Recipe

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Make this hearty chicken and zucchini stew in one pot for an easy, wholesome dinner packed with protein and tender veggies.

This comforting chicken stew with zucchini and carrots is the perfect weeknight dinner. It’s warm, filling, and made with simple ingredients.

Chicken Stew with Zucchini and Carrots

This recipe has no potatoes, unlike my chicken and potatoes stew, so I make it when I want a bowl full of hearty vegetables and lean protein. It's thicker and more satisfying than my veggie soup, which is probably why my kids always ask for seconds.

This chicken and vegetable stew comes together in one pot, resulting in a cozy comfort food meal that you can enjoy any night of the week, especially paired with some crusty bread.

Ingredients

This stew combines zucchini, carrots, onion, and garlic with chicken breasts or thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces). I use a little paprika to add more flavor, and canned diced tomatoes and chicken broth to give this stew its hearty consistency.

How It’s Made

The simple steps to make this chicken zucchini stew are:

Sauté the aromatics
In a Dutch oven, sauté chopped onions, carrots, and garlic cloves for 7-8 minutes. The carrots won’t be tender, that’s ok. Then, add the spices and toast them for a minute.
Sauté the chicken
In the same pot, sauté the chicken pieces until their outside looks white. You’ll keep cooking the chicken next.
Simmer
Add the tomatoes, zucchini, and chicken broth. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you like your stews more soupy, add additional broth in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

How to Thicken the Stew

The liquid in this stew can be thickened with a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Add it at the end of the cooking time, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Chicken Zucchini Stew

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1

Make this hearty chicken and zucchini stew in one pot for an easy, wholesome dinner packed with protein and tender veggies.

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium zucchini, chopped
14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
2-4 cups chicken broth*

Instructions

Sauté:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and heat it up for 30 seconds. Add the chopped onions and stir, sautéing them for 2 to 3 minutes until they're soft. Add the chopped carrots and garlic cloves, and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. The carrots won't be tender yet, that's ok.
Add the paprika, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir to toast the spices for 1 minute.
Add the chicken pieces to the pot and stir. Cook the chicken down for 3 minutes, until the outside of the chicken pieces looks white. You'll cook the chicken fully next.
Add the tomatoes, including their juices, the zucchini, and the chicken broth to the pot, then stir to combine all the ingredients.

Cook:

Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, opening the lid occasionally to stir. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, check to see how much liquid is left. If you like your stews more soupy, add 1 to 2 cups of additional broth, stir, and bring to a simmer.

Serve:

Serve as is, with some crusty bread, or with a little cooked rice.

Notes

Traditional stews are hearty in their ingredient-to-liquid ratio. Some people prefer theirs to have a soup-like consistency. If that’s what you enjoy, I recommend buying a 32-ounce package (4 cups) of chicken broth and adding 1 to 2 cups towards the end of the cooking time.
The liquid base can be thickened by making a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Add the slurry at the end of the cooking time, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.