With roasted red peppers, smoked paprika and a pinch of saffron, this slow cooker Spanish chicken stew is a cozy yet exotic! Works great for a weeknight dinner, or for meal prep.
I love a warming bowl of stew in the cooler months. Slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew is a family favorite, as is slow cooker Mexican chicken stew. When we are craving cozy + something a little adventurous, this Spanish chicken stew hits the spot!
With traditional stew ingredients like chicken, carrots, celery and potatoes, this stew gets a flavor upgrade thanks to roasted red peppers, saffron and smoked paprika. A splash of balsamic vinegar brings all the flavors together at the end of the cook time!
Reasons to ♡ slow cooker Spanish chicken stew
- it's got traditional stew ingredients with some unusual flavor upgrades
- it's healthy, nourishing, and will fill you up
- it works great for meal prep as a crockpot freezer meal or as a reheat meal
Recipe video
Wondering how exactly this stew comes together? Watch this 1-minute video to see how easy it is to prep! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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Recipe inspiration
When creating this recipe, I was going through an obsession with one of Spain's most popular recipes: paella. Paella involves cooking rice in a mixture of broth, and spices (including saffron), and is traditionally topped with rabbit or chicken (1). The version that I cooked also included smoked paprika, peas, roasted red peppers, tomatoes and seafood (2).
Taking inspiration from the flavors I loved in paella, as well as spices traditionally found in Spanish kitchens (3), I came up with this stew; it is not meant in any way to be authentic. For an authentic recipe, check out this Spanish chicken and chorizo stew!
Ingredient notes
- chicken- we are using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. If you swap for chicken breasts, you'll need to reduce the cook time to 4 hours on low (make sure the potatoes are cooked through!)
- potatoes- ruby, yellow or even purple baby potatoes work great in this recipe: cut them in half if you are cooking fresh, leave them whole if you are assembling as a crockpot freezer meal
- roasted red peppers- usually near olives in the condiment aisle. You could also check the canned vegetable section. Drain and chop them up.
- smoked paprika- a spice often used in Spanish cuisine, it has a much more potent flavor than sweet paprika. It adds a subtle smokiness to this stew. Find it with the spices, or purchase on Amazon.
- saffron threads- saffron is the world’s most expensive spice, but don’t let that deter you from cooking with it; a little goes a long way! Adding a pinch of saffron threads to this stew is sufficient to infuse the whole pot with delicious flavor. Purchase a good brand (one that you know), as you get what you pay for.
- balsamic vinegar- adding acid to the stew after a long cook time helps brighten and revive the flavors.
Recipe tips
Low and slow
When using the slow cooker, I like to use the low setting whenever possible. The reason for this is that some slow cookers cook quite hot, and on high, they can vigorously boil and overcook the protein. For this slow cooker Spanish chicken stew, we are cooking on low for 5 hours. At this point, the chicken should be fall-apart-tender, and the potatoes should also be cooked through.
Remember not to peek at your stew while it simmers, as this can add up to an hour onto your cook time!
Last minute add-ins
Just before serving your stew, stir in 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and 1 cup of frozen peas. We add the vinegar to help brighten the flavors back up after the long cook time, and we add the peas because they will overcook if added at the start.
To thicken or not to thicken
Unlike the Tuscan chicken stew on this website, this stew recipe is not thickened. If you really love a thickened stew, then you can add in a mixture of 2 tablespoons cornstarch + ¼ cup water to the slow cooker 30 minutes before serving. Turn the slow cooker to high, and simmer until thickened.
Serve it up!
After cooking the stew through, sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, and serve it up! With a source of protein, vegetables and carbohydrates, we consider this to be a complete meal, however it is great served with a rustic loaf of sourdough bread for dunking.
Serving size + equipment
This recipe should be cooked in a larger slow cooker- 5 or 6 quarts. If you are looking to cut the recipe in half, you'll need to cook in a 2.5 or smaller slow cooker.
