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Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew

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Slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew to warm you up on a cold day. Instructions to prepare this chicken stew in the crock pot and a video tutorial so you can’t mess it up! The flavors are enhanced by fennel seeds, rosemary, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Tuscan Chicken Stew Crock Pot Recipe in pot with crusty bread

This recipe was updated on 23/10/2017 to include instructions on assembling ahead and freezing.

This slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew recipe is inspired by something my mom cooked for us just after Kai was born.  I remember looking at this chicken stew and not thinking much of it.  But then we dug in (with huge chunks of bread, completely mandatory!) and…holy yum.

The potatoes and the chicken and rosemary and THE BREAD…just so delicious, soul-warming and not a drop (or a crumb) were left behind.

With that stew as an inspiration, I set out to recreate it in slow cooker form…and this slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew was the result!


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Slow cooker chicken stew in the crock pot (before cooking)

Reasons to love this slow cooker chicken stew:

  • you can make it in your slow cooker or your Instant Pot (NEW: Find the Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Stew recipe now has it’s own post!)
  • you can assemble it ahead and freeze it (as a freezer crockpot chicken stew)
  • it’s made with clean, wholesome ingredients
  • the fennel, rosemary and balsamic vinegar give a deliciously subtle flavor that makes this chicken stew recipe just a little bit different

Chicken stew crock pot recipe after cooking in blue pot

 

This crock pot chicken stew recipe couldn’t be any easier to prepare: simply dump your ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

About half an hour before you are ready to serve, you will thicken your stew, and add in a splash of balsamic vinegar.

How do you thicken this Tuscan chicken stew?

Thickening your stew is optional, but it really helps give it that comfort food texture…velvety and smooth and just a little more substantial than an un-thickened stew. It also helps the delicious broth stick to the chicken, bringing it even more flavor.

For this Tuscan chicken stew, I simply mixed a bit of cornstarch with some water, add it to the pot 30 minutes before serving, and turn up the temperature to high.

Chicken stew recipe slow cooker after cooking in bowl.

Ingredient swaps you can make for this chicken stew crock pot recipe

This chicken stew is a great as written but you can totally change it up depending on what you have on hand in your fridge or pantry!

  • swap the chicken thighs for chicken breasts, and adjust the cook time to 3-5 hours on low
  • swap the potatoes for sweet potatoes
  • add in some roasted garlic
  • swap the balsamic vinegar for red wine
  • swap the fennel for some fresh tarragon (add at the end of the cook time)

Dipping bread in the slow cooker tuscan chicken stew

How to store and serve this slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew

Can you believe this slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew actually tastes even better on day 2? It makes for a fabulous lunch the next day.

I love storing this stew in these meal mugs, because you can re-heat them right in the storage container. So convenient for packing stew in your lunch.

Can you freeze chicken stew? Yes, you can, although with this particular recipe, you are going to need to re-heat gently, ie: don’t bring it to an all-out boil. Heating and stirring gently will keep the chicken and veggies intact.

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped my crock pot chicken stew recipe. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.

More slow cooker stews for us!

NEW: looking for Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes? Check this post out!Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes

4.37 from 19 votes
Print
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs 20 mins
 

This easy slow cooker recipe simmers chicken, potatoes and rosemary with vegetables for a delicious and flavorful supper.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 280 kcal
Ingredients
  • 6-8 boneless chicken thighs fat removed and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 2 stalks of celery sliced
  • 1 small-medium onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 medium tomatoes diced
  • 12 baby potatoes left whole or cut in half
  • 1 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste optional!
  • 2 tablespoon white wine
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed with side of knife
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • a sprig of fresh rosemary {roughly teaspoon chopped}
Just before serving:
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Garnish:
  • chopped parsley
Instructions
Slow Cooker

  1. Toss chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, wine, fennel seeds and salt into the slow cooker.

  2. Cook on the lowest setting for 4-6 hours.
  3. Just before serving, combine the corn starch with the water and mix until no lumps remain.
  4. Add the water/cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
  5. Turn heat to high, and cook for 10-30 minutes, until slightly thickened.
To assemble ahead and freeze:

  1. In a heavy-duty gallon sized freezer bag, combine all ingredients except the water/cornstarch/balsamic vinegar. **Make sure to leave the baby potatoes whole**

  2. Remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
  3. Thaw completely before cooking on low for 5-6 hours (check that potatoes are cooked through).
  4. Stir in the water, cornstarch and balsamic vinegar, set to high, and cook for 10-30 minutes, until thickened.
Recipe Notes
Serve with a crusty baguette, or fresh focaccia.

