Chicken Stew

Savor the hearty goodness of this homemade chicken stew – a perfect blend of tender chicken and flavorful vegetables. This wholesome and comforting stew is a must-try recipe that brings the warm feeling of home cooking right to your dining table. Ideal for chilly nights or family gatherings, this stew will surely impress.

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What Makes This Southern Chicken Stew Recipe So Good? 

A bowl of homemade stew is a surefire way to warm you up and brighten your spirit on a cold, rainy, or snowy day. You can’t go wrong with this Southern Chicken Stew recipe when you need an easy chicken stew recipe that delivers a warm hug and delectable flavors.

This dish leans more towards being a thick bisque than a hearty stew, so it’s perfect for a first course or as an afternoon snack.

Why You Should Try This Recipe 

Chicken Stew is the kind of dish that you’ll look forward to eating all day. The homemade chicken broth adds a deep richness to this mild stew, making it terrific on its own, but it can serve as a fantastic base for experimenting.

Check out the last section for some ideas. As a bonus, this recipe is economical and a real time saver since you’ll end up with plenty of leftover chicken you can use for the rest of the week. 

Southern Chicken Stew Recipe Ingredients

To make the chicken broth, you’ll need:

• Celery
• Carrots
• Onion
• Whole chicken
• Salt

To finish the stew, you’ll need:

• Green pepper
• Butter
• All-purpose flour
• Pimientos
• Freshly ground pepper

Instead of a whole chicken or if you want to use chicken without skin, you can use a combination of chicken breasts and boneless skinless chicken thighs. Bone-in chicken breast is best for making soup and stew.

How to Make Chicken & Vegetable Stew

To make this chicken broth:

1. Roughly chop the celery, carrots, and onions. Since you will discard the vegetables, you can give the skin a good scrub instead of peeling. The skin will add more flavor and nutrients to the chicken broth. 
2. Place the whole chicken in a large Dutch oven or stock pot along with the roughly chopped vegetables. 
3. Pour enough water to cover the chicken and place the pot on the stove over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce it to a low simmer with only one or two bubbles breaking the surface every minute. 
4. Simmer uncovered until the chicken is cooked through and tender. It should take about an hour. Use a skimmer or a spoon to remove any scum that floats to the surface of the liquid during cooking. 
5. Take the cooked chicken from the pot and place it on a wire rack over a rimmed cooking tray to cool. 
6. Drain the broth through a fine strainer into a clean container. Discard the vegetables and reserve the broth. Return the strained broth to the stock pot and keep it warm over low heat. 
7. Use two forks to shred a mixture of white and dark meat from the chicken. Reserve the shredded meat for later. Wrap and chill the rest of the chicken to use in another recipe, like chicken salad or pot pie.

To finish the simple Chicken Stew recipe:

1. Boil a pot of water. Add the green pepper and boil until tender, about 12 minutes. Peel off the skin, remove the seeds, and chop into small dice. Keep the blanched green peppers for later. 
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat.
3. Whisk in the flour, and let it cook out for a minute or two until you can smell the scent of pie crust.
4. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. 
5. Ladle the hot broth into the large saucepan and whisk until the roux dissolves. 
6. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then add the shredded chicken, pimientos, blanched green pepper, and freshly ground pepper. 
7. Serve immediately.

Instead of making the butter/flour roux, you can thicken the stew with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts of cornstarch and cold water).

What Should You Serve With Chicken Stew 

This stew is light enough to pair with half a sandwich or salad. A classic grilled cheese sandwich or grilled veggie on focaccia bread would be excellent choices. It would also be delicious with a slice of quiche.

For a quick lunch, serve with a slice of crusty bread or garlic toast. 

Recipe Variations

This basic chicken stew recipe is a great starting point to get creative and make the dish your own. Here are a couple of suggestions to change things up:

• Swap the blanched green pepper for poblano peppers. Poblano peppers will impart a distinctive Tex-Mex taste with a hint of smokiness.
• Add some herbs such as a bay leaf, thyme, or parsley. 
• Add more shredded chicken or veggies such as diced cooked carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, and potatoes to turn this light stew into something heartier. Red potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes are great for stews.
• Make it a creamy chicken stew by adding some heavy cream just prior to serving it.

How to Store Chicken & Vegetable Stew

Let the chicken stew cool to room temperature before transferring the leftovers to an airtight container. You can keep the stew in the refrigerator for up to three days. For longer storage, you can keep it in the freezer for up to a month. If you plan on freezing the stew, it’s smart to freeze it in individual portions so you won’t need to defrost it all at once. 

Allow the frozen stew to defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. If the stew is too thick, add some chicken broth or water. You can also reheat it in the microwave on the medium power setting in 1-minute increments, stirring between each increment.

Favorite Soup and Stew Recipes

• Cheesy Broccoli Soup
• Chick Fil A Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Creamy Vegetable Soup
• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
• Sausage Stew
• Southwest Chicken Soup
• Vegetable Beef Soup

Popular Chicken Casserole Recipes

Use the extra chicken to make these delicious casseroles:

• Chicken and Dressing Casserole
• Chicken Noodle Casserole
• Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole

Check out more of my soup and stew recipes and the best chicken recipes on CopyKat!