This easy chicken stew is a hearty, one-pot meal that’s perfect for cold nights and hungry bellies! This recipe comes together quickly using easy to find, affordable ingredients so you can get a delicious dinner on the table even on busy weeknights.
This thick soup is made with boneless, skinless chicken breast to cut down on the cooking time. We use packaged chicken broth instead of making our own, so we get a delicious pot of stew in about an hour.
We love soup and stew recipes. They are typically one-pot meals, flexible, and affordable. Plus, we get enough leftovers for lunch, or a lazy dinner. Like this simple chicken stew, a chicken cabbage soup and this creamy chicken wild rice soup are sure to please.
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Ingredients
- Oil – We use olive oil, use your favorite oil as long as it is suitable for sautéing.
- Chicken – This stew is made with boneless, skinless chicken breast. It is a wonderful way to get a whole meal with a pound of meat.
- Produce – Onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and potatoes make this stew a wholesome, hearty meal.
- Pantry – From the pantry we need chicken broth and flour to thicken the stew. All-purpose flour works well.
- Dairy – Butter is combined with the flour to make a roux, which is used to thicken soups and sauces.
- Spices – Salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning add extra flavor without a lot of fuss.
- Garnish and serving – Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with limes, saltines, club crackers, oyster crackers, bread, or rice if desired.
The quantities and preparation can be found in the recipe card.
Instructions
Season the chicken breast on both sides with 1 teaspoon of salt. Refrigerate until ready to use. Seasoning the chicken ahead of time gives the salt time to work its way through the meat enhancing the flavor.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium. Cook the onions, carrots, and celery for 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
Next, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stir often.
Add the butter and stir until it melts.
Then, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Now, add the chicken broth. Stir briskly and gently scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot.
When the flour mixture is dissolved add the chicken to the pot.
Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium to medium-low, cover the pot and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Keep the broth at a simmer, lower or raise the heat as needed.
The chicken is cooked through when it is opaque, the juices run clear, and the internal temperature is at least 165°F at its thickest part. Use an instant read thermometer to be sure.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a cutting board to cool. Add the potatoes to the pot. Raise the heat to bring the broth to a boil. Then, lower the heat, cover and keep the broth at a simmer.
In the meantime, shred (or dice) the chicken.
Add it back to the pot as soon as you are finished.
Cover the pot and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours.
Serving and storing
- Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with lime wedges and saltine crackers like we do here, but there’s no need because this hearty stew is great on its own.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat the in a saucepan or in the microwave until heated through (at least 165°F).
- You can freeze the stew for 2-3 months. Cool it quickly and place in airtight containers that are appropriate for freezing. Remember to leave an inch or two to allow for expansion.
- For more information about food safety visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture https://www.fsis.usda.gov/ and https://www.foodsafety.gov/.
Variations and substitutions
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast if desired. Dark meat chicken will work beautifully here like it does in this chicken lentil soup.
- Make the soup with leftover cooked chicken if you need to use some up. I recommend adding a teaspoon or two of chicken base (like better than bouillon) with the broth for extra flavor. Add the cooked chicken at the end with the potatoes.
- Use reduced sodium chicken broth if you are sensitive to salt. You can also cut down on the salt used to season the chicken. Adjust at the end if desired.
Frequently asked questions
We thicken it with a roux (flour and butter mixture). You can also combine cornstarch with a little water or broth (about 1 tablespoon for 4 cups of liquid). Finally, the starchiness in the potatoes will also add body.
Serve with saltine, club, or oyster crackers, crusty bread, or bread rolls. You can also serve it with rice to really stretch a serving.
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Check out the Web Story for this easy chicken stew recipe for a quick visual on making this comforting dish.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 14-16 ounces Chicken Breast boneless and skinless
- 1½ teaspoon Salt divided (1 teaspoon for the chicken, ½ teaspoon for the stew, plus extra at the end if needed)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion small dice
- 2 Carrots cut into rounds or half rounds depending on their size
- 2 Celery Ribs sliced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 3 tablespoons Flour all purpose
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 12 ounces Red Potatoes cut into bite size pieces
- Chopped Parsley for garnish optional
- Lime Wedges for garnish optional
- Crackers, Bread, or Cooked Rice for serving optional
Instructions
- Season the chicken breast on both sides with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add the butter when it melts add the flour. Cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Now, add the chicken broth while stirring briskly and gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot.
- When the flour mixture is dissolved add the chicken to the pot. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil.
- Then, lower the heat to medium to medium-low, cover the pot and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes until cooked through (see notes). Keep the broth at a simmer, lower or raise the heat as needed.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a cutting board to cool a bit.
- Add the diced potatoes to the stew and raise the heat to bring the broth to a boil. When it is boiling, lower the heat to medium to medium-low, cover and keep the broth at a simmer.
- In the meantime, shred (or dice) the chicken. Add it back to the pot as soon as you are finished. Cover the pot and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Taste the chicken stew and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lime wedges, crackers, rice, bread, or on its own.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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