The best Slow Cooker Chicken Stew Recipe! This Crockpot chicken stew is a cozy, healthy dinner easily made with less than 20 minutes of prep! Loaded with protein and veggies.
This post was originally shared in 2019, but has since been modified.
Made with simple pantry and fridge staples that you likely already have on hand, this chicken stew stands out because it’s easy to make AND delicious!
This slow cooker chicken stew recipe is hearty, packed with vegetables and easy to make – a dinner you’ll go back to over and over again! Total comfort food!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with protein and veggies – This has chicken, carrots, celery, onions… it’s packed with protein and vegetables!
- Super easy to make– This recipe is fool proof! Toss the ingredients together in your crockpot and let it make dinner for you!
- Delicious – It’s crazy to me how a few pantry and fridge staples can taste so yummy when mixed together.
- COZY – This is the kinda meal you want to eat while curled up in a blanket on the couch. Soooo comforting.
Recipe Ingredients
To make crockpot chicken stew you’ll need:
- olive oil is only necessary if you’re making this on the stovetop
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into small cubes
- onion, garlic, carrots, celery
- yukon gold potatoes – we find these are best for stew because they have a nice creamy texture
- all purpose flour – you can substitute 1:1 gluten free flour
- spices
- chicken broth
- frozen peas
Recipe Substitutions
This chicken stew is easy to customize depending on what you have on hand.
Chicken: You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts in this recipe. You can also substitute beef for chicken in this recipe or we also have a Healthy Beef Stew recipe and an Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe and Old Fashioned Ground Beef Stew.
Onion & Garlic: I don’t recommend skipping the onion, it adds flavor.
Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes work the best for stew because they’re tender and don’t get mealy when cooked. You can sub in halved fingerling potatoes or red potatoes for this recipe. I have not tried sweet potatoes in this recipe, but I think they would become too mushy!
Carrots & Celery: I don’t recommend skipping either carrots or celery. They both add flavor! If you love your veggies – try this Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe!
Broth: Chicken broth, stock and bone broth can all be used interchangeably. Vegetable broth or beef broth will also work. We like to use low sodium chicken broth or no salt added broth.
Peas: You can omit green peas from this recipe.
To make lower salt: Omit salt. Use low or no chicken broth.
Can you make this chicken stew in the instant pot? Yes! You can make instant pot chicken stew. There are directions below or you can visit or Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe.
Tomatoes: This recipe used to have tomatoes in it, but we removed them. We think this recipe is much better as written! If you’d like the old recipe, feel free to email liz@thecleaneatingcouple.com
How To Make Crock Pot Chicken Stew
To make slow cooker chicken stew:
- In slow cooker insert, stir all ingredients together except peas.
- Cook on low for 6 hours.
- When ready to serve, stir in peas until defrosted.
- Enjoy!
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE any recipe that is basically just dump + cook in the crockpot (This Lemon Chicken Soup is the same kinda deal. So easy and so yummy!)
Liz’s Expert Tips
This chicken stew is pretty fool proof but here are our 2 best tips for the ultimate chicken stew:
- Pound your chicken to make it extra tender: Pounding your chicken with a meat mallet can make it extra tender!
- Brown your veggies before hand. Sautéing veggies might seem like a simple step that you can skip, but it really makes a difference! You can brown the chicken if you like, but it’s not necessary.
Recipe FAQs
No! The chicken cooks completely fine on its own in the slow cooker. Some recipes call for browning meat before adding it to the crockpot but that’s not necessary for this stew.
When cooking chicken in the crockpot you’ll want to usually do a minimum of 3 hours on high or 4 hours on low. Every crockpot is different so you can check if the chicken is done by using a thermometer.
Chicken is best cooked on low in the crockpot. Cooking the chicken low & slow really helps the chicken become fall apart tender & delicious!
Chicken in the crockpot shouldn’t be tough! It should be tender and delicious. If your chicken is tough, it may be because you didn’t add enough liquid or cooked it on too high heat.
How to thicken Chicken Stew
This stew gets pretty thick naturally, but the addition of all purpose flour really helps.
If your stew is not thickening, you can also take the cover off the crockpot and turn it to high so that some liquid will evaporate.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Chicken stew is a complete meal in itself because it’s loaded with protein, veggies and healthy carbs. Here are some things we like to serve it with:
- Apple Walnut Salad or Blueberry Salad for extra veggies
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan
- fresh bread or crackers
Storage, Freezing & Reheating Instructions
How to store: You can store this chicken stew in the fridge or freezer in airtight containers.
Freezing: This stew freezes very well. Store in an airtight container and allow it to cool completely before freezing. We like these containers for freezing. If stored properly it should stay good for 4-6 months. We also have a blog post about freezing food.
Reheating: You can reheat from the fridge in the microwave or on the stove. If frozen, defrost the night before in your refrigerator or just pop in a microwave/pan and heat!
