Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew, a hearty dish that the whole family will enjoy. Tender chicken, carrots, potatoes in a thick sauce, the perfect combination.
Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew
NOTE: This post has been fully updated 10/2019 with pictures and text. I hope you enjoy!
It’s been a harsh winter here in Michigan, every year I think I say this but truly this one has been bad. A lot more snow & cold than we are accustomed to in these parts.
To combat the extra cold temps, comfort foods have taken a footing in our household. Take this Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew for example; hearty, satisfying and easy-peasy thanks to your good old slow cooker!
If you need a comforting dish that sticks to your ribs and leaves you satisfied, give Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew a try. I’ve included freezer instructions along with the recipe below.
With carrots, potatoes, and onions, this is a flavorful dish that also reheats well for leftovers. So get your crockpot out and give the family a new meal to love.
This was one of my personal favorite dishes from my “7 Meals in 1 Hour” slow cooker/freezer meals post, click HERE to check out all of the recipes!
This isn’t a very saucy dish, there’s just enough sauce that it coats the chicken and veggies nicely. If you’d like a saucier dish, add more liquids at the end.
Pair alongside a glass of white wine, some fluffy biscuits and try to forget the freezing temps and piles of snow (at least for dinner time)!
What ingredients do you need to make Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew?
- Chicken Breasts
- Baby Carrots
- Onion
- Red Skinned Potatoes
- Seasonings
- Water
- Milk
- Cornstarch
Some tips for making Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew:
- Freezer meal instructions are included in the recipe card.
- If you enjoy a saucier dish, double liquid and cornstarch added at the end.
- Like additional veggies? Throw them in. This recipe would be great with some peas or green beans.
- If you are prepping this dish for a freezer meal, I chose not to freeze the potatoes. This is just my personal preference.
Simple steps for making Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew:
Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add chicken chunks to the slow cooker
Add water and seasonings to the slow cooker.
Add veggies and potatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine all ingredients. Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.
At the end of the cooking time, whisk cornstarch into milk and stir into the slow cooker. Cook 15 additional minutes on high.
Other great slow cooker meals:
Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage Cheesy Potatoes
Slow Cooker Green Chile Pork Tacos
Even more slow cooker dinner inspiration:
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken & Bacon Sliders
Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew
Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew, a hearty dish that the whole family will enjoy. Tender chicken, carrots, potatoes in a thick sauce, the perfect combination.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 medium onion, wedged
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tablespoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ITEMS THAT DO NOT GET FROZEN:
- 1.5 lbs red-skinned potatoes, halved
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
- Place chicken, seasonings & all vegetables into slow cooker.
- Cook on low 6 hours.
- Whisk cornstarch into milk, stir into slow cooker and cook 15 additional minutes on high.
Notes
***FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS: Place chicken, seasonings, carrots & onions into gallon-sized freezer bag. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Dump bag into slow cooker, add potatoes. Cook on low 6 hours. Whisk cornstarch into milk, stir into slow cooker and cook 15 additional minutes on high.***
Adapted from: Slow Cooker Country Chicken Stew
Find this recipe and more at Meal Plan Monday and the Weekend Potluck!
This looks amazing! Thanks for linking this up at The Magical Slow Cooker’s Sunday Dinner Link Party!
Had this after freezing tonight. Very tasty but I will add more carrots and a bag of frozen green beans next time. Just like more veg.
I am making this right now, I sampled a couple of bites, it is really good. I will be making it again,next time with dumplings.Thank you for making this site it is great.
Does anyone add more liquid to this? I worry that using just a half cup water for the only liquid not being enough. Anyone feel up to calming down?
That much liquid is fine for this dish, at the end you are adding an additional 1/2 cup of milk. Hope you enjoy.
I made this last week, it was a big hit for all four of us adults. I am loving the freezer cooking, Tomorrow the Mexican shredded beef.
I love this dish! It’s the last one of our “7 Meal” challenge and my absolute favorite!
