Crockpot Chicken Stew
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This chicken stew crock pot recipe makes a cozy and hearty meal that your entire family will love. Best of all, it’s a hands-off method for making a delicious dinner!
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Why This Recipe is a Favorite
If you ask me, chicken stew is healthy comfort food at its best! It’s a great winter meal, but even in the heat of summer, it’s an easy dinner to make for your family.
It’s really hearty and filling, too. Tender shredded chicken with plenty of chunky vegetables simmer in a rich broth flavored with homemade Italian seasoning.
Soup and stew recipes are a great way repurpose leftovers, which makes them pretty budget-friendly. This meal feeds 6 people EASILY, all for about $2-$3 per serving.
Best of all, when you make chicken stew in a crock pot, dinner will be ready when you get home! You just add the ingredients to your slow cooker in the morning, turn it on, and let the magic happen!
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my mom-tested cooking tips for making the chicken stew. I test all of my recipes, and have made it countless times, so I can save you from a failed attempt.
- Don’t use frozen chicken—it takes too long to reach a safe temperature, so you risk the chance of bacteria growing that can make you sick.
- Be sure that the chicken is at least partially covered with liquid. Otherwise, it loses moisture and can become dry.
- If using Russet potatoes, I recommend peeling the tough skin. Thin-skinned potatoes, like Yukon Gold and red, have waxy skin that holds up better.
- I use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. But, if it’s easier, move the thighs/breasts to a cutting board to shred them, then return the meat to the stew.
- Want to use precooked chicken instead of raw? That’s fine! However, don’t add it to the crock pot until the last 15-30 minutes of cook time.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken, either thighs or breasts. They both take the same amount of time to cook. If you’d like to use cooked chicken leftovers or a rotisserie chicken, remove any skin and bones before use it.
- Use Russet potatoes, or substitute with Yukon Gold or another thin-skinned variety, like red.
- Use store-bought or homemade chicken broth or stock. If you have vegetable stock on hand, that works too.
- Make homemade Italian seasoning or use a store-bought blend.
👉 Want to use frozen vegetables? Using frozen green beans and/or carrots can save you some prep time! To prevent them from overcooking, add them to the crockpot during the last 15-30 minutes of cook time.
How to Make Chicken Stew in a Crock Pot
This is a summary of the steps. See the recipe card for full instructions! ⬇️
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- Prep the vegetables. Peel and dice the garlic, potatoes and onion, and slice the celery, carrots, and green beans.
- Add veggies and broth to the crockpot, then chicken and seasonings. Nestle the chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Cover and slow cook the chicken stew for 5-6 hours on Low setting or 3 hours on High.
- Use a meat thermometer to take the internal temperature of chicken. Insert the probe into the thickest portion of the thighs. It should be at least 165°F.
- Use two forks to shred the chicken. I find that it’s easiest to do this right in the crock pot.
- Stir, taste and season the chicken stew with more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle it into bowls and serve!
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reheat and serve the stew again within 4 days, per USDA recommendations. Be sure to let it cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container.
Freezing Instructions
This chicken stew freezes and reheats beautifully! Simply allow the stew to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container. Squeeze as much air out as you can, then pop it in the freezer. For the best flavor, reheat and serve within 3 months.
Chicken Stew Recipe FAQs
For this stew recipe, the starch in the potatoes work as a natural thickener. However, if you’d like it even thicker, stir in a slurry of 2 tablespoons cold water and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot.
Yes, you can use precooked chicken, but don’t add it to the crock pot until the final 15-30 minutes of cook time.
Other Cooking Methods
One really nice thing about most crockpot soups and stews is that they are easy to convert to Instant Pot or Dutch oven recipes for the stove top.
Instant Pot Instructions
Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot inner pot. Cover with the lid and close the pressure release valve.
Manually set it to cook for 12 minutes at high pressure. Allow for a Natural Pressure Release for at least 10 minutes, then turn or press the pressure release valve. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with forks, then return it to the stew. Stir, taste and season with salt and pepper, then serve.
Stove Top Instructions
Add all the ingredients except for the green beans and potatoes to a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot.
Bring the contents to a simmer over medium heat, then cover with the lid and lower the heat. Simmer covered for 35 minutes.
Uncover, add the beans and potatoes, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. When the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, shred the chicken, stir everything to combine, and enjoy!
Chicken Stew (Crock Pot Recipe)
Equipment
- Crock Pot 6-quarts or larger
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups chicken broth or substitute with chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 small yellow onion peeled and minced
- 2 large potatoes preferably russet or Yukon gold (about 3 cups when diced)
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 medium carrots sliced
- 1 cup green beans sliced
- 1½ tablespoons dried Italian seasoning homemade or store-bought
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or more/less, as desired
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or more/less, as desired
Instructions
- First, do the prep work. Mince the garlic, dice the potatoes, onion, celery, carrots, and slice the green beans into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Add all the ingredients to a 6-quart crock pot. Nestle the chicken thighs into the vegetables and broth mixture. They don’t need to be completely covered by liquid.
- Place lid on the slow cooker and cook for 5-6 hours on Low setting or 3 hours on High.
- Carefully remove the lid, remove the bay leaf, and use two forks to shred the chicken. *Alternatively, set the chicken thighs on a cutting board to shred them, or shred them using medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Return the shredded chicken to the stew.
- Stir the stew well, taste it, and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Ladle the warm stew into bowls and serve.
Could you substitute with rotisserie chicken and frozen green beans?
Hi Sandra! Definitely! I’d add the shredded rotisserie chicken and green beans the last 30-45 minutes to keep them from overcooking. Please let us know how it turns out if you try it! 🙂 -Laura
Hi. Great recipe. You don’t have the potatoes listed in the ingredients list for the recipe. Just an FYI so you can add them. Thank you.
Hi David! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And thank you so much for the feedback – I’m correcting that oversight now. 🙂 -:aura