Full of tender, juicy, and flavorful protein and veggies, this Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with potatoes is a cozy, easy dinner recipe for chilly nights!
Full of tender, juicy, and flavorful protein and veggies, this Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with potatoes is a cozy, easy dinner recipe for chilly nights! With just a few minutes of prep, this low-calorie, high-protein Crock Pot meal 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 slow cooker recipe 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.
How do you make a Chicken Stew?
This simple chicken stew recipe requires just a handful of basic, easy-to-find ingredients. First, let’s start with the vegetables. You’ll need potatoes, onions, celery and carrots.
What herbs and spices to put in a Chicken Stew?
Place the chopped vegetables in the bottom of a slow cooker and add the herbs and spices. For a hearty chicken stew recipe, I use salt, paprika, a bay leaf, thyme and poultry seasoning. The poultry seasoning is a combination of thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram and nutmeg — so it gives you a lot of flavor with minimal effort!
Remove the skin from bone-in chicken breasts, and then place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. I think it’s easiest to just cut off the skin using a pair of sharp kitchen shears, but a knife (or your hands) will also work.
Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, pour broth or stock over top, and place the lid on the Crock Pot.
The easy chicken stew with potatoes will cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. At the end of the cooking time, remove the chicken from the pot, discard the bones, and chop or shred the meat. Return the chicken meat to the slow cooker, remove the bay leaf, and take the lid off of the pot.
How to Thicken Chicken Stew?
If you’d like to thicken the chicken stew, I suggest adding 1 tablespoon of corn starch that has been mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. Cook the chicken stew with the corn starch slurry for 30 more minutes on HIGH heat without a lid.
The end result will be the best chicken stew that you’ve ever tasted!
Can Chicken Stew be frozen?
Yes! This hearty chicken stew recipe is a wonderful freezer meal! Simply prepare the stew according to the recipe below, allow to cool to room temperature, package in airtight containers or plastic freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Can Chicken Stew be reheated?
Absolutely! Reheat the chicken stew on the stovetop over low heat, just until warm. You can also reheat individual bowls in the microwave.
COOK’S TIPS:
- Want to Prep Ahead? Chop all of the vegetables the night before, and then place them in a large zip-top bag 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.
- Use a pair of kitchen shears to quickly and easily remove the skin from the chicken breasts.
- I use 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. 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 don’t mind a thinner, more soup-like broth, you can skip the final step with the corn starch. It will still taste delicious!
What goes with Chicken Stew?
With potatoes, protein and vegetables, this dish is a one pot meal that doesn’t really require anything else on the side. That said, if your family is like mine and always appreciates a bread or roll with a hot bowl of soup, then here are a few easy options:
- Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
- No-Knead 3-Ingredient Beer Bread
- 3-Ingredient Breadsticks
- Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
- Orange Cranberry Corn Muffins
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!
You might also like these easy slow cooker recipes:
- Healthy Slow Cooker Gumbo
- Turkey and Pesto Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes
- Farmhouse Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
Full of tender, juicy, and flavorful protein and veggies, this Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with potatoes is a cozy, easy dinner recipe for chilly nights!
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 or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon corn starch + 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. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper.
- 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 corn starch 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
Can Chicken Stew be frozen?
Yes! This hearty chicken stew recipe is a wonderful freezer meal! Simply prepare the stew according to the recipe below, allow to cool to room temperature, package in airtight containers or plastic freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Can Chicken Stew be reheated?
Absolutely! Reheat the chicken stew on the stovetop over low heat, just until warm. You can also reheat individual bowls in the microwave.
COOK'S TIPS:
- Want to Prep Ahead? Chop all of the vegetables the night before, and then place them in a large zip-top bag 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.
- Use a pair of kitchen shears to quickly and easily remove the skin from the chicken breasts.
- I use 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. 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 don't mind a thinner, more soup-like broth, you can skip the final step with the corn starch. It will still taste delicious!
This post was originally published in December, 2017. It was updated in December, 2018.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
Melissa Griffiths says
December 29, 2017 at 3:24 pmNothing cozier than a hearty chicken stew! This is perfect this time of year after all the indulgences of the holidays.
Blair says
December 29, 2017 at 7:54 pmExactly! I totally agree, Melissa! Thank you! 🙂
Gloria says
December 29, 2017 at 7:28 pmWthis is such a great warming recipe thank you
Happy New Year
Blair says
December 29, 2017 at 7:54 pmDefinitely! Thanks, Gloria!
Cathy says
December 31, 2017 at 9:24 amThis 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.
Blair says
December 31, 2017 at 10:14 amHi, 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! 🙂
Kristy from Southern In Law says
December 31, 2017 at 8:21 pmThis looks so hearty and delicious! I’m saving this to make when the weather is cooler!