Jennifer, this one was my favorite from the 7 Meals also, total comfort food in my book! 🙂
I’ve got this in the crockpot now. I used an entire small bag of baby carrots and few more red potatoes. I added a few extra spices to it. It smells great. I was hesitant about the ½ cup liquid but it seems to be doing fine. I can’t wait to eat it with dinner. I may actually add a side of roasted asparagus.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! The only slight problem was the potatoes and carrots were kind of hard still (after 6.5 hours). Any ideas for making them softer?
Rachel, I would perhaps try cutting them into smaller chunks, haven’t run into this problem myself. Let us know if you try again 🙂
Do you have to cook beef or chicken prior to freezing or can you just put it all in the freezer bag while raw & then cook it up after thawing?
Hi Abbey, Everything goes in raw for this recipe. It all gets slow cooked together. Hope you enjoy!
Hello! Do you have to freeze everything or can you get them fresh then cook?
Hi Chelsea, Yes you can definitely cook without freezing. Hope you enjoy!
Have you tried this with sweet potatoes? We are trying to stay away from white or red ones. Wondering if the sweets would get too soft…
Hi Anne,
Personally I have not, my kids wouldn’t eat it if I did LOL. My suggestion would be to add them closer to the end of cook time, that way they don’t become mush. Let us know how it turns out!
Actually sweet potatoes take longer cooking in the crock pot then red….
Hi!
How long can I have this refregirated for if I wanted to separate in 5 tuppawares for lunch?
Also, and I apologize because I am new to slow cooking, but do you, or can you, freeze it after you cook and just heat it up that day in a microwave?
thanks!
Hi Marcus, I would assume that you could safely keep this refrigerated after cooking a couple of days. To be honest, it doesn’t last more than 2 meals at my house, so I’ve never encountered longer refrigeration. You could also freeze the cooked meal after it has cooled and re-heat. I do hope you enjoy 🙂
Could you do this with bone-in chicken, like legs or thighs?
Arnika, I’m going to take a guess and say yes, I have never used them personally though. Let us know how it turns out! 🙂
I just came across this on Pinterest and it looks delicious! Unfortunately the only ingredient I don’t have is milk. It seems like it’s pretty important to the recipe, or do you have any suggestions for a substitute? Thank you!
Hi Rebecca, I have never made this recipe without milk. I’m sure you could use broth, water, or even wine with a cornstarch as a thickener. Hope you enjoy, this is one of my favorite family recipes! 🙂
Can you use white potatoes instead of red potatoes. How many potatoes wether red or white how many many make 1 1/2 pounds?
Lisa, you certainly can use white potatoes. Size will vary on the potatoes, hard to say how many would equal 1.5 lbs, I eye-balled from a 5 lb bag. Enjoy!
Look great cant wait to try them but how many people are there for
This particular recipe serves 4-5 people. Hope you enjoy!
Lori,
Do I need to cut up the chicken?
Hi Jenny, I cut the chicken breasts in 2 to 3 pieces so they were a smaller size. You could certainly cut them into smaller chunks if you prefer. Hope you enjoy!
Our kitchen smells like heaven!! Got 2 more hrs until done…Can’t wait to try dive in!! Will let ya know how we love it!! :o)
Ohhhhhhh myyyyyyy goodness!!!!!!! This FANTASTIC recipe is a keeper for sure!! It’s a 10+++++++!! Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!! :o0
I am so happy you enjoyed this dish Pam, we love it in our home! 🙂
why don’t you freeze the potatoes?
It is a personal preference. I’ve heard they can turn brown, didn’t think that would be very appealing.
made this for dinner tonight & is it going to become 1 of my favorite comfort foods for this fall/winter! I used bone-in chicken thighs instead of breasts & also added celery ( cooked on high the whole time). The meat literally fell off the bone & became more like shredded chicken…. SO GOOD!!!
So glad you enjoyed Julia, it is definitely a favorite with my family!
If I wanted to add dumplings would I just add them in at the beginning too? Anything else I should do if I decide to add them? Thanks!
Sarah, The only experience I have with dumplings and a slow cooker recipe has me adding them approximately an hour prior to the end of cooking time. They might absorb quite a bit of the liquid, so you may want to add a touch more liquid in the beginning. Let me know how it turns out!
