Hearty and flavorful Chicken Stew made with tender chicken pieces, delicious bacon, and savory vegetables that are slowly simmered in a chicken broth until it's thickened and creamy. Family-friendly comfort food that's perfect for colder days!
Ingredients
2poundschicken breasts or thighsboneless, skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
½teaspoonblack pepper
1teaspoonsalt
10slicesbaconchopped
1medium yellow oniondiced
2cupsmushroomssliced
2celery ribs thinly sliced
2tablespoonsminced garlic
1tablespoonthyme
4cupschicken broth
1tablespoonsoy sauce
3tablespoonsbuttercut into pieces
⅓cupall-purpose flour
1poundbaby red potatoescut in half
4smallcarrotspeeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
Fresh parsleyfor garnish
Instructions
Add the chicken pieces to a bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cook bacon in a large pot over medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes or until it's cooked, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Using the bacon grease, cook mushrooms, onion, celery, garlic, and thyme for 2-3 minutes.
Add half cup of chicken broth and soy sauce, and deglaze the bottom of the pot by scraping off with a wooden spoon.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid will be evaporated.
Add butter, melt it and sprinkle with flour and cook for 1 minute. Then slowly whisk in the remaining broth.
Add bacon, chicken, red potatoes, and carrots. And cook uncovered for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender and the chicken is cooked through. Taste the stew, and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference.
Remove from heat, and serve with a garnish of fresh parsley and crusty bread on the side.
Notes
Be careful not to overcook the chicken. For this reason, I cut the chicken into bigger chunks (about 2 inches), so they cook at the same rate as everything else in the pot. To know when the chicken is done, you can use a kitchen thermometer and check a couple of pieces. The internal temperature of the chicken must be 165°F/74°C.
This chicken stew is creamy from the flour roux, if you want it extra creamy you can add a splash of heavy cream at the end. Avoid adding canned chicken soup.
Add more veggies if you like, you can do corn, green beans, butternut squash, bell peppers, frozen veg mix, or even add canned beans such as cannellini beans that will be creamy and delicious.
This is a thick and creamy stew. But if you prefer it thinner and brothy just reduce the amount of flour used.
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within 3-4 days. You can reheat chicken stew in the microwave, or in a small saucepan over low heat. Add a splash of water to thin it out if needed.