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Chicken Stew

Okay guys, this Chicken Stew recipe is definitely at the top of my list of all-time favorite recipes! It’s thicker and heartier than chicken soup, but lighter than a beef stew. The flavor is absolutely on point, it’s totally cozy, and it’s just one of those things that I could happily eat for three meals per day and still want more the next day. With more than 200 5-star reviews, you have to try this chicken stew!

“I don’t usually interact with online recipes but this stew was just fantastic. Loved it. So easy to prepare, the ingredients were cheap and there was enough for two of us to eat for several days. It gets better when you reheat it as well. Loved it. Thank you so much, going into my weekly bank.”
Becka

A Big Pot of Classic Comfort Food

This is a classic chicken stew through and through. It starts with a mirepoix of onion, carrot, and celery, then I add garlic, potatoes, and plenty of cozy herbs. I make it completely from scratch, but that doesn’t mean anything fussy. It’s simply affordable ingredients layered together in one very delicious pot!

The flavor building really starts when the flour-coated chicken thighs hit the hot pot. Browning creates those golden stuck-on bits on the bottom, then the vegetables release enough moisture to work them into the stew. A second sprinkle of flour thickens the broth into a rich gravy as everything simmers. One thing to remember is to not rush the process; let the stew simmer for the full 30 minutes so the flavors can fully develop. You’re looking for fork-tender potatoes, juicy chicken, and a gravy thick enough to lightly coat your spoon. 😋 (And don’t forget to have a few slices of bread on the side to sop up all the delicious gravy!)

Use chicken thighs. Chicken thighs stay juicy and tender, even with a long cook time, and have TONS of flavor. You could use bone-in and remove the bones later, if desired.
Let the flour-coated chicken sit undisturbed against the hot pot until deeply golden before turning it. If the pieces are crowded and start releasing lots of liquid, brown them in two batches. Those golden bits left on the bottom are called fond, and they add loads of savory flavor to the gravy. They should be brown, not black, so turn down the heat if they begin to burn.
Set everything up to finish at the same time. I keep the chicken and potatoes about 1 inch and slice the carrots thinly so everything becomes tender at about the same time. I’ve learned that one oversized piece of potato is usually the last holdout! Halve smaller baby potatoes and quarter any larger ones so the chicken doesn’t overcook while you wait for the potatoes to soften.
Don’t rush or cover the final simmer. Once the stew reaches a boil, remove the lid and let it simmer over medium-low for the full 30 minutes. Leaving the lid on traps steam and can keep the gravy thin. If the potatoes are tender but the gravy still looks loose, let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes.
Adjust the salt at the end. Broths and bouillon bases vary quite a bit in sodium. Start with the listed ¼ teaspoon, then taste the finished stew before adding more. I usually don’t add any more than this because the broth I use (Better Than Bouillon) is already well seasoned.
Play around with the herbs. I use parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage for true fall flavors, but you can substitute with what you’ve got on hand. Poultry seasoning is also an option!

Someone stirring a big pot of chicken stew with a wooden spoon.

I take my comfort food seriously. Almost as seriously as I take my love for simple, wholesome, CHEAP recipes made with basic staples. Making inexpensive ingredients taste like far more than they cost is basically my favorite challenge. So I’m very intentional in this chicken stew recipe. I don’t want a mile-long ingredient list or pricey shortcuts doing all the work. Instead, I make two very specific choices:

I coat the chicken in flour, then brown it until it leaves plenty of stuck-on bits on the bottom of the pot.
I use not one, but TWO types of broth.

Those golden bits stuck to the pot (fond) pack in loads of savory flavor. As the vegetables cook, their moisture helps loosen the fond and work it into the gravy. The flour coating also gives the chicken extra color, and the remaining flour thickens the stew without whisking a separate slurry or adding cream, canned soup, or any other ingredients. If the bottom of your pot looks a little messy after browning, you’re doing it right!

For the broth, I use equal amounts of chicken and vegetable. Chicken broth creates a savory base, then vegetable broth rounds out the onion, celery, carrots, and herbs. Together, they give this stew a fuller, more complex flavor. I like using Better Than Bouillon here because I can mix only what I need and keep the cost low.