- my favorite 6 quart slow cooker
- cook a half batch in this 2.5 quart slow cooker
- you can also cook it in a 6 quart Instant Pot or an 8 quart Instant Pot- cook on high pressure for 10 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release
Storage + Meal Prep
Slow cooker Spanish chicken stew works really well for meal prep. Here are two ways you can do it:
Crockpot freezer meal
A crock pot freezer meal is assembled ahead and frozen before cooking. This way, when it's time to cook, you simply dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and skip any measuring. This is a great recipe to prepare for someone who is expecting a baby.
- Assemble all stew ingredients except for the balsamic vinegar and peas in a sturdy gallon-sized freezer bag or large meal prep container (*make sure you leave the potatoes whole!). You can leave out the stock as well if the bag/container is too full.
- Squeeze out as much air as you can and freeze it flat.
- Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw completely, then cook as directed in the recipe card below.
*if potatoes are cut in half, they can turn brown and get a weird texture
Check out my favorite freezer containers.
More slow cooker recipes
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Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby potatoes halved (roughly 3.5 cups); see note 1
- 8 small chicken thighs 600g/1.3 lbs; see note 2
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 300 mL jar of roasted red peppers drained and rinsed, cut into small pieces (about 1.5 cups)
- ½ red onion diced
- 19 oz can of diced tomatoes including liquids, or sub 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- ½ teaspoon salt
Before serving:
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- In the base of a slow cooker combine all ingredients except the balsamic vinegar and peas.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and peas, cover and cook for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips:
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days
- Freeze for up to 3 months
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Julie says
VERY tasty! I made it with chicken breast and cooked for the 4 hours on low but the vegetables, especially the potatoes, were still a bit too crunchy. Next time I'll push it to 5 hours but this is going into my Definitely A Keeper file.
Susan Lee says
My incredibly picky family loved this! I labeled hot broth over frozen peas for the people who wanted peas. I let each person try the broth both with and without the balsamic. Everybody got a meal they loved without me having to make a whole bunch of things!
Shelley says
This is a really different soup and it was delicious! We really enjoyed it.
Sherry says
Enjoyed this for dinner tonight with my husband. It could not be faulted! So tasty! I didn't even need a bread roll as it was so filling. We didn't use saffron, but I did add saffron imitation powder for colour haha. We're not the type to make recipes again but this one will definitely be making a reappearance!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Sherry! I'm so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to report back, I really appreciate it! <3
Kathleen Nutter says
Really good recipe. I added some fresh basil at the end but the recipe was perfect as is. I did the Instant Pot method which was fast and easy.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Kathleen! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the stew, and that the Instant Pot method worked well for you! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review, I really appreciate it 🙂
Tracey Bivins Helm says
Made this tonight and it's delicious! Perfect with crusty bread. Will definitely make again.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Tracey! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to come back and leave a review- I really appreciate it 🙂
Cynthia says
It there a substitute for the saffron that I can use
Denise says
Hi Cynthia! I can't think of a saffron substitute, I would probably just leave it out for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Dona says
Turmeric is considered the poor man’s saffron - but don’t use too much as it gives a different flavor.
Tievoli says
Made this today and it was very flavorful! I usually like to sauté the vepgetables before putting them in the crockpot but I didn’t and it was very good. I used two legs,two thighs and two breasts and it worked out fine. I would call it more of a soup though, the broth is thin but flavorful. Perfect for dipping bread.
Denise says
Hi Tievoli! Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to leave a review. I'm so happy you enjoyed!
Leslie R Barron says
Did you uses bone in or boneless thighs?
Denise says
I used boneless skinless, although bone-in will be fine, too, I'd just avoid anything with skin as it can end up really fatty 😀
Lizzy says
For some reason cooking on low the potatoes are not done. Trying another hour.
Denise says
That's so strange! I have never had potatoes still under after that long in the slow cooker. What size did you use, and did you cut them? I hope they softened for you!
