🍒Reader Review

“As a health care worker, my days are so busy so I tried this as a time saver. It turned out perfect and my family loved it, great recipe!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥘 Ingredient Notes

This slow cooker chicken stew isn’t just easy to prepare; it’s also a wonderfully healthy and nutritious meal you’ll feel great about serving your family. Each spoonful is packed with wholesome ingredients, ensuring a satisfying and well-balanced dinner. The beauty of this recipe lies in its reliance on hearty, fresh vegetables and common pantry staples, making it accessible and budget-friendly. Let’s dive into the key components that bring this delicious stew to life:

It’s full of hearty, healthy vegetables like carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions, and pantry staples like dried herbs, chicken stock, and cream of chicken soup!

For this healthy slow cooker chicken stew, you’ll need these simple yet impactful ingredients:

• Chicken Breasts: We recommend using boneless and skinless chicken breasts for a lean and tender result. You can either chop them up raw and add them directly to the slow cooker for ultimate ease, or you can brown them briefly beforehand to add a deeper, more caramelized flavor to the stew. Both methods yield delicious results, with browning leading to a richer gravy.
• Carrots: Fresh carrots add natural sweetness, vibrant color, and essential nutrients. For the best texture in a stew, I find that slicing them into thin, uniform circles ensures they cook evenly and become perfectly tender without turning mushy. Alternatively, a bag of pre-cut carrot chips can be a real time-saver.
• Potatoes: A cornerstone of any good stew, potatoes add heartiness and substance. Yukon gold, russet, baby, or red potatoes all work beautifully. I often opt for red potatoes as they hold their shape well and are a personal favorite, but feel free to use whichever variety you have on hand or prefer. Peel and dice them into bite-sized pieces for consistent cooking.
• Onion and Celery: This classic aromatic duo forms the flavor base of our stew. Diced onion provides a sweet and savory depth, while chopped celery adds a subtle peppery note and a pleasant texture. Together, they create a fragrant foundation that elevates the entire dish.
• Rosemary & Thyme: These dried herbs are essential for giving the stew its traditional, comforting aroma and taste. Rosemary offers a robust, slightly peppery, and woody flavor, while thyme contributes an earthy, subtly lemony, and floral note. Their combination creates a rich, complex herbal profile.
• Sage: Sage brings a distinct, pronounced herbal flavor that is earthy, somewhat peppery, and slightly minty. It pairs wonderfully with chicken and vegetables, adding another layer of aromatic depth to the stew.
• Oregano: Known for its robust and slightly pungent flavor, oregano adds a warm, aromatic, and somewhat spicy kick. It complements the other herbs beautifully, creating a well-rounded and deeply savory taste.
• Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock: This liquid base is crucial for simmering the ingredients and developing the stew’s flavor. Opt for a low-sodium variety if you’re mindful of salt intake, as the cream of chicken soup also contributes sodium.
• Canned Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: This is our secret ingredient for achieving incredible creaminess and depth of flavor without the need for heavy cream, keeping the stew lighter and Weight Watchers friendly. I always choose a low-fat version to keep the overall fat content down. It blends seamlessly into the broth, creating a luscious texture.
• Bay Leaves: Often underestimated, bay leaves infuse the stew with a subtle, aromatic layer and a hint of minty, piney, and slightly floral notes, adding complexity to the overall flavor profile. Remember to remove them before serving.
• Flour and Cooking Oil: These two ingredients are used to create a simple roux, which acts as the primary thickener for the stew’s gravy. Blending them into a paste before adding ensures a smooth, lump-free consistency. If you prefer a gluten-free option or a different thickening agent, a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) works equally well.

*See the recipe card below for exact quantities.

Top Tip for Ultimate Convenience

Maximize your meal prep efficiency by using thawed frozen chicken breast for this easy slow cooker chicken stew. Frozen chicken is not only simpler to store, offering a longer shelf life, but it’s also often more economical. This means you can keep essential ingredients on hand and whip up this comforting stew without an extra trip to the grocery store, making healthy eating even more achievable on busy days.

📖Variations & Substitutions

This slow cooker chicken stew recipe is wonderfully versatile, allowing for various substitutions and additions to suit your preferences or what you have available:

• Chicken: While boneless, skinless chicken breasts are specified, you have flexibility. Feel free to use fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts for convenience, or frozen chicken breasts (thawed is recommended for even cooking). Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can also be a fantastic option, offering a slightly richer flavor and remaining incredibly tender after slow cooking.
• Add-ins: To boost the vegetable content or add more variety, consider tossing in other hardy vegetables. Green beans are a popular choice and cook perfectly in the slow cooker alongside the other ingredients. Peas (added in the last 30 minutes) or sliced mushrooms are also delicious additions.
• Oil: For browning the chicken or creating the roux, you can use any neutral-flavored cooking oil you prefer. Vegetable oil, olive oil, or canola oil are all excellent choices and work interchangeably in this recipe.
• Herbs: If you have fresh herbs on hand, they can definitely be used in place of dried. As a general rule, you’ll need to double the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried herbs (e.g., 1 teaspoon dried equals 2 teaspoons fresh). Fresh parsley, stirred in at the end, also makes a wonderful bright garnish and adds extra freshness.
• Roux (Thickener): For thickening the stew, a roux made from flour and oil is traditional, but a cornstarch slurry is an excellent alternative, especially if you need a gluten-free option. To make a cornstarch slurry, simply mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water until smooth, then stir it into the simmering stew during the last 30 minutes of cooking until your desired thickness is achieved.
• Potatoes: As mentioned, any type of potato works well in this stew. Yukon gold potatoes are known for their creamy texture and buttery flavor, making them a superb choice if you have them.

