The best chicken stew | This easy one-pot stew practically prepares itself! Featuring tender chicken thighs, mushrooms, and carrots, all simmered until perfection in a flavorful, well-seasoned broth. With simple ingredients, it’s both delicious and a breeze to make. A timeless favorite in our kitchen! (along with Beef Stew)!
Love comforting recipes? Try my Easy Pork and Mushroom Stew or Chicken Stew.
Why you’ll love this chicken stew recipe
Get ready for a scrumptious and hassle-free dinner that’s all about that hearty broth! This recipe is a breeze to make, featuring sautéed mushrooms, juicy chicken and tender vegetables. And the best part? It’s super easy to make on your stovetop – no complicated steps, just straightforward cooking.
This chicken stew is not only delicious but also easy on the wallet, allowing you to enjoy a budget-friendly dinner in the comfort of your home. Pair it with some crusty bread or mashed potatoes, et voila! You’ve got yourself the ultimate comfort meal that everyone at your table will love.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube.
How to make chicken stew
This stew recipe is all about keeping it simple – just toss the ingredients in the pot, cook, and you’re good to go! Let’s break it down!
To kick things off, we sear the mushrooms until golden-brown, capturing that earthy flavor as they release their moisture. Once the mushrooms are set aside, we throw in some chopped garlic, onions, carrots and celery, allowing them to simmer and create the base for the stew. Next up, we add the chicken to the pot, let it cook for a few minutes before stirring in flour and pouring in the broth. We cover it up and simmer for around 15 minutes, then bring it all together by stirring in the mushrooms and parsley.
And talking about simple? While the stew is simmering, you can prepare your sides: cook the mashed potatoes or boil some pasta. Brace yourself for a treat!
Why this chicken stew recipe works
- Quick Cooking: Chicken thighs, when cut into bite-sized pieces, cook up fast, ensuring a speedy meal preparation.
- Effortless Cooking: No need for master chef skills here, making it accessible to cooks of all levels.
- Rustic Charm: This one allows for a laid-back approach – no need to stress over precision in your cuts.
- Rapid Flavor Fusion: Despite its quick cooking time, the flavors in this stew blend together swiftly, creating a rich and deep flavor profile that might trick your taste buds into thinking it simmered for hours.
- Pair with Perfection: Complete this comfort meal with a side of mashed potatoes, rice, pasta or some crusty bread. The simplicity of the sides perfectly complements the comforting flavors of the stew.
The best chicken stew ingredients
- Chicken: Go for boneless/skinless chicken thighs. They bring extra flavor and simmer into melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. While you could also use bone-in thighs (but keep in mind that they need about 30 minutes simmer time) try to avoid chicken breasts, they won’t be as tender and might become dry.
- Mushrooms: You can use any mushrooms you have on hand. Whether it’s cremini, brown, or other varieties, they all work well in this recipe.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, garlic and celery stalk. They all add lots of flavor.
- Olive Oil and Butter: We use both for cooking.
- Flour: This is for thickening the sauce. If you’re going for a gluten-free option, cornstarch works just as well.
- Chicken Broth: Opt for high-quality, store-bought chicken broth or, if you have more time, prepare some homemade bone chicken broth.
- Seasoning: A simple blend of salt, black pepper, sweet paprika and thyme.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley, it adds a lot of additional flavor.
How to make a thicker stew?
Use a Slurry for Thickness – For an easy thickening trick, make a slurry by mixing flour with broth. Stir this combo into your stew to thicken it up. And if you’re going gluten-free, swap out the flour for cornstarch.
Make ahead
Because this stew gets even better the next day, you can make it 1 day ahead. Store covered in the fridge.
How to store leftovers chicken stew?
- Fridge: Keep your leftover stew in airtight containers, it will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: If you’re planning for the long haul, cool your stew first and then transfer it to airtight containers before freezing. It’ll maintain its deliciousness for about 3 months.
- Reheat: Whether it’s coming from the fridge or freezer, choose a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat for reheating. It ensures your leftover stew warms up perfectly.
Cooking Video
The Best Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 9 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 medium yellow onions finely chopped
- 4 carrots cut into half-moons
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1.1 pounds chicken thighs cut into small pieces
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp parsley
Instructions
- Get all your prep done before you start cooking: Cut the chicken thighs into small pieces. Peel and chop the carrots into half-moons. Chop the parsley, slice the mushrooms, mince the garlic cloves and finely chop the onions.
- Heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium high. Add mushrooms and cook until they start to release moisture. Add oil and cook until browned. Remove form pot.
- Add butter. When melted, add onions, garlic, carrots and celery stalk. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, paprika and thyme. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Next, stir in flour. Then, pour in broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes over medium low.
- Stir in mushrooms and parsley. Simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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How many servings does this make?
Hi Theresa, it serves 4 people. So sorry for the confusion, the recipe is fixed. Happy cooking!
When I have a roasted chicken, I stew the remains, freeze the broth. No salt. You can add it at the table individually. 944 mg of sodium per serving us too much fir anyone and especially people with congestive heart failure or kidney disease.
Thank you so much for your comment Sharron!
I love how you’ve included tips for achieving the perfect balance of flavors and textures, ensuring that every spoonful is pure comfort food bliss. Whether enjoyed as a cozy dinner for two or shared with family and friends, this chicken stew is sure to delight taste buds and warm hearts alike. Thanks for sharing this soul-soothing recipe with us!