I used a 5 quart slow cooker.

 
Find directions to prepare in the Instant Pot in this Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Stew post!
Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew
Amount Per Serving
Calories 280 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 123mg 41%
Sodium 352mg 15%
Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 5g
Protein 28g 56%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More Slow Cooker Chicken Stew Inspiration:

Slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew to warm you up on a cold day. Instructions to prepare this chicken stew in the crock pot or in the instant pot and a video tutorial so you can't mess it up! The flavors are enhanced by fennel seeds, rosemary, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. #crockpot #slowcooker #cleaneating #glutenfree #freezermeal #chicken #stew #sweetpeasandsaffron #mealprep
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Comments

  1. It was delicious, I used everything listed except I used bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and shredded the chicken off the bone after cooking. Also I skipped the cornstarch. Truly one of the best soups I’ve had in a long while.

    Reply

  2. It was pretty good. Had to make a couple changes due to lack of ingredients…no fennel, so added one browned Italian sausage for a kick. Also, no paste so 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes with the broth. Will add more broth to heat up. Very tasty!

    Reply

  3. I am not completely sure where I went wrong, but when I first took a taste to sample the flavor and see what I could add, this basically tasted like nothing to me. Hot tomato water. Which was soooo disappointing, as this just looked delish! I don’t blame the recipe really, I take full blame. Maybe my taste buds aren’t as delicate as yours. WHO KNOWS! Anyway. I added another tsp salt, half a tsp pepper, a tbsp of Italian seasoning, a tbsp (at least) of paprika, then I made a roux for thickening instead of using corn starch (4 tbsp of butter / 4 tbsp flour / 1 cup of whole milk). Thanks though, for this beautifully presented recipe that I will definitely use again as a base. I just need a little more POW personally.

    Reply

  5. Hi Denise!
    I didn’t have fennel seeds so I googled for a sub.
    They suggested caraway, cumin, or dill. I opted for the dill as I didn’t have caraway either. Fingers crossed it will work out! Love crockpot recipes in the summer so I don’t heat up the kitchen.

    Reply

  6. Hi Denise!

    This recipe looks great and I am thinking of making it tonight.
    Unfortunately I don’t have much time.
    What would you suggest if I cooked it on high? 2-3 hours?

    Reply

    • Hi Josie, apologies for my late reply, I’ve just returned from holidays. Although I’ve never tried, you could probably try making it on the stovetop and that would reduce the cook time. There should be instructions in one of the comments above, but if you can’t find it, let me know and I’ll re-copy and paste here 🙂

      Reply

  7. I tried this out today. I followed the recipe pretty much exact except I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and added mushrooms. it wasnt the greatest. was missing something… didnt have much flav. other than for the rosemarry. It also didnt thicken so was more of a soup than a stew. dont know where it went wrong.

    Reply

  8. I love your site! I’m glad I waited till today to make this recipe because I just saw that you have an Instant Pot version! Excited to try it out!

    Reply

    • Hi Rebekah, I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it! The stew can be frozen, or you could even bake it into pot pies (just put some puff pastry over some ramekins, instructions in this post). Otherwise, it does make for a tasty lunch too 🙂 I hope these suggestions help!

      Reply

  11. This crock pot dish was so good! I was looking for a dish that would help to use some of the white wine we had leftover and this was perfect. Will be making it again soon!

    Reply

  13. I just found this yummy looking stew. I do not eat beef or
    pork, so when I found this I was happy 🙂
    I am making it right now.

