A hearty Chicken Stew with fall-apart-tender chicken, sweet carrots, smoky bacon, and more, all served in a deeply savory, thick, and luxurious gravy.
Try some of our other favorite stew recipes like this Moroccan Stew (with couscous), Sweet Potato Stew, or Crockpot Beef Stew (with gnocchi).
The Ultimate Chicken Stew
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Our writer/editor, Maggie, holds one of those “behind-the-scenes” jobs that makes everything better–she’s the best of the best! And this recipe happens to come from her–like everything she does, this recipe absolutely blew me away! It’s deeply savory with smoky undertones and ridiculously tender chicken that practically falls apart, and the best blend of veggies. The resultant gravy surrounding the chicken and veggies is the perfect thickness with a wonderfully nuanced, rich, and deep flavor.
She sent this recipe to me while my husband and I were on a date. A quick peruse and we headed straight to the store to grab the ingredients (that’s how excited we both were to try it!). The kids all gave it a resounding two thumbs-up and I can’t wait for you all to try it! Fair warning–you’re going to all be as obsessed with Maggie as we are after trying the first bite!
Use Bone-In Chicken Thighs
While a lot is contributing, the one ingredient that delivers such a rich and nuanced flavor to this stew: the chicken.
To get this rich flavor we want bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Bone-in chicken breasts will also work. Whatever you get, we want to make sure the meat has the bone left in.
We discard the bone after the chicken cooks, so why is it so important? Bones are living tissues and therefore rich in micronutrients and minerals. Not only do the bones provide nutrition, they also provide so much flavor. Bones also keep the meat from drying out (juicier chicken!) by helping to insulate the meat during cooking. The rich flavors of the marrow seep their way into the meat during the cooking process– which enhances the flavor of the entire chicken stew. You’ll be amazed at the flavor difference of bone-in meat versus boneless here!
How To Make Chicken Stew
This stew has such a deeply and nuanced savoriness because we’re creating multiple layers of flavor. Instead of just throwing everything together in a slow cooker, we take the time to cook each component and then allow the flavors to “marry” at the end. Here’s a quick overview:
- Brown the bacon: The drippings (grease) left behind is then the perfect avenue for the next step.
- Searing the chicken: Color = flavor, so that nice golden crust on the chicken is what we’re after. Don’t rush it–brown it well!
- Sautéing the veggies: The veggies will pick up all those lovely “browned bits” left behind from the chicken and bacon, making them ultra flavorful.
- Reducing the liquid: The veggies also simmer in a wine + broth mixture which reduces down, leaving a concentrated mixture that’s ultra flavorful
- Combine everything: And once we’ve got all these layers of flavor, we can finish cooking the chicken and potatoes in the liquid– which will continue to reduce and concentrate into a wonderfully savory gravy.
Quick Tip
What are browned bits? This refers to caramelized remnants of meat that get left in the pan after the meat is cooked. They’re then “re-cooked” in wine/broth/other liquids helping them be absorbed into the sauce or gravy and delivering a deeper and richer flavor
Chicken and Potato Stew
This stew has a myriad of veggies in it and a personal favorite — gold potatoes!
Yukon gold (also called gold, Yukon, or yellow potatoes) are the perfect complement to the chicken in this hearty Chicken Stew.
Yukon gold potatoes are small to medium-sized potatoes with a light yellow flesh, delicate skin, and an irresistible creamy flavor and ever so slight sweetness. No need to peel these potatoes — the skin is so thin it’s undetectable.
Variations
Change It Up!
Chicken stew with vegetables: If you’d like to add more vegetables, do so when the chicken gets removed. Maggie suggests mushrooms, frozen corn, peas or baby lima beans. Yum!
Chicken stew with rice: My boys are obsessed with rice. On a whim, we mixed in some leftover rice with some leftover stew and it got thumbs-up all around! This stew certainly doesn’t need rice but if you want to add in some lingering in the fridge, go for it! A little leftover pasta might make a tasty alternative.
Healthy Chicken Stew: This stew isn’t too bad nutritionally — it’s broth-based instead of cream based, has loads of protein, and is packed with veggies. If you’re looking to reduce the calories a bit, though, leave out the bacon and instead sear the chicken in olive oil.
Chicken Stew Tips
- Thoroughly pat the chicken dry with a paper towel (to ensure a better sear), and season with salt and pepper.
- You know the chicken is nicely seared when you are able to lift it from the pan without resistance. If it sticks, keep browning.
- Use wine or a substitute! If you don’t want to use wine in this recipe, replace it with chicken broth and then add 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar for a similar flavor.
- For a nice smoky flavor that complements the bacon beautifully, grab smoked paprika instead of sweet.
Chicken Stew FAQs
This recipe uses a roux (butter + flour) to thicken the stew nicely. If it’s still not thick enough, try simmering it a little longer or at a slightly higher temperature to reduce the liquid.
Yes, the starch from the potatoes helps naturally thicken the stew, but most of the thickening comes from the flour.
