Cozy up with this easy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew. Packed with tender chicken, hearty vegetables, and rich flavor, it’s the perfect comfort food with minimal effort.
Made with almond milk for creaminess, and tapioca starch to thicken, this crock pot chicken stew is gluten-free, and dairy-free, without compromising any flavors!
I’ve teamed up with Dandy® to share today’s slow-cooker recipe. I love to use their celery sticks for extra crunch and flavor. Bonus: they’re pre-washed making for easy ingredient prep!
When I’m craving comfort food, the first thing I usually want is my mom’s beef stew recipe, but the next thing I need is this chicken stew in the crockpot. Tender chicken thighs in a creamy, thick broth with all the veggies. What’s not to crave?
ingredients for chicken stew
This slow cooker chicken stew is a gluten-free recipe using coconut aminos and tapioca starch, and a gf chicken broth. Substitutions and simple swaps are listed in the recipe card below.
- chicken thighs: diced into bite-sized pieces. You can also use chicken breasts.
- chicken broth: adds a rich flavor to this stew.
- coconut aminos: a nice layer of umami flavor. You can also use soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
- veggies: celery, carrots, onions and potatoes. Hearty and filling with lots of texture.
- herbs and spices: minced garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary and thyme, for flavor.
- slurry: to thicken we use almond milk and tapioca starch. You can also use cornstarch or arrowroot.
can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs
- You can substitute chicken breasts for thighs. However, chicken thighs tend to be more flavorful and stay tender during slow cooking, while chicken breasts might be a bit drier. But if you’re looking to cut fat, and want to use breast, I suggest cutting the breasts into larger chunks to prevent overcooking.
- You can also add whole breasts and shred when the stew is cooked through.
- Alternatively, you can add in leftover rotisserie chicken at the end with the slurry to heat through.
how to make the best chicken stew in a slow-cooker
- Season and brown the chicken: This helps sear the chicken for ultimate flavor. If you don’t have time, or don’t want to dirty another pan, you can add whole chicken pieces and shred at the end.
- Add to crockpot: add seared chicken, broth, coconut aminos, veggies, herbs and spices to the slow-cooker. Stir to combine everything together and mix well.
- Cook: LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4-6 hours.
- Make your slurry: mix almond milk and tapioca starch and pour into slow-cooker. Cook on LOW, uncovered for 30 minutes to allow stew to thicken. Serve and enjoy.
STORAGE TIPS
- To Store. Refrigerate chicken stew leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a large saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warm.
- To Freeze. You can freeze chicken stew in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop.
sides to serve with chicken stew
As-is, this chicken stew is a complete meal, but to stretch it out, feel free to serve with my simple side salad, einkorn cornbread muffins or over mashed cauliflower.
more cozy soup ideas
slow cooker chicken stew
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces - can also use chicken breast: cut into larger chunks to avoid overcooking if using breast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 lb yukon gold potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes - can also use Russet or red potatoes
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper - plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
- 2 tablespoon coconut aminos - 1 tablespoon soy sauce or worcestershire sauce (check labels to keep gluten free)
- 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened) - can use any nut milk (unsweetened), cow's milk or heavy cream if not dairy-free.
- 2 tablespoon tapioca starch - or can use arrowroot, cornstarch or flour (if not gluten free)
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken pieces and generously season with salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon of each) and brown the meat until nicely seared, about 5-6 minutes. You do not need to cook all the way through, just browned to keep juicy. Transfer chicken to crockpot.
- To the slow-cooker, add diced celery, chopped carrots, diced onion, diced potatoes, broth, coconut aminos, minced garlic, dried spices and salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything together and mix well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours.
- Make your slurry: mix almond milk and tapioca starch and pour into slow-cooker. Cook on LOW, uncovered, for 30 minutes to allow stew to thicken. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
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Made this for dinner and served with saltines and some parm cheese. We loved it