Blair says
January 1, 2018 at 6:34 amThanks, Kristy! Yes, it’s definitely not a summer meal for you guys in Australia!
Mary Rudolph says
January 2, 2018 at 1:46 pmBlair I do not have a crock pot.
Can i adapt this recipe and make it on the stove.
Thank You
Mary
Blair says
January 2, 2018 at 7:36 pmHi, 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).
Dana says
July 26, 2018 at 5:26 pmBeen looking for something like this for days! Tough to find healthy bone-in recipes…Every recipe wants to make it easy, with the boneless skinless chicken…But I wanted something that didn’t have pasta, was bone-in, and had a variety of appropriate spices (which I didn’t know about).
So many thanks!
Printing and adding to my cookbook binder.
Blair says
July 26, 2018 at 6:12 pmAwesome, Dana! I hope that you love it! 🙂
Lindsey Compton says
September 2, 2018 at 10:47 amI feel like the calorie count on this is way off. A cup of chicken is 230 calories. You have two cups of this for 162. I just made this and it’s delicious! But it’s mostly chicken and I worry about the calories being wrong. I have to track my food right now.
Lindsey Compton says
September 2, 2018 at 11:13 amI used the calorie king app to count the calories. In just one cup, there is 185 calories, 10 grams carbs, 30 grams protein. Which is still healthy though. I think next time I will use one or one and a half pounds chicken. Still delicious and healthy though.
Blair says
September 2, 2018 at 3:25 pmGlad you figured it out, Lindsey! Yes, calorie counts generated by the recipe cards on websites can definitely vary, depending on the specific ingredients that the calculator uses. They’re great for a ballpark guide, but I definitely recommend double-checking using your specific ingredients if you need exact numbers. 🙂
Sarah Wansor says
September 8, 2018 at 11:21 amDo you add boneless chicken breast WHOLE on top of veggies??
Blair says
September 8, 2018 at 1:21 pmYes, you add them whole. 🙂 Step #4 says to remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and chop or shred the meat. Hope that helps clarify!
Will says
October 6, 2018 at 4:59 pmJust made this. It is delicious!!!!!!!
Thank-you
Blair says
October 6, 2018 at 8:25 pmWonderful! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Will!
Cesar says
November 18, 2018 at 12:20 pmThis is not a stew, just a chicken soup, very poor taste and the chicken comes like rubber.
Tali says
January 13, 2019 at 2:59 amI just made the stew yesterday. I was delicious! I added a couple of other ingredients, cilantro, curry, masala and mushrooms. I am a fan of a thin sauce for soup. I was expecting for it to be a little thicker/heartier. So next time Iwill add more additional corn starch. My family also loved it, they just called it soup.
Blair says
January 13, 2019 at 5:58 amGreat! Thanks, Tali! Your additions sound perfect. 🙂
Claire says
January 21, 2019 at 8:37 amHi, could i use bone-in thighs (not breasts) for this? Would I need to adjust the cooking time?
Blair says
January 21, 2019 at 10:29 amHi, Claire! Yes, you can. I would still cook for the same amount of time. Chicken thighs hold up well in a slow cooker without drying out, and this will give you enough time for the rest of the ingredients to cook through. Enjoy!
Jenn says
February 13, 2019 at 12:22 pmThis was fantastic! Will definitely be making it again.
Blair says
February 14, 2019 at 5:34 amAwesome! Thank you, Jenn!
Debra says
March 2, 2019 at 5:31 pmTotally Delicious!!! I used chicken thighs minus the skin. Almost at the end took the bones out very easy cause meat fell off the bone. Thicken sauce with corn starch. Even my Hubby said best meal he’s had for a while. Thank you
Blair says
March 3, 2019 at 5:42 amWonderful! Thanks, Debra! 🙂
Alicia says
May 14, 2019 at 7:12 pmDelicious stew! Thank you! Also really appreciate all your tips and other info around making a chicken stew. So easy to read and follow. So much better than just following a recipe. Was just what we needed and not expensive to make. My toddler even enjoyed this one.
Blair says
May 14, 2019 at 8:05 pmWonderful! I’m so glad that your family enjoyed it, Alicia. Thanks for your kind note!
Frank Good says
May 21, 2019 at 8:00 pmI would have given this 5 stars except for the amount of salt in this recipe. 46% of your daily recommended total for a 2 cup serving of stew is way too much for this recipe to be called healthy. I decreased the amount of salt by 75% and this tasted delicious. It does not need 2 added teaspoons of salt plus the chicken coated liberally in salt. Try it with 1/4 tsp salt and only pepper on the chicken, no salt. The natural flavour of the vegetables is greatly enhanced and really pops with the light amount of spices in this dish.