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.
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!
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
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.
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)
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!
- This tortilla soup-inspired Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Stew
- Or go this African-inspired Slow Cooker Ethiopian Chicken & Lentil Stew
- Or check out this round up of 19 Healthy Slow Cooker Soups & Stews!
NEW: looking for Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes? Check this post out!
This easy slow cooker recipe simmers chicken, potatoes and rosemary with vegetables for a delicious and flavorful supper.
- 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}
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- chopped parsley
Toss chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, wine, fennel seeds and salt into the slow cooker.
- Cook on the lowest setting for 4-6 hours.
- Just before serving, combine the corn starch with the water and mix until no lumps remain.
- Add the water/cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
- Turn heat to high, and cook for 10-30 minutes, until slightly thickened.
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**
- Remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before cooking on low for 5-6 hours (check that potatoes are cooked through).
- Stir in the water, cornstarch and balsamic vinegar, set to high, and cook for 10-30 minutes, until thickened.
I used a 5 quart slow cooker.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Stew Inspiration:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Stew from Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Crockpot Butternut Squash, Chicken & Quinoa Soup from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
- Slow Cooker Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken from Immaculate Bites
Sharon
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.
Denise
Hi Sharon, I hope it worked out with dill! I have never tried 🙂
Josie Franklin
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?
Denise
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 🙂
amanda
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.
Denise
Hi Amanda, I just answered your comment on my Facebook page 🙂
Claudia
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!
Denise
Thank you so much Claudia! I hope you enjoy the stew 🙂
Joanna
This was so delicious, healthy and hearty. I used the instant pot. Thank you!!!
Denise
Hi Joanna, so happy you liked it! I am hoping to add Instant Pot to a few more recipes 🙂
Rebekah
I made this today and my family and I really enjoyed it. Do you have any suggestions for the leftovers?
Denise
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!
Megan
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!
Denise
Hi Megan, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Amanda
Looks great. Its going on the meal plan this week. Your video really sealed the deal on me making this! Nice work!
Denise
I’m so glad Amanda, and I hope you enjoy the stew! I am secretly excited for fall and slow cooker season 🙂
Willow
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.
Denise
Hi Willow! I hope you liked it 🙂
Denise
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Christine! I think the leftovers are the best part 😉 Heading over to check out your blog post!
Claudia
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.
Denise
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?
Christina
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!
Denise
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!
Sara
Hi I want to make this recipe but could you clarify if this is cooked on low or high setting ? Thanks!
Denise
Hi Sara! The recipe cooks on the low setting for 4-6 hours. I hope you like it! 🙂
Anna
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. 😊
Denise
Hi Anna! I really hope you like it! Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂
Lindsay
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. =(
Denise
Sorry to hear you didn’t like it, Lindsay 🙁
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat.
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! 🙂
Denise
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!