7. Step 7: Thicken and Season. Stir the prepared roux (or cornstarch slurry) into the stew in the slow cooker, ensuring it’s well incorporated. Replace the lid and allow the stew to continue cooking on low for another 15-30 minutes, or until it reaches your desired thickness. The stew will gradually thicken as the flour cooks. If it’s not as thick as you like, you can prepare a little more roux (maintaining the same ratio of flour to oil) and stir it in, cooking for an additional 15 minutes. Finally, taste the stew and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, adjusting as needed.

8. Step 8: Garnish and Serve. Carefully remove and discard the bay leaves from the stew. Ladle the hot, creamy chicken stew into bowls. Before serving, sprinkle generously with dried parsley flakes for a pop of color and a touch of fresh herbal flavor.

🥗 What to Serve with Hearty Chicken Stew

This creamy slow cooker chicken stew is a wonderfully complete meal on its own, packed with protein and vegetables. However, pairing it with the right side dishes can elevate your dining experience and add an extra layer of comfort or freshness. For a truly classic and soul-satisfying pairing, nothing beats serving this stew with my recipe for The Best Baking Powder Biscuits – perfect for soaking up every last drop of that delicious gravy. But if you’re looking for something a little lighter or to add more variety, here are some fantastic options:

Beyond these specific recipes, here are some general ideas for perfect pairings:

• Crusty Bread or Rolls: A good loaf of artisan bread, a French baguette, or even simple dinner rolls are excellent for dipping into the rich sauce.
• Green Salad: A fresh, crisp green salad with a light vinaigrette provides a refreshing contrast to the hearty stew.
• Steamed Vegetables: If you want to add more greens, a simple side of steamed broccoli, asparagus, or green beans is always a healthy choice.
• Rice or Quinoa: For those who prefer a grain base, serving the stew over a bed of fluffy white rice, brown rice, or quinoa can make it even more filling.

👪 Serving Size

This healthy chicken stew recipe yields approximately 6 generous servings, with each serving being about 1 ½ cups. The flexibility of this recipe is a major plus! You can easily adjust the serving size by half, double, or even triple the recipe to feed more people or to have leftovers for meal prep. Simply click on the serving number in the recipe card below and select your desired number of servings; the ingredient quantities will automatically adjust for you. This makes it ideal for everything from a cozy family dinner to a larger gathering.

🔢WW Points

One of the best features of this recipe is its health-conscious nature. This delicious Weight Watchers Chicken Stew is a fantastic choice for those following the program, weighing in at just 8 WW points per serving. This makes it an excellent option for staying on track with your health and wellness goals without sacrificing flavor or satisfaction.

🌡️Storing Your Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Preparing this crockpot chicken stew in advance or having leftovers is incredibly convenient for meal planning. You can store this delicious stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It makes for a perfect make-ahead meal or quick lunch option throughout the week. To reheat, simply warm it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or gently heat on low in a saucepan on the stovetop until thoroughly hot. Adding a splash of extra chicken broth can help loosen it up if it has thickened too much in the fridge.

However, I generally do not recommend freezing this crock pot chicken stew. The primary reason is that freezing potatoes tends to alter their texture, making them soft, watery, and somewhat grainy upon thawing and reheating. While the stew will still be edible, the potatoes’ quality will be noticeably diminished. If you anticipate wanting to freeze portions, consider cooking the stew without potatoes and adding freshly cooked potatoes when reheating, or use sweet potatoes which tend to hold up slightly better to freezing.

While you don’t *have* to brown the chicken before adding it to the slow cooker, doing so adds a significant depth of flavor and a richer color to the finished dish. The browning process creates a caramelized crust (the Maillard reaction) which intensifies the savory notes. If you skip this step, your stew will still be delicious and perfectly cooked, but the flavor profile will be slightly milder, and the broth or gravy base might be thinner and lighter in color. For ultimate convenience, you can skip browning, but for a more robust flavor, it’s a worthwhile extra step.

Yes, you can absolutely cook this chicken stew on the HIGH setting in your slow cooker if you’re short on time. On high, it will typically be ready in about 3.5 to 4 hours. However, it’s important to note that the low setting, cooking for 7-8 hours, is generally preferred for stews. The longer, slower cooking time on low allows the flavors to truly meld and deepen, resulting in a more complex and rich taste. It also tends to make the chicken exceptionally tender and ensures the vegetables are perfectly cooked without becoming mushy. If you choose the high setting, keep an eye on it to prevent overcooking the chicken.

As written, this recipe is not strictly gluten-free because it uses regular flour for the roux. However, you can easily make it gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (ensure it’s suitable for thickening) or by using cornstarch instead of flour. To use cornstarch, simply make a slurry by mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water until smooth, and stir it into the stew during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Always check the labels of your chicken broth and cream of chicken soup to ensure they are also gluten-free if this is a strict dietary requirement.

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