    Reply

  15. It looked and smelled very good, but the potatoes and carrots were hard. I cooked an additional 2 hours and even had to put on my stove top. Maybe the recipe should be cooked on medium or high, or cook the potatoes beforehand. I was disappointed.

    Reply

    • Hi Claudia, I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t cook through for you! I just made a variation of this on Friday and the potatoes and carrots were falling apart they were so tender, so I’m confused why it wasn’t the same for you. Did you cook it for the lower end of the spectrum (3 hours)? I’m just trying to figure out if I should modify the recipe to say ‘5 hours on low’, because 100% your potatoes and carrots should be cooked through at that point. Also, did you lift the lid of the crockpot at any point?

      Reply

  16. Amazing. My almost 3 year old helped add most ingredients ( I chopped!) while the baby slept. We didn’t have rosemary so used thyme…. Sorry. I always like to make as is but I realized this at the end. But it was outstanding despite and will stock cupboard for next time. Made with cheddar biscuits and my husband told me the stew was the best meal I had cooked in ages! The leftovers already transferred to a pot for easy reheating tomorrow. I have passed along this recipe already. Thank you. A mom of soon to be 3 children I need amazing healthy simple recipes like this. Ps – my 11 month old couldn’t get enough of this!

    Reply

    • WOW, thanks so much for your review! And I’m impressed your 11 month old liked it! I’m still working on my 2-year old 😉 Thanks so much, Christina!

      Reply

  18. I’m so excited to try this out today! Just finished prepping everything and it already looks amazing. Thank you so much for posting this! I will definitely be trying more of your recipes in the future. ?

    Reply

  19. I made this last night, and while good, it didn’t wow me. Seemed to lack flavor despite me following the recipe to a T. Also, it didn’t thicken at all with the cornstarch either. =(

    Reply

  20. Made this stew last week and it was amazing! I’m not generally a fan of fennel, but we really enjoyed this. My daughter even took it to school for lunch the next day – and she doesn’t generally like stew-type meals! 🙂

    Reply

    • How did I miss this? I’m so glad you guys liked the stew! I have to admit I’m not really a ‘stew’ person either…at least not beef stew. Thanks, Stacey!

      Reply

  21. I’m not the most experienced cook but when my mom asked me to help out while my dad is on bed rest from knee surgery, I wanted to make something yummy. So I turned to Pinterest and found this recipe! Everyone loved it and it was SO easy to make. I added more white wine, balsamic, and salt than the recipe called for but it was a hit.

    Reply

  22. Looks delish? What size of crockpot do you use for this recipe ? I’m wondering if my slow cooker is too big and if I should double the recipe .

    Reply

  24. We finally made this recipe — We loved it! I used boneless chicken breasts because that’s what I usually have, and I actually put them in frozen and let it cook all day — perfect! Definitely adding this to the regulars. Thanks friend!

    Reply

  25. This looks great! I’m a little confused about how to do the chicken….should I cook it separately then pour chickeb anf the deglazed wine juices in with everything else?

    Reply

    • Hi Kelsey. Now I’m confused (ha ha!). If you are making it in the slow cooker, you just throw everything in, set it to the lowest setting, and cook for 4-6 hours.

      Reply

  27. Dear Denise, this soup speaks right to my soul! What a wonderful and delicious meal to greet the Fall with. I love the flavors and herbs..this is the definition of comfort food! xo, Catherine

    Reply

  28. I made this today for my husbands birthday. Believe it or not, it is almost 90 degrees out today and my house smells so good that I don’t even care this is a colder weather meal. I doubled the receipt since we have 9 coming over. Cant wait to dig in!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Rhonda! I hope you guys liked it, I have to say that I eat soup all summer long…we made a big batch of minestrone the other day and it was pretty hot outside 🙂

      Reply

  29. I’m experimenting with “freezer meals” for the slow cooker – where you do all the chopping for several meals and divide and bag up all the ingredients and freeze together. Then you defrost and throw it in the slow cooker when you want it. Have you tried that with this? Potatoes and tomatoes seem like they may not freeze well…I’ve never frozen raw potatoes. I guess if it was all in the stock and wine, it might be okay. I will try it, I guess, and let you know!

