Slow Cooker Chicken Stew Recipe

Introduction

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew is the answer to comfort food cravings with minimal hands-on effort. This hearty, flavorful dish transforms basic pantry ingredients and fresh veggies into a rich, warming meal. Perfect for busy days or when you’re feeding a hungry crowd, it allows you to get dinner on the table with hardly any fuss.

What makes this stew a crowd-pleaser is its balance of tender chicken, robust vegetables, and aromatic broth. The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting, infusing every bite with deep, developed flavors.

Why This Chicken Stew is a Weeknight Winner

Unlike stovetop recipes that require constant attention, this slow cooker chicken stew delivers all-day flavor and fall-apart tenderness with little more than some initial chopping and stirring. The combination of root vegetables, gently simmered chicken, and savory herbs creates a soul-soothing, one-pot meal that’s equally suitable for cozy weeknight dinners or relaxed Sunday suppers.

Essential Prep for a Flavorful Stew

Start with hearty root vegetables—carrots, potatoes, onions, and celery—for that rustic, classic stew texture. To streamline prep and ensure evenly sized pieces for even cooking, use the Mueller Pro-Series 10-in-1, 8 Blade Vegetable Chopper. It makes dicing and slicing vegetables a breeze and significantly cuts down on chopping time.

For the chicken, boneless, skinless thighs are recommended for their deeper flavor and moisture, but breasts can be substituted if desired. Properly seasoning each layer as you assemble your ingredients in the slow cooker is the key to a well-balanced finished dish.

Layering and Cooking the Stew

Add vegetables to the bottom of your slow cooker, followed by the seasoned chicken pieces. Pour in chicken broth, a can of diced tomatoes, and your favorite herbs—think thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. For even flavor distribution, stir gently before setting the slow cooker.

Set on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours; the aromatics will fill your kitchen as the stew simmers to perfection. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning. For shredded chicken texture, effortlessly pull the chicken apart with the Chicken Shredder Tool Twist for Kitchen directly in the slow cooker.

Serving and Storing Chicken Stew

Ladle the chicken stew into bowls and top with fresh parsley or a squeeze of lemon for extra brightness. Serve with crusty bread for dipping or a scoop of rice for a heartier meal.

Leftovers store well in airtight containers like the Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers, Set of 5, making this recipe a lunch or freezer-friendly option for meal preppers.

For an easy, mess-free serving experience at gatherings, cover surfaces with the Pureegg Plastic Table Cloth Disposable 10 Pack, White—saving you clean-up time after everyone’s enjoyed their fill.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields approximately 6 generous bowls of slow cooker chicken stew. Each serving offers lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and nutrient-rich vegetables—about 300–350 calories, depending on the cut of chicken and whether you opt for skin-on or skinless meat.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew Recipe (Recap)

Hearty, satisfying, and brimming with flavor, this stew brings together simple, wholesome ingredients and lets your slow cooker work its magic. It’s the perfect dish for feeding a family, prepping ahead, or simply savoring the comforts of home-cooked food without extensive effort.

Instructions

1. Prep all vegetables using the Mueller Pro-Series 10-in-1, 8 Blade Vegetable Chopper for quick and uniform dicing.
2. Layer carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juice) and chicken broth. Add the bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours, until chicken and vegetables are tender.
4. Remove the bay leaf. For a shredded chicken texture, use the Chicken Shredder Tool Twist for Kitchen to gently pull apart chicken directly in the slow cooker.
5. If a thicker stew is desired, mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water, stir into the stew, and cook on high for 20-30 more minutes until thickened.
6. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley or lemon wedges. Transfer leftovers to Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers for storage.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6–7 hours (low) or 3–4 hours (high)

Total Time: 6.5–7.5 hours (including prep)