Want more slow cooker recipes? Get our 40 best crock pot recipes in a printable ebook for less than $11!
Other Recipes You Might Like
Love your crockpot? Check out these 40+ Healthy Crockpot Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy crockpot cookbook.
Slow Cooker Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut in cubes
- 1 cup onion chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 4 large cloves
- 2 cups yukon gold potatoes cut in ½ inch cubes
- 2 cups carrots cut in 1/4 inch thick coins
- 1 cups celery chopped finely
- 3 tablespoon all purpose flour can sub gluten free 1:1
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low or no salt
- 1 cup frozen peas reserve until ready to eat
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Chop all veggies + cut raw chicken into cubes.
- Optional: You can brown the chicken and vegetables in 1 tablespoon of olive oil if you'd like, but it's not necessary. See StoveTop Instructions if you'd like to brown the meat/veggies!
- In slow cooker insert, stir all ingredients together except peas.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. When ready to serve, stir in peas until defrosted.
- When ready to serve, stir in peas until defrosted. Discard bay leaf and enjoy!
StoveTop Instructions:
- Chop all veggies + cut raw chicken into cubes.
- In a large pot heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat (note, this is not in the recipe because the slow cooker instructions don't call for it). Add cubed chicken to the pot and cook for 10 minutes until browned. The browning will help develop flavor to your stew.
- Once the chicken has browned, add onion and garlic. Saute for an additional 5 minutes until the onion/garlic starts to soften.
- Add carrots, celery, potatoes, flour and spices. Stir to combine.
- Important: For the stovetop, you'll want to use 2 cups of chicken broth, not 1/2 cup. You need more liquid when cooking on the stove. Add chicken broth. Cover the pot and bring the pot to a low boil. The mixture should start to bubble and will start to thicken.
- Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in thawed peas and enjoy!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Cut chicken and veggies.
- Set instant pot to sauté, 10 minutes. Add olive oil to the pot. Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned on all sides. (Doesn’t have to be cooked through, just a little cooked).
- Add onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute for 4-5 minutes until fragrant and slightly translucent.
- Add all ingredients except frozen peas. Cover instant pot and set to Sealing, Manual Pressure for 12 minutes. It will take the pot about 5-7 minutes to come to pressure.
- Once finished cooking, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- When ready to serve, stir in peas until defrosted. Discard bay leaf and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Chicken: You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts in this recipe.
- Potatoes: You can sub in halved fingerling potatoes for this recipe. I have not tried sweet potatoes in this recipe, but I think they would become too mushy!
- Broth: Chicken broth, stock and bone broth can all be used interchangeably.
- Peas: You can omit peas from this recipe.
Courtney Smith says
This recipe perfectly hits the spot! Simple and delicious. I love a crock pot meal, especially in the cooler months. I will most certainly be making this over and over.
Liz Marino says
So glad you enjoyed!
Ann says
easy and delicious! I will make it again!!
Liz Marino says
So happy you liked it, Ann!
Tracy Cherry says
Hey you changed this recipe since two weeks ago. Why? The previous one was awesome. Can you put it back? Put this one somewhere else but the slow cooker chicken stew that included tomatoes is what I want. Made if for friends two weeks ago and need to repeat but you changed it yesterday. Please send me the other one!
Liz Marino says
I just emailed it to you – this recipe is so much better, I encourage you to try it! Here’s the original recipe:
1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut in cubes
1 cup onion chopped finely
1 cup russet potatoes cut in ½ inch cubes
1 1/2 cups carrots cut in 1/4 inch thick coins
1 1/2 cups celery chopped finely
15 oz can tomato puree
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups chicken broth low or no salt
1 cup frozen peas Reserve until ready to eat
instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions:
Chop all veggies + cut raw chicken into cubes.
In slow cooker insert, stir all ingredients together except peas.
Cook on low for 6 hours. When ready to serve, stir in peas until defrosted.
When ready to serve, stir in peas until defrosted. Discard bay leaf and enjoy!
Daniel H. says
Hi, I made this according to descriptions with crock pot with 7hrs low cooking the liquid didn’t evaporate but taste good! Maybe has to do with slow cook liners?
Elizabeth Marino says
I never cook with slow cooker liners so I’m not sure how that could affect the recipe. There should be some liquid in the bottom of the crockpot, but not a ton!
Teresa says
What can you use instead of Rosemary.. I’m allergic
The Clean Eating Couple says
Skip it and use more of the other spices!
Kelly Cram says
This was delicious, thanks for sharing! I cooked it on low for 8 hours, so it would be hot when I got home from work and put in a whole chicken breast and shredded it with forks before adding the peas.
Joanne Henderson says
Absolutely DELICIOUS !!
Rena says
Loved the flavors of this recipe. Perfect for fall. Followed the crock pot instructions exactly. Vegetables came out perfectly but, sadly, my chicken was overcooked.
