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.
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?
It’s a complete meal as-is, but if I’m making for a crowd, I’ll serve with my easy side salad and creamy mashed potatoes.
ingredients for chicken stew
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! But there are simple swaps and substitutions in 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
Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs in this slow cooker chicken stew. Chicken thighs are my preference because they have more flavor and stay tender during the longer cooking time, while leaner chicken breasts can dry out more easily.
If using chicken breasts, cut them into larger chunks before browning to help prevent them from overcooking. Or, skip the browning and add the chicken breasts whole, then shred or roughly chop them once cooked.
Shortcut: You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken. Stir the cooked chicken into the stew at the end along with the slurry, giving it just enough time to heat through.
how to make the best chicken stew in a slow-cooker
I know I’m biased but I really do think this isn the best chicken stew out there; bonus that it’s in the crock pot and hands off, doing its thing and building flavor.
- 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.
Should I Brown Chicken Before Adding It to the Slow Cooker?
After testing this crockpot chicken stew a few different ways, I found that chicken thighs have the best texture when you either cut and brown them first or slow-cook them whole.
My preferred method is to cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and quickly brown them before adding them to the slow cooker. You get more flavor from the sear, and the chicken stays tender as the stew cooks.
I’ve also tested this recipe by adding cut, uncooked chicken directly to the crockpot, and I found that the smaller pieces can dry out during the long cooking time—even when using chicken thighs.
Short on time? Skip the browning, but leave the chicken thighs whole. Slow-cook them with the stew, then shred or roughly chop the chicken just before stirring in the slurry to thicken the broth.
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.
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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I’m subbing chicken breast and coconut milk and using a small yuca instead of all those potatoes to make the recipe low-carb. Then it will only serve four instead of six.
sounds great! I love yuca but haven’t used it in this recipe or a slow cooker soup, so if you remember and want to come back and let us know how it turns out!
Loved this! I did use heavy cream since my in-laws were over but next time I’ll try with almond milk for a little less fat. Was perfect and so comforting!
Thanks for the review Nina! Phew – lots of pressure knowing the in-laws taste tested; glad they approved
Made this for dinner and served with saltines and some parm cheese. We loved it