This easy chicken stew recipe is the ultimate comfort food. Tender chicken thighs and chunks of soft carrots, celery and mushrooms in a thick, savoury gravy make the perfect weeknight meal when the weather starts getting cold.
If you are looking for more comfort food ideas, you might like this butternut squash cottage pie recipe.
Why you will love this recipe
There is something about chicken stew that is so comforting to me. The first bite reminds me immediately of home. It was the meal my Mom used to make when any of us were sick, and it’s now the meal I crave whenever I’m feeling under the weather.
This dish is incredibly healthy and nutritious. High-protein chicken thighs with tender veggies and nourishing bone broth make it an excellent wintertime dish, when we all need our immune systems boosting. And what’s more, it is simple to make! Perfect for those slow, dark evenings after a long day.
So, let’s get right to the recipe!
Ingredients Needed to Make Easy Chicken Stew
Serves 6-8
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs (cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 4 large carrots (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp arrowroot
- 2 tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 750ml stock or bone broth
- 400g button or chestnut mushrooms, halved
Ingredients Tips and Substitutions
Chicken
Chicken thighs are best for this recipe as the stew cooks for a long time (45 mins total). If you use chicken breast, they will dry out. Alternatively, you can use chicken thighs with the skin on and bone in. In this case, I would increase the cooking time to 45 mins before adding the mushrooms (1 hr total).
Vegetables
I like to use carrots, celery and mushrooms, but you can use other root vegetable in this recipe. My mom used to include parsnip and swede every time. Alternatively, you could add a handful of kale or spinach.
Arrowroot
I like to use arrowroot as a thickener as it is gluten free. You could also use cornflour (cornstarch) as another gluten free alternative. If gluten is not an issue for you, plain (all purpose) flour works very well.
If you are on a low-carb diet, or the GAPS diet, leave out the thickener altogether. This will make a runnier sauce, but it will still be delicious!
How to Make This Easy Chicken Stew Recipe
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add the chicken and fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on all sides. Do not overcrowd the chicken – fry in batches if necessary. Do not stir too often, this may make the chicken release water.
When the chicken is browned, remove from the pan.
Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and fry for 3-5 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery and fry for a minute or so. Then add the garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
Return the chicken to the pan and coat the meat and veg with the arrowroot. Cook gently for 1 minute.
Add salt, thyme, pepper, bay leaf and stock/broth. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
While the stew is simmering, fry the mushrooms on medium high for 5 minutes with 1/2 tsp salt until they start to release their juices.
Add the fried mushrooms to the stew and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Options to Serve this Chicken and Mushroom Stew
We love to serve this hearty, wholesome stew over mashed potatoes with a side of green beans. It is also excellent over rice, or even pasta.
If you are looking to add extra greens, serve with a lamb’s tongue or baby spinach salad.
How to Store this Easy Chicken Stew
This chicken stew will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Reheat in a saucepan before serving. It actually tastes even better the next day!
This stew also freezes very well. I reheat it directly in a saucepan.
When reheating food, and especially chicken, always make sure it is piping hot all the way through before serving.
Did you make this chicken stew recipe? Let me know how it turned out in the comments!
Easy Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 large carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp arrowroot
- 2 tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 750 ml stock or bone broth
- 400 g button or chestnut mushrooms halved
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add the chicken and fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on all sides. Do not overcrowd the chicken – fry in batches if necessary. Do not stir too often, this may make the chicken release water.
- When the chicken is browned, remove from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and fry for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and celery and fry for a minute or so. Then add the garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the pan and coat the meat and veg with the arrowroot. Cook gently for 1 minute.
- Add salt, thyme, pepper, bay leaf and stock/broth. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the stew is simmering, fry the mushrooms on medium high for 5 minutes with 1/2 tsp salt until they start to release their juices.
- Add the fried mushrooms to the stew and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
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