Chicken Stew is a delicious meal with chicken, potatoes and sweet potatoes, onions and carrots. It’s all simmered in a rich seasoned chicken broth until tender. It’s one of our all time favorite meals (along with beef stew)!
A recipe like this chicken stew is a meal unto itself… full of protein, healthy carbs and veggies. We serve it with a salad or Easy Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits to sop up anything left in the bowl. It’s true chicken soup perfection.
Chicken soups are truly the ultimate comfort food from Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup to belly warming Chicken Rice Soup. This easy chicken stew fits the bill perfectly.
How To Make Chicken Stew
This simple chicken stew recipe is fully loaded with tender chicken and vegetables simmered in a deliciously seasoned broth! I use thighs because they tend to hold up better to the simmering but breasts can work well in this recipe too!
If you’re using chicken breasts, I would suggest browning the chunks and then adding in the last 20 minutes or so. If you have other veggies you love (root vegetables are especially great) add them in!
- Brown chicken at a high temp. No need to cook it through, you just want the caramelization and flavor.
- Soften onions/carrots/celery and add flour (to thicken a bit).
- Add broth, herbs and veggies. Homemade chicken stock or store bought work just fine.
- Simmer.
Crazy easy right? I add a bit of heavy cream at the end to make this chicken stew just a little bit creamy. You can skip the cream if you prefer or add extra if you’d like.
How To Thicken Chicken Stew
Sweet potatoes are a great addition to this hearty chicken stew recipe and they do soften quite a bit, this helps thicken it. The flour added at the beginning will thicken this chicken stew but you can certainly thicken it more if you’d like!
You can use a mixture of either cornstarch or flour with broth or water. I find cornstarch is less likely to be lumpy but flour tends to reheat/freeze better so the choice is yours! You can also add instant potatoes to thicken a little bit at a time.
How To Make a Slurry
Combine 2 tablespoons flour with 1 cup of water or broth (I prefer broth) and shake very well. Pour the slurry a little at a time into the boiling chicken stew while stirring. Once your stew is thickened, allow it to boil for a couple of minutes.
You’ll want to make sure your flour mixture has no lumps before you add it, I use a shaker jar or mason jar and shake really well.
Can You Freeze Chicken Stew?
Chicken Stew can be frozen! If you plan on freezing it, I’d suggest using flour as a thickener (not cornstarch) as it will have a better consistency. I personally freeze in individual servings because they defrost faster and I can take out as many as I need to serve.
More Chicken Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Chicken Taco Soup
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup (no cream)
- Chicken Barley Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs about 8 thighs, diced 1-inch
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups diced potatoes peeled if using russets or baking potatoes
- 1 ½ cups diced sweet potatoes peeled
- ½ red bell pepper finely diced
- ¼ cup white wine
- 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1 cup green beans cut into 1-inch pieces, or frozen peas, thawed
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, brown chicken in 1 tablespoon olive oil (it doesn't have to be cooked through). Remove from pot and set aside.
- Cook onion, carrot and celery in remaining olive oil for about 3 minutes or until onion is slightly softened. Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour, seasonings and salt & pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes.
- Add potatoes, sweet potatoes, red pepper, white wine, browned chicken and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- Remove lid and stir in green beans and cream. Thicken if desired (below) and simmer an additional 10 minutes uncovered.
- To thicken: In a mason jar combine remaining 2 tablespoons flour and 1 cup water or broth. Shake very well (ensure there are no lumps) and add a little at a time to boiling stew to reach desired consistency.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course, Soup
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Absolutely delicious! Other than adding garlic when the onions we’re cooking and using half and half, I didn’t change a thing. I will definitely be making this over and over again. I’ve never tasted a such great chicken stew!
So happy you loved it, Hayley!
I have this simmering on the stove right now. Smells wonderful!
I hope you love the stew peachy!
Excellent recipe! In addition to all of the ingredients I added about three cloves of garlic and it was delicious!
Great addition Pamela! That would be yummy.
Do you yes dry herbs?
Hi Sharon, we use dried ingredients in this recipe with fresh just as the garnish! Enjoy.
Can’t wait to try this! Does this recipe use fresh or dried herbs?
Hi Marla, we use dried ingredients in this recipe with fresh just as the garnish! Let us know what you think!
So excited to start making your soups.
I hope you love them all Doreen!
It’s Yumy!
So glad you enjoyed the stew Olga!
Excellent recipe, however I can rarely leave a recipe alone, so made these changes: I added more garlic, more of all veggies and kept chicken thighs whole for braising and cooking in the stew (they almost fall apart for serving if you prefer pieces of chicken, but they are moist and juicy). Requires a lot of salt (but such broths always do)
So glad you enjoyed the recipe and found ways to make it your own Donna!
Just saw this on FB. Looks good. I need doe great easy recipes.
I hope you love it Linda!
Love recipes that you can make without major cost. ‼️
You are in the right place Jacquie! Have fun cooking.
Looking forward to trying this recipe
Let us know what you think Dottie!
Made this for dinner with friends last night….it was fabulous…didn’t use the wine, the red pepper or green beans…didn’t miss them at all….this is a great winter dinner….yummmmmmmm
Glad to hear you loved it Linda!
I’ve had this pinned for awhile and just made it for the first time tonight. Holy recipe of amazing goodness!! This one is going to become a regular favorite. We’re seriously contemplating licking our bowls.
No judgement here! Go ahead and lick that bowl Stacie. Thanks for sharing.
Looking forward to making this recipe.
We are looking forward to you trying them Charlotte! Let us know what you think.
Looks delicious
Thanks Guadalupe!
I’m trying it tonight, looks great. But I was wondering, is it still ok to freeze with the heavy cream in it, or should that be left out?
Hi Tara, we have frozen this recipe with great success, so it should turn out fine!
This was fabulous. I actually enjoyed it even more the next day as leftovers patly I think because the beans were softer.
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the stew. I am a big fan of leftovers, so I would have to agree that it gets better as the days go Nancy!
This looks so yummy! Can I substitute red wine for the white wine?
While I have only made this as written, I think you could make this substitution if white is what you have on hand!
It all looks super delicious
It is so delicious Michael. Hope you enjoy!
Your receipes sound soooooo good.
Thank you so much Vickie! Enjoy them all :)
Looks good!!
Thank you Vickie! It is yummy!