This Creamy Chicken Stew is the kind of hearty, comforting meal that practically cooks itself. With its creamy broth and rich flavor, with tender potatoes, it's a true set-it-and-forget-it dinner that's cooked low and slow in the crockpot. It's also perfect for busy days when you still want something warm and satisfying on the table.
Chicken Stew Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Course
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 3 hours 20 minutes (high) or 5 hours 20 minutes (low)
- 🍴 Servings: 6 servings
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Creamy, savory, hearty, and mildly herby
- 🍚 Best Served With: Crusty bread, biscuits, or over rice
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, stores and reheats well for meal prep
Summarize and Save This Content On
I love making this slow cooker chicken stew when I'm craving comfort food but don't have the energy to spend all day in the kitchen. My partner, Ken, always says it makes the house smell amazing as it cooks, which is half the reason I keep coming back to it. I can prep everything in the morning, let it do its thing, and by dinnertime, it's ready and waiting.
Try another delicious and creamy slow cooker recipe like crockpot hash brown potato soup and jalapeno creamed corn.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's truly hands-off: Once the ingredients are prepped, the slow cooker takes over. It takes about 15 minutes to measure and chop, but no pre-cooking is needed!
- Red potatoes hold up the best: You need a firm potato that won't become mushy in the slow cooker, and red potatoes are the best option since they cook up nice and tender without falling apart in the stew.
- Bone-in chicken gives the most flavor: I love bone-in chicken for this recipe because it adds so much rich flavor to the creamy stew with chicken.
Ingredients
The main ingredients in this creamy chicken stew recipe are listed below. They are very easy to find at any grocery store.
- Red potatoes: These are the best variety of potatoes for this slow cooker stew recipe. They don't become mushy in the slow cooker, and you can leave the skins on, too!
- Cream of chicken soup: The cream soup helps thicken and flavor the stew. It's the perfect base to give it a creamy consistency. Feel free to use regular or low-sodium to reduce the salt content.
- Chicken broth: Store-bought chicken broth works great in this recipe, or you can use this chicken broth from rotisserie chicken, which is my homemade version.
- Bone-in chicken breasts: I prefer to use bone-in chicken for the most depth of flavor; just remove the bones before serving! Boneless chicken breasts will work in a pinch, just cook them 30-45 minutes less so they don't dry out.
- Heavy cream: Add this at the end of the cooking process to keep the broth perfectly smooth and creamy.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Dairy-free: Swap the cream of chicken soup for a dairy-free version and the heavy cream for coconut cream.
- Use chicken thighs: Use bone-in chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. The cooking time will remain the same.
- Add veggies: Stir in 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies, corn, peas, or carrots to make this a chicken and vegetable stew.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Stew
Before you get started on this stew, dice the veggies and chop the red potatoes so they are ready to go into the slow cooker. I also recommend spraying the inside of the pot with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 1: Layer the ingredients. Add the veggies and potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker, and then place the chicken breasts, seasoning, and bay leaf on top.
Step 2: Add the soup, broth, and cook. Stir in the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth. Then, cover and cook the stew on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Step 3: Remove chicken and add cream. Take the fully cooked chicken out of the pot and stir in the heavy cream.
Step 4: Shred chicken and serve. Shred the chicken off the bone and return it to the crockpot. Stir well and serve with broiled asparagus spears.
Expert Tips
- Add the cream last: Avoid adding the heavy cream too early. If it overcooks, it can curdle and separate instead of giving you a rich and creamy consistency.
- Don't skip the bay leaf: The bay leaf adds more flavor than you realize. It gives the stew depth and makes it taste like it's been cooking all day.
- Leave the lid closed: Do not open the lid to constantly check on the stew as it cooks. This releases heat and steam, which can add more cooking time. Only open it once towards the end to add heavy cream. You don't need to worry about stirring it at all.
- A tip for meal prep: I find that the flavor deepens and is even better the next day (and the days after that)! Portion the stew into airtight containers, and you can enjoy this recipe for 4 days.
- Refrigerator storage: Place the leftovers into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend adding a splash of chicken broth when you reheat it.
A similar creamy chicken recipe made in the slow cooker is this crockpot chicken pot pie.
Serving Suggestions
- Tasty veggie sides: Prepare a vegetable side dish to pair with your bowl of creamy stew, like sweet bacon Brussels sprouts or something simple like a bag of frozen corn. You can even make something fresh, like cucumbers and onions in vinegar.
- Make some bread: Try some dinner rolls in the air fryer or sliced Italian bread to sop up extra stew broth.
- Finish with a dessert: A decadent dessert like Dubai chocolate brownies or something bright like a key lime pie would be a great way to end the meal.
Creamy Chicken Stew Recipe FAQs
Slow cookers hold in a lot of steam and moisture, so the liquid doesn't reduce much as it cooks. If your creamy chicken stew turns out thinner than you'd like, just stir in a quick slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water to thicken it up. You can also mash a few of the potatoes right into the broth for a more natural, hearty thickness, or allow it to cook with the lid off for more time.
Of course you can! A crockpot liner is very helpful in reducing cleanup and time spent washing dishes. Just ensure that it's the right size for your slow cooker.
I recommend sticking with low heat, whether you're reheating it on the stove or using 50% power in the microwave. Cranking the heat too high can cause the cream to separate, leaving you with a curdled chicken stew.
Absolutely! Just sauté the veggies first, then add everything except the cream and let it simmer for about 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are nice and tender. Stir in the heavy cream at the end, just like you would with the crockpot version.
Yes! Just store it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. The cream may separate a bit after thawing, but it usually comes back together when reheated gently over low heat. If you want to avoid that, you can leave out the cream before freezing and stir it in later.
More Delicious Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Do you like cooking chicken in the crockpot? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Creamy Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced carrots
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 6 red potatoes diced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cups paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker by lightly coating it with cooking spray.
- Add the carrots, celery, red potatoes, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth until combined.
- Nestle the chicken breasts on top of the vegetables and season with salt, black pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, and add the bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside.
- Stir in the heavy cream until smooth.
- Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Slow cookers lock in steam and moisture, so the liquid doesn't cook down very much. If your creamy chicken stew ends up watery, stir in a simple slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water to help thicken it. You can also mash some of the potatoes into the broth for an easy, more rustic way to thicken it up.
- Hold off on adding the heavy cream until the end. If it cooks too long, it can separate and lose that smooth, creamy texture.
- Try not to keep lifting the lid while your slow cooker chicken stew cooks. Each time you open it, heat and steam escape, which can slow everything down. Just open it near the end to stir in the cream, and there's no need to stir otherwise.
Leave a Reply