We really liked this. As in it will go into our regular rotation. The only thing I needed to change is that I had to add a lot more broth in the end as the cornstarch got the sauce too thick. I should mention that I drained the juices and cooked it on the stove with the added milk and cornstarch since I didn’t have the time when I got home to let the crockpot do it’s magic. So maybe that was the reason. But that just meant more yummy sauce! I also added a little red wine vinegar since it needed a little something and I didn’t want to add salt. Thanks!
Can this recipe be cooked on high? And if so, for how long?
Thanks!
Hi Tasha, I’ve never prepared this dish on high, but I’m guessing 4 hours might do it. Hope you enjoy!
Is everything frozen or thawed when is gets put in the crockpot? I’m not able to freeze anything before hand so I’m wondering if anything changes if the ingredients are not frozen at all.
Hi Elisha, You can certainly place all ingredients into the slow cooker unfrozen, nothing changes. Hope you enjoy!
Found your recipe on Pinterest! I knew from the pictures I just had to make it.. So, I checked the ingredients… Boneless chicken breasts.nope…baby carrots, nope…red skin potatoes, nope…. So, what did I have.. Chicken thighs on the bone, whole carrots and russet potatoes… I pealed the skin off the thighs….peeled and chopped the carrots into big chunks and peeled and quartered the potatoes. Followed the rest of the recipe and it was delicious! Mine needed a little bit more salt, but it was still awesome! Thanks!
made this today as my FIRST ever crock pot experience and it was DELISH! The potatoes were still kind of hard though. i threw them in raw should i have boiled them first ?
Glad you liked this dish, it is a favorite at my house. You could parboil the potatoes I suppose or cut into smaller chunks, mine have never been hard so I have not tried either method suggested.
This is one of my families favorite freezer meals. It is in my monthly freezer meal rotation and I have shared it with many of my friends. Thanks!
Happy to hear you enjoyed, definitely a favorite at my house!
I have this in my slow cooker right now and I’m very excited to try it!!!! It sure smells AMAZING!!!!!!
I’m always up for another chicken recipe!
Looks great! Beautiful shot.
So, this cooks in just the water base all day, & the milk and cornstarch goes in at the tail end?
Yes at the end to thicken the liquid. Enjoy!
I made this recipe today and it turned out so well. I will make this again.
I saw your recipe and pinned it. I have a question. Are the chicken breasts cut up before you put them in the crockpot? Also, I know that you present this as a freezer meal, will the ingredients be ok if they are not frozen?
Hi Valerie, This can absolutely be made without freezing the ingredients. My chicken breasts are cut into large pieces when I prepare. Enjoy!
i dont have any cornstarch….and already have it cooking….is there anything else i can use as a sub?
I’d think a tiny amount of flour mixed with water would help thicken this up.
This is a “keeper” so easy too, so shame on you if you don’t give it a try. So having said that, I did however make just a couple of changes. Used one chicken breast and three boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into chunks. Used 1 lb of large carrots pealed and cut into 1/2″ chunks 4 small russet potatoes cut into chunks as well. Let it go 7 hrs on low. Then added 1/2 a bag of partially thawed peas (15 mins on low). Used 1 cup milk and doubled cornstarch. In hindsight that was too much cornstarch, but alas I diluted it with some white wine and it was absolutely a delightful meal. If you don’t want to use wine, can always use chicken broth or water as others have mentioned. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Can you cook this in oven in Dutch oven ? In oven
I am trying in the oven now. I’m hoping it comes out ok!
I don’t have any cornstarch, is there anything I could substitute, or could I omit that?
You could try a little bit of flour.
Hello, I’m thinking of making this in a couple of days! (have a snow storm coming this will be a perfect recipe to do)
I was just wondering, the 1/2 cup water, do you put that in with the chicken when you cook it for the 6 hours? Or put it in when you put milk mixture in?
Thank you!
Just to clarify, does this recipe use one-and-a-half pounds of chicken, or 5 pounds of chicken? (The way my computer is formatting the recipe, I can’t tell if it says 1.5 pounds or one 5-pound package of chicken.
Hi Holly, This recipes calls for 1 1/2 or 1.5 lbs of chicken! Hope you enjoy!
Thank you!