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Chicken Stew

This chicken stew is a rich and hearty mix of tender chicken thighs, vegetables, and a light but flavorful herb-infused gravy.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Total Cost $13.56 recipe / $2.26 serving

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings (1.5 cups each)

Calories 355kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

Dutch Oven or Large Pot with Lid (6 Qt)
2 Large Bowls

Ingredients

1 yellow onion small dice (about 2 cups) $0.68
3 ribs celery small dice (about 1.5 cups) $0.77
4 garlic cloves minced (2 Tbsp) $0.24
½ lb. carrots thinly sliced,(3 carrots, about 1.5 cups) $0.57
1¾ lbs. chicken thighs boneless & skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 thighs) $5.64*
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour divided, $0.60**
2 Tbsp butter $0.19
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.18
1½ lbs. baby potatoes cut in half (cubed Yukon also work) $3.74
1 tsp dried parsley $0.05
½ tsp dried thyme $0.06
½ tsp dried rosemary $0.06
½ tsp dried sage $0.02
¼ tsp salt $0.01
¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.04
2 cups chicken broth $0.26***
2 cups vegetable broth $0.26***
1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped (optional) $0.19

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Dice the onion and celery, mince the garlic, slice the carrots, and cut the baby potatoes in half before you begin.
Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Add them to a large bowl and sprinkle 2 Tbsp flour over the chicken. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated. (See browning note).
Add the butter and olive oil to a large pot. Heat the butter and oil over medium until they are hot and sizzling. (See browning note).
Add the flour-coated chicken to the pot and allow the chicken to brown on all sides (avoid stirring until browned on the bottom) for about 5 minutes on each side. When the chicken is browned and there is a nice brown layer of flour on the bottom of the pot, remove the chicken to a clean bowl with a slotted spoon. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point, just browned on the outside.
Add the onion, celery, garlic, and carrots to the pot and continue to sauté until the onions are soft, for about 5 minutes. Use the moisture released by the vegetables to dissolve and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Once the vegetables are slightly softened, add the remaining 2 Tbsp flour to the pot and continue to sauté over medium for about two minutes more. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pot again.
Return the browned chicken to the pot. Also add the potatoes, dried parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper
Next, add the chicken broth and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and dissolve any flour off the bottom of the pot.
Place a lid on the pot and allow it to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow the stew to simmer over medium-low, without a lid and stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened.
Taste the stew and add salt if needed (I didn't add any additional salt, but it'll depend on the salt content of the broth you used). Add a tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley if desired, and serve hot.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*I like to use boneless, skinless thighs as stay tender during the full simmer. Chicken breasts can become dry if cooked for the same amount of time. If using breasts, brown them as directed but return them to the stew for only the final 15-20 minutes. Make sure they reach 165°F internally before serving.

Bone-in thighs or chicken legs also work. I recommend removing the skin first because it won’t crisp in the broth and may become chewy. Lightly coat and brown the pieces, then simmer them in the stew until they reach 165°F and the meat pulls easily from the bone. Remove the chicken, discard the bones, shred/chop the meat, and stir it back into the stew before serving.

**All-purpose flour: This is called plain flour in the UK.

***I use Better Than Bouillon to make the chicken and vegetable broths because it is inexpensive, flavorful, and lets me prepare only what I need.

Fresh herbs: You can use fresh herbs instead of dried. Use 1½ tsp finely chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage in place of each ½ tsp dried. For the 1 tsp dried parsley, use 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley.

Rotisserie/pre-cooked chicken: Some readers have successfully used cooked rotisserie chicken, although I don’t personally recommend it because you’ll lose all that browning (where the flavor lives!). If you do use precooked chicken, skip flouring and browning it. Stir the chopped chicken into the stew near the end so it can heat through.

Chicken not browning? One of the most common mistakes is adding the chicken before the pot is properly heated. I wait until the butter and oil are hot and visibly sizzling over medium heat. If your chicken looks especially wet, blot it with a paper towel before adding the flour. Excess moisture cools the pot and creates steam, leaving the chicken pale instead of golden.

Gluten-free option: Swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free 1:1 blend or use cornstarch. You’ll need slightly less cornstarch, so use 1 Tbsp for the chicken and another 1 Tbsp for the vegetables, then add more only if needed. Check the broth labels to make sure they are gluten-free, too.

