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Crockpot Chicken Stew

Crockpot chicken stew made in a slow cooker with tender shredded chicken, soft potatoes, and sweet carrots in a rich herby broth. Low-and-slow cooking keeps the vegetables intact while the chicken turns fork-tender all day.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours 25 minutes
Total Time 7 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs Use chicken thighs so the stew stays rich and shred-tender.
Vegetables
  • 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
Broth and seasonings
  • 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp salt Plus more to taste.
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for garnish For serving.
Thickener
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour For beurre manié thickening.
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened For beurre manié thickening.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Layer the base
  1. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the crockpot in an even layer.
Add the chicken and broth
  1. Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables and pour in the chicken broth.
  2. Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper, then tuck in the bay leaf.
Slow cook
  1. Cover and cook on Low for 7–8 hours or High for 3.5–4 hours, until the chicken is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
Shred the chicken
  1. Remove the chicken thighs, shred with two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the crockpot and discard the bay leaf.
Thicken the stew
  1. Mash the softened butter and flour together into a paste (beurre manié) and stir it into the hot stew.
  2. Cover and cook on High for an additional 15–20 minutes until visibly thickened.
Taste and adjust
  1. Taste the stew and season with more salt and black pepper as needed.
Serve
  1. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

For the thickest, richest broth, stir the beurre manié into the stew while it’s hot, then let it cook until you can drag a spoon through the center and see slow, thickened flow. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat on the stovetop or microwave until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a gluten-free option, replace the all-purpose flour in the beurre manié with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.