This old fashioned chicken vegetable stew warms you completely – body and soul. It’s hearty, healthy and really easy to make in one pot!
There are tender potatoes, lean chicken, fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme and comforting veggies that you loved as a kid, like peas and carrots.
Like any good stew, the flavor improves as it cooks, but this one is also good right away. And it doesn’t take too long to whip up this delicious meal – probably less time than it takes to shovel the driveway.
Coming in from the cold to a bowl of chicken and vegetable stew is one of my favorite winter vibes.
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted, if desired.
- Russet potatoes. If you can find diced potatoes (without seasoning) in the freezer section of your grocery store, you hit the jackpot. No peeling and no dicing!
- Bag of frozen mixed vegetables. This is another easy way to incorporate vegetables. Look for a bag of mixed veggies that includes green peas, carrots, corn and green beans.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh rosemary
- Chicken stock. Stock offers more flavor than broth, which is integral to this hearty chicken stew recipe.
- Heavy cream. We’re using a small amount of cream at the finishing stage of cooking to add a velvety texture.
- Vegetable oil
- Butter
- All purpose flour
How to make Chicken Vegetable Stew with Vegetables
This entire process should take about 45 minutes, and you’ll have a stew that tastes like it’s been cooking all day.
Brown the Chicken
As promised, you’ll only need one pot to make this easy chicken stew recipe.
Start by browning the chicken in a little bit of oil and butter. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the soup pot onto a separate plate or small bowl.
Cook the Onions
Now, add the onions, garlic and fresh herbs to the pot.
Saute them until the garlic sizzles and the onions soften.
This is when we’ll pour in the chicken stock and raise the heat to deglaze the pot. Deglazing means to add liquid to a pot or pan where meat has been cooked in order to loosen any browned bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
So as the chicken stock begins to heat up, use a whisk so scrape those browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Those little browned bits have a ton of flavor!
Add the Potatoes and Veggies
The next step is to add the potatoes and frozen vegetables. They will cook in the chicken broth for about 15 minutes, and you’ll start to see the mixture thicken up and resemble a stew.
Finish with Cream
The last step is adding that tender chicken back into the pot with a splash of cream.
The small amount of cream in this recipe just adds that final touch and smooth texture without making it a particularly creamy chicken stew.
Do you need a slow cooker to make Chicken and Vegetable Stew?
A slow cooker is optional for making this chicken vegetable stew!
The reason why I chose a stove top method for this chicken vegetable stew is because a lot of us don’t have the forethought to plan so far in advance.
If you do, then you can totally make this stew a slow cooker meal.
Just omit the step where you brown the chicken, and just dump everything except the frozen veggies in the slow cooker in the morning, set it to low and let it go.
Add the veggies during the last hour of cooking.
Serving Suggestions
This stew is a complete one bowl meal and doesn’t need much else, but we do love it with some good bread for dunking.
Try my homemade sourdough recipe, Parker House rolls recipe or honey cornbread recipe.
Another fun idea is to place this stew in a baking dish and cover it with refrigerated pie crust for an easy chicken pot pie!
Variations and Substitutions
1. The Protein. Chicken thighs are an easy swap for chicken breasts in this recipe. You can also do lean cuts of beef to create a hearty beef stew.
2. The Veggies. I think the frozen veggies are the best part (and most convenient) of this recipe, but you could opt for fresh veggies too! Or try different vegetables to suit the season. Add celery, parsnips or even summer squash.
3. The Potatoes. For a variation from Russet potatoes, try baby potatoes, red potatoes, fingerling potatoes or even sweet potatoes.
4. The Herbs. Experiment with other fresh herbs like sage and parsley. Throw in a bay leaf if the mood strikes.
Storage Instructions
Like any good stew, this chicken and vegetable stew will keep well in the refrigerator and freezer when properly sealed in an airtight container.
Reheat it from frozen by warming it in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave. I love having it on hand on a chilly day.
When you make this old fashioned chicken stew, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more comforting winter recipes, try these:
For more one pot recipes, try these:
Old Fashioned Chicken and Vegetable Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast cut into cubes
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 16 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 lb. russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme minced
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, breaking it up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove the chicken onto a separate plate.
- Add onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme and salt to the pot and cook until the onions are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to scrape all the browned bits off the pot.
- Add the potatoes and frozen vegetables. Lower the heat and cover. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken and cream plus 1/2 cup of water. Cover again and allow to simmer another 10-15 minutes until potatoes and chicken are cooked through.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
How long does it need to cook in the slow cooker??
Hi Joyce,
I would give it 3 hours on low and then check for doneness of the chicken. Check each hour after that, and once the chicken is done, add the veggies. Since the chicken is cut into small pieces, it will take less time than if you used full sized breasts.