
Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet onions diced into bite-sized pieces
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 4 carrots peeled and sliced into rounds
- 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and diced into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3-4 lbs. bone-in chicken breasts skin removed
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water
- For garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, salt, paprika, thyme, and poultry seasoning in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Place chicken on top of vegetables.
- Pour chicken broth over everything, cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- When there are about 30 minutes left in the cooking time, remove chicken from the slow cooker and chop or shred the meat. Return chicken meat to the slow cooker and discard bones. Discard bay leaf.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water until smooth. Stir into the stew and cook on HIGH without the lid for 30 minutes (or until broth thickens a little bit).
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, just before serving.
Recipe Notes
Want to Prep Ahead? I like to chop all of the vegetables the night before, and then place them in a large zip-top bag along with all of the seasonings. In the morning, just dump the whole bag into the slow cooker, top with the chicken, and proceed with the rest of the instructions. It's the perfect dinner to start as you're rushing out the door to work!
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Nothing cozier than a hearty chicken stew! This is perfect this time of year after all the indulgences of the holidays.
Exactly! I totally agree, Melissa! Thank you! 🙂
Wthis is such a great warming recipe thank you
Happy New Year
Definitely! Thanks, Gloria!
This is a perfect vegetable hearty soup. I have 1/2 rotisserie chicken that I need to use soon—so thought I would take the meat off the bone. This way I can cook the bones with the vegetables and add the cut up chicken during the last 45 minutes. I have no russet potatoes either, but do have 2 sweet potatoes. I will add them, add a can of white potatoes or a can of corn. There is a variety of things that you can add or delete, according to what you have on hand or what you prefer to eat. I normally, though, tend to go right by the recipe the first time—but not able to do that unless I want to go out in this single digit (including wind chill factor) weather on this beautiful New Year’s Eve day. Happy and Healthy 2018 to you and your followers.
Hi, Cathy! You’re absolutely right — you can definitely adapt this recipe to suit your tastes, preferences, and what you have on hand. It sounds like you have a great plan. I hope that your stew is delicious! 🙂
This looks so hearty and delicious! I’m saving this to make when the weather is cooler!
Thanks, Kristy! Yes, it’s definitely not a summer meal for you guys in Australia!
Blair I do not have a crock pot.
Can i adapt this recipe and make it on the stove.
Thank You
Mary
Hi, Mary! Definitely! I don’t know exactly how long it will take to cook on the stove, but you can definitely simmer it (covered) on low for an hour or two (or until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through).
Kinda blah…would have appreciated more flavor