This chicken stew is one of the best stews I’ve ever eaten. Honestly! I mean this stuff is knee-slappin’ delicious! It’s wholesome, nutritious, and economical. It’s thick, rich, and layered with flavor. You’ll wonder where this recipe has been all your life! As soon as the weather begins to cool, this goes immediately into my dinner rotation.
I grew up making Beef Stew for my family a couple of times a week as soon as I was old enough to help my Mom with making dinner. My Grandma taught me how to make it. It was always a family favorite. I truly wish I had this recipe and could have shared this one with my family back then, especially my Grandma!
Like its beef counterpart, it’s loaded with chicken (instead of beef), vegetables, just the right herbs, and a broth that is to die for! It has some surprise ingredients to create all those flavors, but every one of them is easily found at your regular supermarket. Trust me, you’ll be happy you picked them up!
I’m totally a stew kinda girl. It’s my perfect comfort food. I hope you try a few more of my favorite stews next! Brunswick stew, Instant Pot beef stew, pork stew. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Let’s make this!
Important Ingredient Notes, Tips + Tricks
- Pot: The best tool you can grab for coaxing amazing flavor out of this chicken stew recipe is a higher-quality heavy-bottomed pot. They help distribute heat more evenly to prevent burning and encourage a balanced flavor profile. You’ll also be making a fond and a simple roux so the better pot will help with these too.
- Get All The Fond!: The first one is scraping up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan(which is called the fond) when you first add your wine and broth (don’t let them burn, they’re concentrated flavor).
- Toast the Flour: The second technique involves adding the flour to the melted butter and stirring until paste forms. Et voila! You have a roux. Then cooking the paste until it begins to color a bit, It helps cook off the flour taste.
- Chicken Thighs –Â Chicken thighs are amazing in this recipe. The flavor of the darker meat really adds a great quality to the overall flavor of the stew that chicken breasts won’t provide. Listen thighs aren’t my favorite…breasts are. Simply not in this recipe! Also, drying the thighs before you brown them may seem like a skippable (is that a real word??) step but it’s really important. It will seriously reduce splattering and, let me tell ya, that’s a really great thing for the skin on your arms and face during the browning!!
- Dig Down with Your Spoon – Scraping up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan(which is called the fond) when you first add your wine and broth, is hugely important. Those little brown bits will add tremendous flavor to your stew! (don’t let them burn, they’re concentrated flavor).
- Roux – When you add the flour to the melted butter and stir until paste forms… Et voila, you have a roux. Then cooking the paste until it begins to color a bit, helps cook off the flour taste and add just a bit of nuttiness.
How to Store and Make Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Basically, as long as you can hide it! Just kidding – not really! This stuff gets gobbled up quickly because it’s just that good. However, if you do happen to have leftovers they’ll stay fresh and yummy for up to 4 days when stored properly.
- Can You Freeze This? You sure can! Sometimes the potatoes get a little funny in the freezer so if I know I’m freezing a batch I’ll wait and add cooked potatoes later just to be on the safe side. The great thing is that this chicken stew recipe continues to develop even more amazing flavor as the ingredients mingle. It does tend to thicken a bit in the freezer, so you may need to thin it out with some chicken broth when you reheat it. This can be stored in the freezer for 4-6 months.
- Make-Ahead Tips: A little prep goes a long way with this chicken stew recipe. The chicken can be pre-cooked as long as it’s not overdone. The drippings are discarded so it won’t affect the stew. You can also do the chopping ahead of time. Store the herbs together and the garlic and onion can go in a separate container. I think it’s easier just to make the stew a day ahead or go the freezer route and add the potatoes later.
Step By Step How To Make Chicken Stew
1. Brown the seasoned chicken in batches. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave fond in the pan.
2. Cook the bacon in the same pot, stir frequently until crispy. Transfer to bowl with chicken.
3. Stir in onion, garlic, and anchovy paste.
4. Add broth, wine, soy sauce, and bring to boil. Scrape up any brown bits. Continue to cook until liquid evaporates.
5. Add melted butter and sprinkle flour on the vegetables. Cook and stir until the paste begins to color a bit.
6. Add Better Than Bouillon, tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir.
7. Add russet potatoes, carrots, browned chicken, and bacon. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
8. Remove from heat then add peas.
Serving Recommendations
I love to serve this rich and comforting dish with a simple salad dressed with my super easy-to-make, balsamic vinaigrette. You won’t believe how good homemade vinaigrette can taste. You’ll never buy it at the supermarket again! How about some homemade Bisquick drop biscuits, beer bread, or no knead bread, too?!
