Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

from kristineskitchenblog.com

This slow cooker chicken stew is a hearty make ahead meal, with chicken, potatoes and carrots in a flavorful broth. Serve it with some crusty bread or homemade biscuits and a salad.

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time8 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 309kcal

Author: Kristine Rosenblatt

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to season the chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth divided
4 medium carrots sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds or half rounds
3 ribs celery chopped
1 pound baby potatoes halved
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken to the skillet and brown on both sides. Then transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. (It will not be cooked through yet.)
Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Pour about ½ cup of the chicken broth into the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker.
To the slow cooker, add the carrots, celery, potatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and remaining broth. Stir gently to combine, then spread the veggies out into an even layer in the broth.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken to a clean bowl or cutting board. Let it rest for a few minutes, then shred the chicken and stir it back into the stew. Serve.

Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Stew may be reheated in a pot on the stove or in the microwave; add additional broth as needed when reheating.
Chicken Thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for the chicken breasts. No other changes to the recipe are needed.
Dairy-Free: Replace the butter with olive oil.
Gluten-Free: Omit the flour from the recipe. After the stew has slow cooked for 7 hours on low or 3 1/2 hours on high, make a cornstarch slurry by stirring together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Stir this into the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 more hour.
Make it Creamy: Stir 1/3 cup of heavy cream into the stew after slow cooking.
Instant Pot Instructions: Use the Instant Pot sauté function to do the stovetop steps. After cooking the garlic and flour for 30 seconds, pour in about half of the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Then continue with the recipe, pressure cooking the stew on high pressure for 7 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural release. Then manually release the remaining pressure.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.