Kate says
This was linked on the Huffington post and my husband thought it looked good. He was right. I used bone in thighs because that's what I had and didn't throw the peppers until I threw in the peas (they were home roasted so they're much softer than the ones in the jar). It was delicious! Next week we're going to try the Tuscan Chicken stew!
Denise says
Hi Kate! I'm so happy you liked the stew! I hope you enjoy the Tuscan Chicken Stew too, it's my most popular recipe. Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Kate Hayner says
This is in regular rotation in my house but today I'm going to be daring today and try this in the instant pot. I'll report back how it goes.
Denise says
I bet it will work great in the IP! I do my Tuscan stew at 10 minutes with 10 minute natural release. Hope you enjoy!
Jule says
This was DELICIOUS! I made it with chicken breast because that is what I had but I think thighs would have been better. I also underestimated my Spanish smoked paprika (the three chilies next to the word "picante" on the tin should have tipped me off) so I ended up pouring half a cup of heavy cream into it at the end to help with the spiciness. It was still very spicy but we ate it gleefully sopping up the broth with bread and laughing about our mouths hurting. The flavor is just so good!
Denise says
Hi Jule, I'm so glad you liked the stew! That's so funny that it was spicy for you because my smoked paprika is not spicy at all.
Leslie R Barron says
If the smoked paprika is fresh it is spicy. Get spices at Penzys Spices @Penzys.com for real excellent spices. I recently discovered them, threw all the old stuff out. what a difference. Just wanted to share having recently purchased smoked paprika.
Denise says
Good to know! I think there are differences between brands too as I have a Spanish brand that is quite spicy 😀
Rachel says
Hiya, did you dice up the chicken breasts first?
Rebekah says
Hey this looks really great and I want to try my own hand at it but as a student, I'd rather not have to buy a slowcooker. Do you have any recommendations for how I could oven cook it?
Denise says
Hi Rebekah, unfortunately this recipe is specific for a slow cooker. Here's a suggestion for adapting to stovetop: try cooking the onions in some olive oil, remove from the pan, then brown the chicken, then add back the onions and all the other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes or so until the veggies are cooked through and you get the consistency you’d like for the stew {you can always ad a bit more cornstarch if you’d like it thicker}. I haven’t tried this, but it would likely work! Good luck and let me know if you try it!
Shannon says
Hi there!
The first time I made this I simmered it on low for about 2.5 hours covered and it turned out beautifully! I used cubed chicken breasts and added garlic. I didn't have any saffron but the stew still turned out wonderfully!
Denise says
Hi Shannon, I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen says
I think this time of year, when fall is just beginning, is my favorite. I love the chill in the air and the return of fall favorite foods! This stew looks so delicious. I love how colorful it is from all of those veggies, too!
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says
Dipping crusty bread into homemade soup is one of my FAVORITE things ever. I love these flavors! Plus anything in the slow cooker works for me. 🙂
Zainab says
What a great recipe! I love all the veggies in this stew.
Denise says
Thanks, Zainab!
Medha Swaminathan says
The paprika and saffron really take this soup to new heights- love the idea of eating this alongside crusty bread 🙂
Denise says
Thanks Medha! I really love saffron (LOL!)
Amanda says
This stew looks fantastic! Can you use another cut of chicken? Perhaps a breast? The hubs doesn't like thigh meat...
Denise says
Hi Amanda, you can definitely use chicken breasts...Either leave them whole and shred after cooking or cut into cubes. Either way they will be nice and tender 🙂 Hope you like it!
Annie says
What a beautiful stew!! This looks like the perfect hearty dinner for a chilly night!
Denise says
Thanks Annie! We have had some VERY chilly nights here lately!
Ashley - The Recipe Rebel says
Yes, we are trying this soon! The weather here has been BEAUTIFUL lately but this week it's supposed to get cooooold and it's foggy right now and, basically, perfect hot chocolate, sweater, stew weather (and I secretly love it!). This is going on our absolutely must make list!
Denise says
I hope you like it Ashley 🙂 We have had sunny but cold weather and I even saw snowflakes on the forecast!