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot: I haven’t tested this chicken stew in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, so the stovetop method is still the only one I can personally vouch for. However, some of our readers have successfully adapted the recipe using the methods below (just keep in mind you may need to adjust the method for your specific appliance!):

Slow cooker: Brown the flour-coated chicken and sauté the vegetables on the stovetop as directed (or use the browning feature if your slow cooker has that). Pour a little broth into the skillet to lift the browned bits, then transfer everything to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken reaches 165°F. If the gravy is loose, mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp cold water, then stir the slurry into the stew and cover until the gravy has thickened.
Instant Pot: Use the Sauté setting to brown the flour-coated chicken and soften the vegetables as directed (in batches). Pour in about 1 cup of the broth and thoroughly scrape the bottom of the pot to lift all the browned bits. Add the remaining broth, potatoes, herbs, and chicken. Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes with natural release. If needed, mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water, then add to the stew to thicken. Make sure the chicken is 165°F before serving.

Nutrition

How to Make Chicken Stew Step-by-Step Photos

The ingredients for chicken stew with ingredient labels.

Gather all of your ingredients.

Halved potatoes in a bowl next to a wooden cutting board of diced onion, carrots, celery and minced garlic.

Prepare the vegetables: Small dice 1 yellow onion and 3 ribs celery, mince 4 cloves garlic, and thinly slice ½ lb. carrots. Keeping the pieces fairly small helps them soften during the short sauté. Now chop about 1½ lbs. of potatoes into 1-inch pieces. I used baby potatoes (which were a mix of colors!), so they only needed to be cut in half.

Flour added to a bowl of raw diced chicken thighs.

Add the flour: Cut 1¾ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp flour evenly over the chicken.

Chicken pieces tossed in flour in a bowl.

Now toss the chicken until every piece has a thin, slightly tacky coating of flour. This will help develop a nice brown crust on the chicken (for flavor!).

Pieces of chicken browning in a pot with kitchen tongs turning them over.

Brown the chicken: Add 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large pot. Heat the butter and oil over medium heat until hot and sizzling. Add the chicken thigh pieces and cook them until browned on all sides (the chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through, just browned on the outside). About 5 minutes each side. Avoid stirring too often, as that will prevent browning. You want the flour to brown a bit on the bottom of the pot.

A spoon removing browned chicken pieces from a pot into a bowl.

Now remove the browned chicken to a clean plate or bowl.

Diced onion, diced carrots, diced celery and minced garlic in a pot.

Sauté the veggies: Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot after removing the chicken. Continue to sauté over medium for about 5 minutes, allowing the moisture released by the vegetables to dissolve some of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Once the vegetables are slightly softened, add 2 more tablespoons all-purpose flour. Continue to sauté for about 2 minutes more. The flour will again begin to coat the bottom of the pot again!

Spices, seasonings, potatoes and cooked chicken added to a pot of mire poix.

Add the chicken, potatoes, and herbs: Return the browned chicken to the pot. Add the sliced potatoes, 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp dried sage, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper.

Broth being poured into a pot of chicken stew.

Pour in the broth: Add 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups vegetable broth. Stir well and scrape the bottom until the flour and browned bits have dissolved into the liquid.

Simmer: Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once boiling, remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow the stew to simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, the chicken is 165°F internally, and the broth has thickened.

Now give the stew a taste and add salt, if needed (I didn’t add any more, but this will largely depend on the salt content of the broth you used!). Finally, stir in 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, if desired, then ladle it into bowls and serve hot.

Side view of a bowl of homemade chicken stew in a bowl with a spoon.

What to Serve with Chicken Stew

This chicken stew is plenty filling on its own, but I’m not about to let that rich, herby gravy go to waste! My slightly sweet homemade cornbread is ready in 30 minutes and serves eight, so there’s plenty for passing around. Some soft and fluffy dinner rolls are also excellent for swiping the bowl clean. Midweek comfort food or Sunday dinner, I don’t think you can go wrong with warm bread beside this stew!

If I’m having people over or feeding an extra-hungry crowd, I’ll spoon the stew over something like our Instant Pot mashed potatoes. It makes more than enough to serve with this meal, AND it leaves the stovetop free for the stew. Or when I want to go in the complete opposite direction and add something cool and crunchy alongside all that coziness, a fresh Greek salad hits the spot!

A bowl of chicken stew with corn bread and salad in the background. — *Shown here with cornbread and a fresh green salad.*

Overhead view of chicken stew in a bowl with mashed potatoes. — *Chicken stew + mashed potatoes = the perfect cozy dinner!*

Storage Instructions

This chicken stew gets even tastier the next day! Divide any leftovers between airtight containers and refrigerate them within two hours of cooking. They’ll keep for up to 3-4 days. I like storing leftovers in individual 1½-cup portions so they’re easy to grab for lunch! I usually use these glass containers (see the photo below) when I’m meal prepping this stew.

