Vegetable-packed Crock Pot Chicken Stew with potatoes, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, peas, and more! This easy chicken stew recipe results in rich broth, tender chicken, and plenty of quality nutrients for a healthy meal.
Loaded with fresh vegetables, this slow cooker chicken stew is a nutrition powerhouse! We’re getting an ample amount of protein, collagen, and a variety of micronutrients and minerals for a meal that tastes comforting and cozy with bonus health benefits.
I love that this healthy stew recipe contains a barrage of veggies, yet the soup tastes rich and meaty, not veggie-forward. Soups and stews are excellent places to hide lots of vegetables, because they blend in so nicely with the overall flavor and theme of the soup.
This hearty stew tastes so flavorful due to the longer cooking time, and makes an amazing meal prep recipe! Simply set it up ahead of time, and allow the slow cooker to do all the hard work!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this easy slow cooker chicken stew.
Ingredients for Crock Pot Chicken Stew:
Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs: The main ingredient here. I like using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs because the meat is richer, and the skin and bones add tremendous flavor to the soup. You’ll end up discarding the skin and bones, but they add collagen and nutrients you don’t otherwise get without them.
Onion and Garlic: Mandatory in all soup recipes, we need onion and garlic as a base of flavor.
Potatoes and Carrots: Bring carbohydrates to the stew for comfort factor, texture, and flavor. I use Yukon gold baby potatoes, but russet potatoes or red potatoes work great too. Note that sweet potatoes give the stew a sweet flavor, so be aware of that in case you are or are not into sweet tasting stews.
Baby Spinach: Adds a big dose of Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and iron. I love that spinach disappears into soup undetected, allowing for a nutrient boost.
Peas: Bring sweet flavor and a little soft texture. I use organic frozen peas, but canned peas work too.
Tomatoes: Contribute little bursts of juiciness and some tanginess to offset the richness of the soup.
Chicken Broth: The liquid. I love using chicken bone broth for added health benefits.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the soup with salt and pepper to your personal taste.
Avocado Oil or Olive Oil: For sautéing the onion and searing the chicken.
Recipe Customizations:
- Swap out any of the veggies for some of your favorites. Zucchini, cauliflower, bok choy, and bell pepper are all good options.
- If you prefer cooking with chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs, feel free to make the switch. Just note the meat won’t turn out as tender.
- Toss in a bay leaf or two if you have bay leaves on hand.
- Cut up a whole chicken to use in the stew for the absolute best results!
- For creamy chicken stew, add 1 cup of heavy cream at the end of cooking.
- Feel free to add in fresh herbs, like fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, or fresh thyme.
- If you prefer cooking in your instant pot, make my Instant Pot Chicken Stew.
- Add in 1/2 cup of a dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc, if you enjoy cooking with wine.
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Stew:
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped onion for 5 minutes, until it has softened and begins turning golden brown. Transfer the sauteed onion and garlic to the bottom of your crock pot.
Place the skillet back on the stove top and sear both sides of the chicken thighs for 6 minutes per side.
While the chicken is browning, add the chopped yukon gold potatoes, and carrots (and celery if adding) to the slow cooker. Once the chicken has finished browning, add the thighs to the crock pot too.
Pour in the chicken stock and secure the lid of the crock pot. Cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours.
Remove the lid of the crock pot and add in the chopped baby spinach, peas, and tomatoes. Give everything a big stir.
Measure out about ½ cup of the broth from the slow cooker and mix in 2 tablespoons of gluten-free all-purpose flour, regular all-purpose flour, or corn starch.
Pour this mixture into the crock pot. Replace the lid and cook on high heat for another hour. This extra step helps thicken the stew, which gives it that comforting appeal.
Use tongs to pull the chicken thighs out of the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board. Once they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat to your desired consistency, and discard the bones and skin.
Transfer the meat back into the crock pot. You are now ready to serve! Taste the stew for flavor and add salt and pepper to your personal taste. You can also add chicken bouillon for a deeper chicken flavor.
Serve chicken stew in big bowls with crusty bread, garlic bread, or cornbread.
This stew tastes even better the next day, after it has had even more time for the flavors to develop. Enjoy leftover chicken stew the next day!
Storage Options:
- Refrigerator: Store stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled stew double bagged in two large zip lock bags or freezer bags or freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Looking for side dishes to serve with chicken stew? Here are some of my favorites.
What to Serve with Chicken Stew:
- The Best Broccoli Salad
- Italian Salad
- Crispy Roasted Greek Lemon Potatoes
- Edamame Salad with Garlic Ginger Dressing
- Cinnamon Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
Put this crockpot chicken stew recipe on repeat for all the upcoming chilly nights!
For those times you’re on a soup kick, here are some of my favorite soup recipes.
More Soup and Stew Recipes:
- Crock Pot Beef Stew
- Coconut Lime Fish Soup
- Creamy Chicken Soup
- Beef Noodle Stew
- Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)
Enjoy this epic comfort food during the chilly fall and winter months.
Crock Pot Chicken Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 3 lbs bone-in skin on chicken thighs
- 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes chopped into large chunks
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 2 large stalks celery chopped, optional
- 32 ounces chicken bone broth
- 5 ounces baby spinach chopped
- 1 cup green peas
- 2 cups tomato chopped (about 1 large tomato)
- 2 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour or regular all-purpose flour*
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste**
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped onion for 5 minutes, until it has softened and begins turning golden brown. Transfer the sauteed onion and garlic to the bottom of your crock pot.
- Place the skillet back on the stove top and sear both sides of the chicken thighs for 6 minutes per side.
- While the chicken is browning, add the chopped yukon gold potatoes, and carrots (and celery if adding) to the slow cooker. Once the chicken has finished browning, add the thighs to the crock pot too.
- Pour in the chicken stock and secure the lid of the crock pot. Cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours. Remove the lid of the crock pot and add in the chopped baby spinach, peas, and tomatoes. Give everything a big stir. Measure out about ½ cup of the broth from the slow cooker and mix in 2 tablespoons of gluten-free all-purpose flour, regular all-purpose flour, or corn starch. Pour this mixture into the crock pot. Replace the lid and cook on high heat for another hour. This extra step helps thicken the stew, which gives it that comforting appeal.
- Use tongs to pull the chicken thighs out of the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board. Once they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat to your desired consistency, and discard the bones and skin. Transfer the meat back into the crock pot. You are now ready to serve! Taste the stew for flavor and add salt and pepper to your personal taste. You can also add chicken bouillon for a deeper chicken flavor.
- Serve chicken stew in big bowls with crusty bread, garlic bread, or cornbread.
I don’t see the tomatoes in the recipe ingredients. How much and type. Canned? fresh?
Sorry about that, Cherry! I edited the recipe to fix my error. I use 1 large tomato, which equates to about 2 cups when chopped. Anywhere in the 1-3 cup range will work great! I hope you enjoy the stew!
Hey there! Just curious…you mention tomatoes, but I don’t see them in the recipe? It looks delicious and I want to make it! Just checking to see if I missed it. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Sheree! My apologies! I added the tomatoes to the recipe card. I use about 2 cups of chopped tomatoes, which equates to one large tomato or two smaller tomatoes. You can also adjust the amount to your personal taste 🙂 Happy cooking!