Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

You can feel good about filling up on this slow cooker chicken stew. Made with tender chicken and fresh vegetables in a light creamy broth, it's satisfying, delicious, and just what we crave in cold weather.

Whenever you need a recipe to use up leftover baked chicken or serve for a winter dinner idea, this chicken stew can do both and is easy to make in the slow cooker or stovetop!

Soup recipes are easy to make, and they always hit the spot on cold, winter nights.

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

This hearty chicken stew is always welcome in cold weather. The tender chicken and abundance of vegetables help fill you up without making you want to crash an hour later.

I have a ton of soup recipes, including this one that you can make on the stove-top, but this slow cooker version is perfect when you need a hands-free dinner that’s ready after a busy day.

More ways to make this recipe:
Stovetop Chicken Stew | Instant Pot Chicken Stew | Turkey Stew

Ingredients

You don’t need anything fancy to pull of this hearty stew, only simple and fresh ingredients.

If you want to make things even easier, swap the chicken for 2-3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken. Add it to the broth once it’s simmering and the potatoes are tender.

You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below. Here’s what to use for the perfect slow cooker chicken stew:

Chicken: boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts. Shredded rotisserie chicken is a great alternative to save time.
Aromatics: onion, carrots, and celery.
Herbs: thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Use dried or fresh (amounts noted in recipe card).
Salt and black pepper: for seasoning.
Golden potatoes: Russets or baby red potatoes are also great for this stew.
Chicken broth: or stock, store-bought or homemade.
Green peas: a classic veggie for any stew. Use frozen or canned.
Half and half: or a dairy-free substitute.
Cornstarch: to thicken the stew.

Herbs for Chicken Stew

Dried rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves are what give this chicken stew its fragrant and flavorful broth. You can also use poultry seasoning, which includes these herbs, instead.

Fresh herbs can also be used for this chicken stew. Since fresh are not as potent, you’ll need to double the amounts as listed in the recipe card.

How to Make Chicken Stew in the Slow Cooker

Serving a complete, wholesome meal that is good for your body and soul is super simple with this recipe, and the slow cooker does all the hard work. Check out how easy it is to prep this chicken stew:

Brown the chicken:
In the slow cooker if it has a sauté/browning setting or in a heated pan with a little bit of oil, brown the chicken pieces until they’re golden on all sides, about 2 minutes. This helps the chicken pieces retain the juices.
Slow cook:
To the chicken pieces in the slow cooker, add the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, chicken broth, and bay leaves (if using). Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
Final step, 30 minutes before:
If you were cooking this on LOW, push the cooking mode to HIGH. Combine half and half with corn starch until there are no visible clumps. Add the slurry to the slow cooker dish, add the peas. Stir to combine. Cook for 10 minutes and serve.
Serve
Ladle the chicken stew into bowls and enjoy.

Watch this quick video to see how it’s done!

How to Thicken Chicken Stew

The consistency of a stew is meant to be robust and thick, which is why we add cornstarch at the end of the recipe. If it’s not thick enough for your liking, I’ve found that removing some of the potatoes onto a cutting board, mashing them with the back of a fork, and stirring them back in works well since the potatoes will release their starch into the broth and thicken it.

What to Serve with Chicken Stew

A hot bowl of this stew is a meal all by itself, but there’s nothing better than warm bread or a crisp salad to go alongside. Below are a few recipes that go perfectly with this stew:

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with Vegetables

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 10

5 from 19 votes

Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ lbs chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
3 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
5 medium golden potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon dried thyme*
1 teaspoon dried rosemary*
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves, optional
32 ounces chicken broth or stock, (4 cups)
1 cup green peas, frozen or canned
½ cup half and half
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Brown the chicken:

If your slow cooker has a browning/sauté mode, add the oil to the heated insert and brown the chicken pieces for about 2 minutes per side. Otherwise, heat a large pan over medium-high heat, and once hot, add the oil. Brown the chicken pieces on the pan, about 2 minutes per side, until they're nice and golden. Then, transfer the chicken pieces and the juices into the slow cooker dish.

Slow Cook:

To the chicken pieces in the slow cooker, add the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, chicken broth, and bay leaves (if using). Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

30 minutes before serving:

If you were cooking this on LOW, push the cooking mode to HIGH.
Combine half and half with corn starch until there are no visible clumps. Add the slurry to the slow cooker dish, add add the peas. Stir to combine. Cook for 10 minutes and serve.

Notes

Substitute the thyme and rosemary for 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning.
If using fresh herbs, use 2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme and 2 teaspoons chopped finely chopped rosemary.