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Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Slow cooker chicken stew with fall-apart shredded chicken, chunky baby potatoes and carrots, and a golden thick gravy made by cooking a cornstarch slurry. Set it on Low for 6–8 hours for tender vegetables and meat-ready texture, then thicken and finish with fresh parsley.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

bone-in chicken thighs
  • 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs
baby potatoes
  • 1 lb baby potatoes halved
carrots
  • 3 carrots cut into thick rounds
celery
  • 3 celery sliced
onion
  • 1 onion diced
garlic
  • 4 garlic minced
chicken broth
  • 2 cup chicken broth
cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
bay leaf
  • 1 bay leaf
cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
water
  • 3 tbsp water for slurry
fresh parsley
  • 1 fresh parsley for serving
salt
  • salt to taste
pepper
  • pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Layer ingredients in the slow cooker
  1. Add the baby potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to the bottom of the slow cooker so they form an even layer, then nestle the chicken thighs on top and spread the vegetables around the edges.
  2. Add the minced garlic, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, tomato paste, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaf over the chicken so everything is mostly submerged and seasoned.
Slow-cook until tender
  1. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours, until the chicken thighs are very tender and the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork.
Shred and thicken the stew
  1. Remove the chicken thighs, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat, then return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
  2. Remove the bay leaf, then stir the cornstarch slurry into the hot stew and switch to HIGH for 20 minutes, until the gravy turns glossy and thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.
Season and serve
  1. Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste, then garnish with fresh parsley for a bright green finish before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the stew at a steady simmer on HIGH while the cornstarch cooks so the gravy thickens without lumps. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove or in the microwave). For a gluten-free option, confirm your cream of chicken soup is gluten-free; the rest of the recipe is naturally GF.