Crockpot chicken and potato stew is seared bone-in chicken thighs slow cooked with potatoes, baby carrots, celery, onion, garlic and fresh herbs in chicken broth, then shredded and stirred back into a broth thickened with cornstarch. About 15 minutes of work at the stove, then the slow cooker does the rest.
How to make crockpot chicken and potato stew: season and sear 2 1/2 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs and a diced onion, put the vegetables, chicken, broth, herbs and cornstarch in the slow cooker, cook on HIGH 3.5 hours or LOW 7 hours until the chicken reaches 165°F, shred the chicken, return it and cook 30 minutes more on HIGH.
Why You’ll Love It
- 15 minutes of prep, then hands-off.
- Feeds 6 with 2 1/2 pounds of chicken.
- Shredded chicken in every spoonful, with the bones and skin pulled out.
- Thick or thin: you decide how much cornstarch goes in.
Which Potatoes to Use
Any potato works in this stew; the choice changes the broth.
- Russet potatoes are starchy and thicken the stew broth.
- Yukon gold, including baby Yukon gold, add a buttery taste. Any mini potato works.
- Red, yellow, waxy or fingerling potatoes also work.
The recipe card calls for 1 pound of potatoes, cut into chunks.
How to Thicken Chicken Stew in a Crockpot
- Cornstarch in the pot. The card adds 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with the broth at the start.
- A slurry at the end. For a thicker stew, stir in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of broth after the chicken goes back in.
- Give it time on HIGH. A slurry stirred in near the end needs 20 to 45 minutes on HIGH to thicken, depending on the slow cooker.
- Thinner instead? Leave the cornstarch out for a soup-like broth.
- It thickens in the fridge. Leftovers get thicker as they sit.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken. Two and a half pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper and seared until browned on both sides. Thaw frozen chicken before it goes in the slow cooker.
Vegetables. A small onion, 3 to 5 smashed garlic cloves, 3 cups of baby carrots, 2 stalks of celery in chunks and 1 pound of potatoes in chunks.
Broth and herbs. Three cups of chicken broth, 1 to 2 twigs each of fresh thyme and rosemary, and 1 to 2 bay leaves.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt, for the chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, for the chicken
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 cups baby carrots
- 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
- 1 pound potatoes, cut into chunks
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 to 2 twigs fresh thyme
- 1 to 2 twigs fresh rosemary
- 1 to 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Salt and black pepper, to taste at the end
How to Make Crockpot Chicken and Potato Stew
1. Season and sear the chicken. Season the thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat a skillet over medium heat, drizzle in a little oil, and sear the thighs just until browned on both sides. Take them out of the skillet.
2. Sear the onion. In the same skillet, sear the diced onion.
3. Fill the slow cooker. Put the garlic, baby carrots, celery and potatoes in the slow cooker first, then add the chicken, the onion and all the juices from the skillet. Add the chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and cornstarch.
4. Cook. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3.5 hours or on LOW for 7 hours, until the potatoes and carrots are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
5. Shred the chicken. Take out the chicken, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 30 more minutes.
6. Thicken if you like. For a thicker stew, stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons broth.
7. Season and serve. Fish out the herb twigs and bay leaves, taste, add salt and pepper, and serve.
Variations
- Boneless chicken: boneless skinless thighs or breasts cut into 1-inch chunks.
- Leftover chicken: rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken or leftover turkey, added about 1 hour before the stew is done.
- Creamy: whisk 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and cook 30 more minutes on HIGH, or stir in 1/4 cup of heavy cream at the end.
- Peas: stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of frozen peas with the thickener.
- More vegetables: zucchini, bell peppers or mushrooms.
- More flavor: Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and poultry seasoning, or chili powder or smoked paprika.
- Stovetop: brown the chicken, cook the vegetables, add the broth, bring to a low boil, then cover and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the slurry at the end.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. To freeze, cool the stew and pack it in individual freezer-safe containers for up to 3 to 4 months, then thaw it in the fridge. Reheat on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven until it comes to a rolling boil (165°F). Don’t reheat it in the slow cooker, though you can keep reheated stew hot there at 140°F or above.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice, or with crusty bread or butter biscuits on the side. Slow cooker Amish buttered noodles work under it too. For more slow cooker chicken dinners, try slow cooker poor man chicken stew, chicken and dumplings with biscuits or slow cooker Amish chicken and sweet potatoes, and for a beef version, Instant Pot beef stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should you cook raw chicken in a crock pot?
For this stew, 3.5 hours on HIGH or 7 hours on LOW, until the chicken reads 165°F, then 30 more minutes on HIGH after shredding. Slow cookers vary, so check the temperature.
What is the best way to thicken stew in a crockpot?
Cornstarch. Add 3 tablespoons with the broth, and for a thicker stew stir in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of broth near the end. Russet potatoes thicken the broth too.
Can you put raw potatoes in a crock pot?
Yes. The potatoes go in raw, cut into chunks, in the bottom of the slow cooker with the other vegetables.
What vegetables go well in chicken stew?
Potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and garlic here, plus peas, zucchini, bell peppers or mushrooms.
Do I have to sear the chicken?
Raw chicken can go straight into the slow cooker, but this recipe sears it first and adds the skillet juices to the pot.
Final Notes
Pick your potato, sear the thighs, and decide how thick you want it. Tell me in the comments how you served yours.
Crockpot Chicken and Potato Stew
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 1 teaspoon salt for seasoning the chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper for seasoning the chicken
- 1 onion small, diced
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic smashed
- 3 cups baby carrots
- 2 stalks celery cut into chunks
- 1 pound potatoes cut into chunks
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 to 2 twigs fresh thyme
- 1 to 2 twigs fresh rosemary
- 1 to 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- salt and black pepper to taste, added at the end
Instructions
- Season the thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat a skillet over medium heat, drizzle in a little oil, and sear the thighs just until browned on both sides. Take them out of the skillet.
- In the same skillet, sear the diced onion.
- Put the garlic, baby carrots, celery and potatoes in the slow cooker first, then add the chicken, the onion and all the juices from the skillet. Add the chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and cornstarch.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3.5 hours or on LOW for 7 hours, until the potatoes and carrots are tender and the chicken reaches 165F on a food thermometer.
- Take out the chicken, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 30 more minutes.
- For a thicker stew, stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons broth.
- Fish out the herb twigs and bay leaves, taste, add salt and pepper, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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