Kristen says
This was a delicious stew. I used the stovetop recipe and scaled it for 6 servings. I used one large white onion. It took about 3 carrots. I did not have celery, so I used frozen green and yellow beans (same amount). I cut them to about an inch each. I used two medium potatoes. I did not have crushed tomatoes and it asked for 22.5 oz. I used a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, which I pureed myself. So I adjusted the tomato paste to 3 tablespoons, 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried thyme (I don’t keep rosemary on hand). I used 3 1/2 cups of broth because of the additional tomatoes. I happened to have about 1/2 a shredded zucchini in the freezer, so I threw this in. I also had about 6 leftover white mushrooms. I quartered them and added them and they were a nice addition. When boiling for the 2 sessions of 30 minutes each, it will need to be uncovered if you want a thick stew. This is not specifically mentioned in the recipe. If you cover, there will be quite a lot of liquid remaining and it won’t get thick.
Sharon Grene says
My husband isn’t very fond of trying new, healthy meals but he really liked this one. Now it’s going into our rotation.
Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Abbey says
I followed the instructions to a tee – and the stew came out super liquidy, not thick at all. Am i doing something wrong?
The Clean Eating Couple says
This is not a super thick stew. Did you cook on low or high? It might have gotten over cooked! You could make a cornstarch slurry and stir it in while the stew is hot if you want it to make a thicker texture.
Kristen says
Did you cook it for the two 30 minute sessions with a lid? It should be UNCOVERED to thicken to a stew consistency.
Karen says
Can this recipe be doubled? I always like to make extra for leftovers or to freeze. Also how small should the carrots be diced? Recipe says small chop but picture shows thicker cuts. Thanks!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I don’t know if you double it if it will fit in the crockpot. They should be cut into 1/4 inch coins – just fixed that so it was more specific!
Mary says
Can I double this recipe ???
I have six adults and two children coming for dinner
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi! I’m sorry but I don’t know if that will fit in the crockpot and how it would affect the cook time.
Kristen says
There is a sliding scale at the top so that you can adjust the servings.
Rita says
Looks great but boiling on high was a non no, was sticking even though I was getting up and stirrrping it. Next time I will put it in my instant pot not on my stove top
Looks and smells good
The Clean Eating Couple says
No where in the post does it say to boil this, so yes, it will stick to your pan. You’re supposed to cook it on low heat per the directions.
Sheila Andrews says
Delicious. Easy to prepare and a well rounded recipe.
Bonnie Felber says
How about replacing the potato with butternut squash?
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’ve never tried it, but it might work! If you try it let me know!
Judy says
Ohhhh, I made this today and didn’t like the curdled appearance of the broth.
Next time I’ll leave out any whisper of TOMATO.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Judy – theres no milk in this and tomatoes can’t curdle broth, so I’m not really sure what you’re referring to. If you plan to make this without tomatoes, add more seasoning and broth because it will not have as much flavor.
Christina says
This recipe is a keeper. My husband loved it, so did I. I used baby potatoes instead of russet, tomato sauce instead of tomato puree that is what I had on hand. I used my crock pot, cooked for 4 1/2 hours on high. Followed the recipe according to the cooking instructions otherwise. Turned out great!!
Thank you
Cindy says
I have made this both in the crockpot and on the stove top. Both came out great. My 2 year old niece loves it. Very easy recipe to follow. I always double it. Thanks
Domhnal MacMathghamhna says
Can one substitute some ingredients without changing the “spirit” and flavours of this delicious looking stew?
My wife suggests using a Dutch oven in the stove oven but is unsure how long one should let it cook. I imagine the ideal temperature would be around 350oC, for a couple of hours?
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m not sure what you’re looking to substitute. You can read the substitutions section in the green box in the blog post above. There are stove top, instant pot and crockpot instructions in the recipe. Please read those for directions!
April says
This stew looks amazing and I’m excited to try it. QUESTION: Is there a recommendation for replacing the 15 oz can tomato puree? We have tomato allergies in our house, and wondering if there is an easy swap?
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi April – I would just skip the tomatoes. You can add a little bit more broth. Hope that helps!
Cory says
Quick to throw together and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I forgot the bay leaf, though… next time! I’m thinking a spicy riff on this would be pretty awesome, too.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked it!
Tina says
Delicious!!!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Tina! Thank you!
Effie says
This couldn’t have been easier or more delicious. They were fighting over the leftovers the next day!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy to hear this, Effie! Thanks!
Sally says
Is 1.5 boneless chicken enough for 5 people,? If I use more do I need to use more broth?
The Clean Eating Couple says
This recipe calls for 1.5 lbs of chicken and the serving size is about 2 cups of stew for 4 people. I’m not sure what this question is referring to – are you talking about chicken breasts vs pounds of chicken? 1.5 lbs of chicken is roughly 3 chicken breasts