This recipe calls for 1/3 cup of flour—the perfect amount to thicken everything beautifully!
I prefer using flour because cornstarch is more prone to lumping. Additionally, flour holds up better during longer cooking times, whereas cornstarch can break down if cooked too long.
What Goes With Chicken Stew?
The great thing about chicken stew is that it’s a full meal all in one bowl. It’s got meat, plenty of veggies, and a rich gravy. So, if you’re going to serve something with it, keep it simple! Below are a few recommendations.
- A good crusty loaf of warmed bread (like this No-Knead Bread), homemade dinner rolls, or soup crackers
- Some kind of simple green salad like a Garden Salad or Caesar Salad or Roasted Veggie Salad
- Fruit salad such as this Winter Fruit Salad or Grapefruit Salad
- Short-grain brown rice or long-grain white rice
Storage
Chicken Stew Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container, up to 5 days.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, noting that frozen and thawed potatoes may end up a bit mushy.
More Hearty Soup Recipes:
- Sausage Potato Soup with sharp Cheddar cheese
- Zuppa Toscana Soup made in the slow cooker
- 15-Bean Soup made in the pressure cooker, slow cooker, or stovetop!
- Corn Chowder with bacon
- Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with spinach
Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 2-1/2 up to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (Note 1)
- 1-1/2 cups chunked large carrots (2 large or 1-1/2 cups baby carrots)
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
- 1 cup sliced celery (2-4 stalks)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken broth, separated
- 1-1/4 cups dry white wine, divided (or use 1 cup additional chicken broth plus 1-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cups white all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons each: dried thyme and dried rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- 1-3/4 cups baby Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and quartered/cut into 1-inch pieces (3/4ths pound)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley)
Instructions
- BACON: Dice bacon and cook in a large cast iron pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat until bacon browns and fat is rendered. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat behind.
- CHICKEN: While bacon is cooking, pat chicken dry with paper towel. Season lightly with salt & pepper (I add 1/2 tsp of each). Increase heat to high. Add chicken, skin side down, to the pan and sear on each side, browning well (about 3-4 mins per side or until chicken releases without resistance from the pan). Once seared, remove chicken to a bowl. Cover with foil and set aside for now.
- VEGGIES: Reduce heat to medium high. Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. While stirring, add in the tomato paste and minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
- BROTH: Increase heat to high. Add 1 cup broth, 1 cup wine (or 1 cup extra broth), Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Keeping heat at high, bring to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup (about 10-15 minutes).
- THICKEN: Cut the butter into 3 chunks, add to the pan, and stir to melt. Sprinkle the flour over top of the veggies and stir until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the remaining 3 cups of chicken broth, along with the thyme, sage, and paprika, stirring until smooth. Add in the potatoes and mix through. Return the chicken to the pot (along with any liquid left behind in the bowl). Press under the liquid as much as possible. Simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot so it doesn't catch, until chicken registers 165 degrees on a thermometer– about 20 minutes.
- DICE OR SHRED CHICKEN: Remove the chicken and set on a cutting board to cool. Back to the pan: give it a good stir and reduce the heat to low, simmering until potatoes are fully tender. Once chicken is cooled enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Cut the meat into small chunks or shred it with two forks. Once potatoes are fork tender, return chicken to pot along with the remaining 1/4 cup wine (or 1 up to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar — add to taste preference) and the bacon. Stir through. Taste and add additional seasonings if needed (we typically add another 1/2 teaspoon each of salt & pepper). Remove and discard bay leaves.
- SERVE: Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with parsley, if desired. Serve with some hot, crusty bread. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have not tried your chicken stew recipe yet but I see a lot of inefficiencies. First, you fried the chicken skin till crispy but you later removed it away. I almost fell off my chair. Second, you cooked the chicken and took it out to debone and cut. Imagine having to let it cool before you can touch it with your hands. It is a waste of time. Why cant you debone and cut it to small pieces and stir fry? Also, the oil used to fry the chicken will be very flavourful for frying the vegetables. Keep it.
Anyway, I will try your recipe.
Cooking the chicken with the skin on adds extra flavor because the fat renders out and gives richness to the stew. The veggies also get sautéed in that chicken fat, making them even more flavorful. After simmering, the skin gets soggy and isn’t very pleasant to eat, which is why I discard it—but it still brings tons of flavor to the dish while cooking.
It doesn’t take too long for the chicken to cool to shred. If it’s too hot, you can use a knife to dice it up or two forks to shred it. I find the cooking method outlined in the recipe gives the stew more flavor than stir-frying the chicken first, but feel free to prepare it however you prefer!
Never had chicken stew before; this is so good I’d make it for company, but I’m glad no one was here so I could lick the bowl. My husband, who isn’t a soup lover, returned to the pot multiple times for more and made several comments about how amazing this was. Thank you so much, Chelsea!
Haha I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Mandi! 🙂
This was probably one of the best chicken soups Ive ever had ! So easy so delicious with so much flavor ! You have such wonderful recipes !!!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Victoria! :)]