This hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Stew recipe with bacon is incredibly delicious, comforting and affordable. Chicken thighs, bacon, potatoes, vegetables and a savory gravy come together in this simple one-pot meal. Make chicken bacon stew it in the crockpot and come home to a delicious feast!
Homemade chicken stew is the perfect rich and hearty comfort food for a cool day. A recipe like this chicken stew is a meal unto itself full of protein, vegetables, and healthy carbs.
Just add some flaky cream cheese biscuits or corn muffin to sop up all of the delicious, fragrant gravy.
As the days get shorter, I think about soups and stews and one that stands out in my mind is this wonderful homemade chicken stew recipe. I prefer using thigh meat for this recipe, since they are the most tender and flavorful part of the chicken. However, if you are not a fan of dark meat and want to use chicken breasts, you definitely won't be disappointed with the results.
I almost forgot to talk about the bacon in this dish. If you love bacon as I do, you'll definitely want to include it. However, the chicken stew is wonderful with or without it. As usual the decision is yours.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This chicken stew recipe is made with simple ingredients.
- It's a budget-friendly recipe!
- Chicken Bacon Stew is comforting on a cool day.
- Can be made in the slow cooker or stovetop.
- Everyone will will love it!
- An easy slow cooker recipe.
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
Although the list of ingredients is a bit long, most are kitchen staples that you'll use for other recipes. A printable recipe card with the full recipe is available at the bottom of the page.
- Meat: chicken thighs, bacon
- Vegetables: onion, mushrooms, celery, carrots, potatoes
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, parsley
- Gravy: chicken broth, dry white wine, soy sauce, flour, unsalted butter
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Stew
Here are the instructions for making this easy chicken stew in the slow cooker. For the complete instructions, check the recipe card further down on the page.
Step One: Season the Chicken
Arrange cut chicken thighs in a bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
Step Two: Cook Bacon and Sear the Chicken
In a skillet, cook chopped bacon over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until bacon is beginning to crisp. Be careful to not overcook.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate or platter lined with a paper towel. Leave 2 tablespoons of grease in the skillet.
Place chicken pieces in the bacon grease and give it a nice sear, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Transfer bacon and seared chicken to the slow cooker.
Step Three: Vegetables and Seasonings
Add mushrooms, potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper to slow cooker.
Add wine, broth, and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Place lid on slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
Step Four: Thickening the Sauce and Making Gravy
To make a slurry, remove 1 cup of liquid from the slow cooker, and place it in a bowl. Add flour and stir until all of the lumps are gone. Add back to the slow cooker and stir well to combine. Continue cooking without the lid for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Chicken Stew Stovetop Method
Arrange chicken thighs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook chopped bacon over medium low heat until bacon is cooked. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towel. Leave grease in pot.
Add mushrooms, onion, celery, garlic and thyme to pot and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and add 1 cup broth and soy sauce. Make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of pot.
Bring ingredients to a boil.
Stir occasionally while cooking until liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to sizzle which will take approximately 15 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted.
Sprinkle flour all over vegetables and stir until coated. Slowly whisk in remaining broth and wine until consistency is smooth.
Add bacon, potatoes, and carrots. Stir until blended.
Cook, uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally throughout cooking. Turn stove up to high. Using a wooden spoon, scrape down sides while stirring.
Add chicken thighs, and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes longer.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Substitutions
Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips to change this chicken and bacon stew recipe.
- If you don't want to use boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, substitute with chicken breasts.
- Worcestershire sauce may be used in place of soy sauce.
- Potatoes: Any small potatoes can be used in place of the red potatoes.
- Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth if you like.
Variations
Want to personalize this slow cooker chicken stew recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Seasoning: If you want to change up the seasonings, consider using parsley, rosemary or sage.
- Add additional vegetables such as frozen peas, corn or green beans.
If you love recipes like this, you'll also enjoy ramen chicken noodle soup and creamy chicken tortellini soup.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker or Large Heavy Bottomed Pot
- Large Skillet
- Small Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
Storage
Refrigerator: Store chicken bacon stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Freezer: Store chicken stew in a heavy zippered bag or airtight container, leaving ¼ inch at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Please note that soups and stews thickened with flour or cornstarch may separate some after freezing. Also, cooked potatoes can become soft and grainy in the freezer.
Tips
- Use chicken thighs for best results. Chicken thighs will add the most flavor to this stew and come out tender and juicy.
- Cook it low and slow. For the most tender and flavorful chicken stew, let it cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- Use a good quality broth if you can, preferably something that would taste great on its own.
- Add a little heavy cream at the end to give the sauce a creamy consistency.
FAQ
The chicken does not need to be cooked through. It will cook in the stew gravy.
Combine cornstarch or flour with a little broth or water and stir it into the stew until well combined and sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.
The main difference is the amount of liquid used in each. Stews generally contain less liquid than soup and have a thickened gravy instead of broth.
Other Slow Cooker Stew Recipes to Try
If you're particularly looking for slow cooker stew recipes, take a look at Simple Slow Cooker Steak Stew, Slow Cooker Beef, Grandma's Slow Cooker Beef Stew, Slow Cooker Cowboy Beef Stew, and Lazy Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Casserole.
Have a look at the video we made I think you will be glad you did!
The Best Slow Cooker Chicken Stew Video
Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless boneless, skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
- pepper
- salt
- 10 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 2 celery ribs thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 pound small red potatoes, cut in half
- 4 carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon parsley, dried
Instructions
- Arrange chicken thighs in a bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
- In a skillet, cook chopped bacon over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until bacon is beginning to crisp. Be careful to not overcook.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate or platter lined with a paper towel. Leave 2 tablespoons of grease in the skillet.
- Place chicken pieces in the bacon grease and give it a nice sear, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer bacon and seared chicken to the slow cooker.
- Add mushrooms, potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and parsley to slow cooker.
- Add wine, broth, soy sauce, and butter pieces. Stir to combine. Place lid on slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Make a slurry by removing 1 cup of liquid from the slow cooker, and placing it in a bowl. Add flour and stir until all of the lumps are gone. Add back to the slow cooker and stir well to combine. Continue cooking without the lid for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs for best results. Chicken thighs will add the most flavor to this stew and come out tender and juicy.
- Cook it low and slow. For the most tender and flavorful chicken stew, let it cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- Use a good quality broth if you can, preferably something that would taste great on its own.
Nutrition
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