Side view of chicken stew in meal prep containers.

Reheating

Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, or microwave it in one-minute intervals until it reaches 165°F throughout. The gravy will thicken in the refrigerator, so add a small splash of broth or water if needed.

Freezing

This chicken stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. However, if I’m making this recipe specifically for the freezer, I’ll slightly undercook the potatoes because they’ll soften further when thawed and reheated. Waxy potatoes, including baby potatoes and Yukon Golds, hold their shape better and are less likely to become grainy.

Let the stew cool, divide it into freezer-safe containers (make sure to label and date!), and leave a little room for expansion. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or using the defrost setting on your microwave before reheating.

Try These Easy Stew Recipes Next

My Crockpot Beef Stew lets the slow cooker handle most of the work, turning beef and simple vegetables into a thick, deeply savory meal.
Brunswick Stew takes things in a smokier direction with chicken, vegetables, and a rich tomato-based broth.
For an inexpensive meatless option, my Vegan Lentil Stew cooks lentils and vegetables into a thick, filling stew that is also freezer-friendly.

Our Chicken Stew recipe was originally published 10/29/21. It was retested and republished to be better than ever 9/19/26.

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Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo

Can I let you in on a little secret? I’m obsessed with this Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo! Ok, ok, it’s not exactly a secret because I want to tell everyone how easy, budget-friendly, flavorful, and rich this one-pot meal is. It feels like something ripped straight from a restaurant menu, but I make it with genuinely simple ingredients; it comes together in less than an hour and costs about $1.94 per serving. The hardest part is breaking down the butternut squash, but don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with step-by-step photos. Once that’s done, everything comes together in one pot. Comfort and class in a bowl? I’ll take it!

Creamy, Cozy, and Made in One Pot

If you’ve ever made risotto, the method here will feel familiar, but it moves a whole lot faster! I take my time browning the butternut squash first, then add fresh, fragrant onion and garlic before I add the orzo and vegetable broth. From there, I like to turn on my favorite tunes and stir the orzo for about 10 minutes as it simmers. The squash softens enough that some of it breaks down into the broth, and the orzo releases starch as it cooks, making everything thicker and creamier as you stir.

After the orzo is tender, I stir in fresh kale, heavy cream, and just ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon. Now, the cinnamon might surprise you, but trust me. It’s only enough to add a subtle hint of warm fall spice without making the pasta taste sweet. A fresh grating of Parmesan completes the dish, and suddenly a squash, some pasta, and a handful of simple ingredients feel very fancy indeed!

A woman shredding fresh parmesan over a bowl on butternut squash orzo in a kitchen. — *Melissa Nolan grating Parmesan cheese over a bowl of butternut squash orzo in our Nashville test kitchen.*

Keep the squash pieces small and fairly uniform. I cut my butternut squash into a small dice because I don’t only want the pieces to cook evenly. They also need to become tender enough that some of the squash starts breaking down later as I stir the orzo. Larger pieces may still be firm once the orzo is tender.
Start with a properly heated pan. Let the vegetable oil heat up before adding the squash, then let the cubes sit undisturbed in the pan before stirring. The hot surface quickly drives off moisture from the outside of the squash, allowing it to brown rather than simmer in its own moisture. The squash will also release more easily from the pan once that browned surface develops. I leave mine alone for about 5 minutes before that first stir.
Keep stirring during the orzo simmer. This isn’t a pasta dish you want to leave bubbling unattended. As the orzo cooks, starch moves from the pasta into the broth, and stirring helps keep that starch distributed throughout the pot. At the same time, your spoon will gently break up some of that very tender squash. Together, those two things create a thick, creamy base before you even add the heavy cream!
Don’t panic if it gets too thick! Orzo keeps absorbing liquid even after it comes off the heat, so the consistency can change fairly quickly. The finished pasta should still be creamy and easy to spoon. If it starts looking stiff, I’ll add a splash of vegetable broth or cream and stir until it’s loosened to your liking.
Make it your own. I kept the aromatics and seasonings pretty simple, but there’s plenty of room to play around. Mushrooms would be delicious sautéed with the onion and garlic. You can also add paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs, or lean further into those fall flavors with a very small amount of nutmeg, ginger, allspice, or clove.

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Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo

This Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo is an easy one-pot dinner with tender squash, kale, Parmesan, and a rich, creamy sauce. Ready in under an hour!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Total Cost $7.74 recipe . /$1.94 serving

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Servings servings (~2 cups each)

Calories 524kcal

Author Melissa Nolan