
September 21, 2020
updated
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You can feel good about filling up on this slow cooker chicken stew. Made with chicken thighs 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 thighs for 2-3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken. Add it to the broth once it’s simmering and the potatoes are tender.
Otherwise, here’s what to use for the perfect slow cooker chicken stew:
- Olive oil
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast (or turkey)
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Bay leaves
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Golden potatoes or Russets, baby red potatoes, etc.
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Green peas
- Half & half or canned coconut milk
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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 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence in place of the rosemary and thyme.
If you have fresh herbs, by all means, use that but make sure to stir them in during the final 10 minutes so the flavors are fresh.
How to Thicken It
The consistency of a stew is meant to be robust and thick. If you find your stew a little on the soupy side you can thicken it in the slow cooker with one of two ways:
- Once cooked, mash a few of the potatoes with the back of a spoon then stir. This will release the starches and thicken the broth.
- Whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons cold water. Slowly pour into the stew while stirring. Same as the method above, the added starch will help thicken the broth.
Neither method will affect the flavor and the outcome will be that rich, delicious consistency we are looking for.

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
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 carrots, cut into ½-inch rounds
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 leaves bay
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 medium golden potatoes, quartered
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup green peas
- ½ cup half and half
Instructions
- Add the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and chicken broth to the dish of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
- Bring the slow cooker to high and stir in the peas and half and half. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
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