I want to make this right now! I have frozen chicken, but raw vegetables. Would I still do low heat for 6 hours? Thank you for any help!!
Hi Leslie, I’m sure that would work. Hope you enjoy!
So far so good! Now I just realized I don’t have cornstarch!
Hi, I just found your site on Pinterest. I am trying to budget our meals. We are 3 good eaters, just trying not to spend excessively, lol. Have you figured a budget on this? And if I follow recipes and shopping lists as stated, do you think it saves money? I know it’s already great as a time savor, but I was just curious, as I am new to figuring a budget. Great site with great recipes. So glad I found it. I look forward to your response!
Just made this! Was wondering why it cooked so quickly (done in 4 hours)… I put it on high! Added the milk and cornstarch and it thickened up quickly. I ended up adding another cup of milk and about 3x the seasoning 😂 This would be great with more veggies too. I’m thinking Green beans and celery. Oh, and even on high, liquid wasn’t a problem! The chicken breast juices really did their magic!
I am making this right now, about another 3 hours to go. I am going to put in about a cup of frozen peas/sweet corn mix into it at the end when you put in the milk/cornstarch blend. I also put in a couple tablespoons of salted butter and I used some chicken boillion with the water. I also preseasoned the chicken with the lawry’s seasoning salt and put in a few shakes after it was all in there. I also added some minced garlic because I love garlic in everything. But other than that I followed it to A “T”! Oh I also did a shake of Italian seasoning as well. I am sure it will be a hit!
I just found this recipe, so I’m very late to the game, but wanted to address the hard potato issue. I have no idea why but years of experience have taught me that if you use russet potatoes, they have to be peeled or they will stay hard as rocks. Doesn’t matter how small you cut them, peels = rock hard 😕 frustrating as it takes more time to get everything ready. Anyway, got my stew going and excited to try it tonight!
I added a bay leaf and substituted flour for cornstartch smelled awsome
Husband loved it..
Any tips on trying it in the instant pot? I don’t have enough time in the morning to dump a freezer meal in the crock pot but get off at 2pm. So enough time to prep a meal for the instant pot. Just curious to know what cook time conversion would be. Thank you!
Can you use chicken broth instead of water?
I’m sure you can, hope you enjoy!
I used water this time but I’m def gonna try broth next time. It was still sooo good. My daughters loved it too 🙂
I do not have any cornstarch any thing else work?
Hi Amber, You can mix a bit of flour and water together then add in. It will help thicken also.
No complaints! By anyone! Delicious. I eye-balled the spice and probably put in a little more than called for. I also added 2 bay leaves. Other than that, SO easy. Thank you!
I know this is a long shot but does anyone have a instant pot conversion for this recipe?
The rustic chicken. …when do I add the water? ….
Hi Melissa, Add the water in when you are adding chicken, veggies, and seasonings. Hope you enjoy
Loved this. I double the chicken and onion and added bacon. I didn’t get my sauce to thicken up as much as I should have, but I’ll get that part right next time.
Your rustic chicken stew was fantastic! It’s now on my list of favorites. I do have a question. If I wanted a bit more gravy, would I just add a bit more milk with the same amount of cornstarch, or would I increase the cornstarch too? Thanks!
Hi Linda, Glad you enjoyed! I would probably increase both the milk and cornstarch unless you wanted a thinner “sauce”. Thank you for stopping by.
Can you cook when frozen? Forgot to thaw my chicken 🙁
Can I make this with chicken tenderloins? That’s the only chicken I have rt now. If not I will pin the recipe and save it for when I have the right chicken for the recipe. Also, if I can use it would it be the same time ? Thank you ! : )
I made this and it was delicious! I added Ms.Dash garlic and herb and 2 tsp of better than bouillon.Huge hit, will make again! thanks for the recipe.
Cooking the chicken stew right now smells delicious
This is one of my favorite crockpot dishes, so I decided to give it a try in the Instant Pot tonight. Followed all of the directions, but added four cups of chicken broth. I cooked it for 25 minutes on high, shredded the chicken, and added the cornstarch + water. It wasn’t as thick as it gets in the crockpot, but it was DELICIOUS!
I’m so glad to hear this, definitely going to try myself. Thanks Haley!