    Reply

    • Hi Carolyn! I haven’t tried freezing the ingredients first…it sounds very convenient! If you wouldn’t mind reporting back here how it turns out, that would be wonderful.

      Reply

    • Hi Ashley, it’s boneless (I will update the recipe). I have had other readers use bone-in chicken thighs in a similar recipe with no issues…just make sure it is skinless and trim as much fat as possible. Hope you enjoy the stew!

      Reply

  33. Made this for my sister’s birthday and her whole family loved it. My sister even tilted her bowl to drink up the last drop. Amazing recipe. You have gained an enormous amount of culinary credibility with me. I feel like if you say something is good then I should try it.

    Reply

    • Hi Julie! I’m glad you enjoyed the stew! I will have to try it without the wine…did you use chicken stock instead? Thanks for reporting back!

      Reply

      • Yes, I used chicken broth instead. I cooked a whole organic chicken and divided that up between 2 soup pots and doubled the rest of the ingredients. I used the cooking broth and divided it up between the 2 soup pots and added a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Chicken base to each pot too. I added the ingredients that I didn’t think my son’s fiance would eat in one pot but she tasted it and loved it and so I ended up not needing a separate pot of stew for the pickier eaters. My daughter’s boyfriend is 19 and he ate a LOT. We ended up being snowed in that night and everyone wanted this for their snack and their breakfast the next day. I served it with the 1-hour home made bread from here: http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/09/simple-one-hour-homemade-bread. The combo was amazing. We had a neighbor’s fresh honey and butter with the bread for dessert. This stew is just amazing. The depth of flavor is incredible. It was a huge eye-opener for me because I didn’t think my family would go for some of the ingredients like the balsamic vinegar and the fennel seeds. This went over like gangbusters and they have all made me promise to put it into the favorite meals rotation. I freaking LOVE this stew!

        Reply

        • Sounds delicious, Julie! Good to know it is still good without the wine. And that bread sounds delicious! I will have to try it! Thanks so much for your kind comments, Julie, you totally made my day 🙂

          Reply

  35. Girlllll! Thank you. My family and I live in Seattle and with the weather being as raining as it is. This is a prefect recipe for a mom on the go like myself. I have everything in my 9am and by the time I get back to the house and kid home from school and husband home from work. My home smells like I’ve been working hard in the kitchen. Best part the whole family went back for seconds.

    Reply

    • Hi Elizabeth! I’m so glad you and your family like the stew! I am loving my slow cooker these days, it is SO nice to get home from work and dinner is waiting for me 🙂

      Reply

  37. This stew has great flavor, I too added extra veggies. Not too sure about the chicken though, it turned out rubbery, wasn’t bad but might do sausage or beef next time, overall I would make it again.

    Reply

    • Hi Craig! Thanks for reporting back 🙂 When you say rubbery, do you mean that the chicken was overcooked or undercooked? I found it to be falling-apart tender, but maybe there are differences between our slow cookers?

      Reply

  38. I have this in my slow cooker now. I prepared it while watching my 6 feet of snow out my window. Yuck! I’m sure this will be perfect for this cold day. I’m also making homemade bread in my bread maker. Can’t wait for dinner! Thank you!

    Reply

  39. actually made this for dinner today. Pretty good recipe. I doubled the carrots and there still weren’t enough. Also, as its middle of winter in NE, tomatoes not great quality. Might be better to use petite diced fire roasted can of tomatoes. I used homemade chicken broth which helped add needed flavor. Also, needed AT LEAST 6 hours on low. My potatoes needed an extra hour to soften up. I can not have bread, so served over bed of risotto to make it a little more filling.

    Reply

    • Thanks for the feedback, Rebecca! The first time I made the recipe, I used canned diced tomatoes, and the flavors were a little dull, which is why I switched to fresh. Also, I’m wondering if there are differences in cook time between brands of slow cookers, because after 5 hours on low, my potatoes were perfect! I love hearing all the changes people make when they use a recipe, so thank-you!

      Reply

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