Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew

Slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew is healthy, hearty, and so easy to prepare in the crockpot! Rosemary, fennel seeds and balsamic vinegar give this stew a ton of flavor.  

When it comes to comfort food, stew is pretty much at the top of my list...I just want to cozy up with a bowl of Slow Cooker African Peanut Stew, Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew, or this slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew! Perfect to warm you up, and excellent for bread dunking.

This Tuscan chicken stew slow cooker recipe is one of the most popular recipes on Sweet Peas and Saffron because of the amazing flavor you can get for very little effort!

It's perfect for busy weeknights, lazy Sundays, or anyone who wants to stock the freezer for easy meals.

Chicken Stew Ingredients

For this Tuscan chicken stew, you'll need:

• boneless skinless chicken thighs- I love using thighs as they stay nice and juicy in the slow cooker, however you could swap for chicken breasts and reduce the cook time to 3-4 hours.
• carrots, celery and onion- chopped
• tomatoes- swap for a can of diced tomatoes in a pinch
• potatoes- I recommend baby potatoes, halved
• fennel seeds- crush them with the side of a knife before adding to the stew
• rosemary- fresh if possible
• stock- I used homemade bone broth but regular chicken stock or chicken broth works great
• balsamic vinegar- to add a tangy aftertaste
• cornstarch- to thicken I suggest a cornstarch slurry; you may also use arrowroot starch

How to Make Chicken Stew

1. Toss chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, wine, fennel seeds, salt and rosemary into the slow cooker.
2. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on the lowest setting for 4-6 hours.
3. During the last 30 minutes of cook time, combine the corn starch with the water and stir until no lumps remain and add to the slow cooker along with the balsamic vinegar.
4. Turn heat to high, and cook for 30 additional minutes, until slightly thickened.
5. Transfer chicken thighs to a clean bowl and shred with two forks or an electric hand mixer. Return to the stew and mix in. The vegetables should be tender

Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?

Yes, you absolutely can! Find the directions in this Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Stew post.

How do you thicken crockpot 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 crockpot 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. You can also use arrowroot starch.

Ingredient swaps

This Tuscan 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!

• chicken thighs- chicken breasts may be used (adjust the cook time to 3-4 hours on low), readers Karen and Aletta added browned Italian sausage, and reader Dani added ½ a cup of lentils
• potatoes- sweet potatoes would go well with the flavors in this stew (although they may end up quite soft by the end of the cook time). Yikon golds, russet potatoes, or red potatoes will also work, just cut them into bite size pieces.
• fennel- fresh tarragon may be a good alternative (add at the end of the cook time). Fresh thyme is great in this stew with the rosemary. Don't forget to add salt and pepper to taste.
• other add ins- reader Yae added 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and I personally think adding in some roasted garlic would be fantastic!