More Yummy Stews
- Cowboy Stew
- Classic Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- German Goulash
- Hungarian Goulash
- Guinness Beef Stew
- Green Chile Stew
Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 pounds chicken thighs cut into large inch chunks
- salt + pepper
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 1 1/2 cups onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 5 cups chicken broth,-divided
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons chicken flavor Better Than Bouillon
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, minced
- 2 large russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels, to remove any excess moisture from packaging, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) in a large pot until it shimmers. Brown the chicken (3 pounds) in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Transfer to a mixing bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken. Leave fond in the pan and wipe up oil with a paper towel and a set of tongs.
- Cook the bacon (4 slices) in the same pot, stirring frequently until crispy. Transfer to bowl with chicken.
- Stir in onion (1 1/2 cups), garlic (4 cloves), and anchovy paste (2 teaspoons) to the pot then continue to cook, stirring constantly, on high heat until brown bits form on the bottom of the pan. Add 1 cup of broth, wine (1 cup), and soy sauce (1 tablespoon) and bring to a boil stirring to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to sizzle again, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Melt butter (3 tablespoons) on top of vegetables. Sprinkle top with flour (1/3 cup)and stir to form a paste. Cook, stirring constantly for a minute, or until the paste begins to color a bit. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the remaining 4 cups of broth until smooth.
- Add Better Than Bouillon (2 tablespoons), tomato paste (2 tablespoons), bay leaves (2), and thyme (1/2 teaspoon), stirring to dissolve Better Than Bouillon. Add russet potatoes (2), carrots (4), and the browned chicken and bacon. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through about 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add peas (1 cup), cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes to heat. Adjust seasonings and remove bay leaves. Stir in parsley (1/4 cup) and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Pot: The best tool you can grab for coaxing amazing flavor out of this chicken stew recipe is a higher-quality heavy-bottomed pot. They help distribute heat more evenly to prevent burning and encourage a balanced flavor profile. You’ll also be making a fond and a simple roux so the better pot will help with these too.
- Get All The Fond!: The first one is scraping up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan(which is called the fond) when you first add your wine and broth (don’t let them burn, they’re concentrated flavor).
- Toast the Flour: The second technique involves adding the flour to the melted butter and stirring until paste forms. Et voila! You have a roux. Then cooking the paste until it begins to color a bit, It helps cook off the flour taste.
- Chicken Thighs -Â Chicken thighs are amazing in this recipe. The flavor of the darker meat really adds a great quality to the overall flavor of the stew that chicken breasts won't provide. Listen thighs aren't my favorite...breasts are. Simply not in this recipe! Also, drying the thighs before you brown them may seem like a skippable (is that a real word??) step but it's really important. It will seriously reduce splattering and, let me tell ya, that's a really great thing for the skin on your arms and face during the browning!!
- Dig Down with Your Spoon - Scraping up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan(which is called the fond) when you first add your wine and broth, is hugely important. Those little brown bits will add tremendous flavor to your stew! (don’t let them burn, they’re concentrated flavor).
- Roux - When you add the flour to the melted butter and stir until paste forms... Et voila, you have a roux. Then cooking the paste until it begins to color a bit, helps cook off the flour taste and add just a bit of nuttiness.
Nutrition
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this stew is very good comforting and satisfying .I had a bunch of leftover chicken so i cut it up and threw it in the pot .thank you for a terrific recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed, Summer! 🙂
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
Yes.
Hi! Is there a wine substitute? It looks so yummy but we don’t want the wine in it. Thx!!
Hi Tammy. Yes you can just substitute the wine with chicken broth!
Is there a substitute for the anchovy paste? Seafood allergies prohibit it.
Hi Donna! Hm, that’s a bit challenging as I haven’t used anything other than anchovy paste. But I think you could go umeboshi paste- it’s pickled plums, no seafood stuff. Hope this helps!