Slow Cooker White Wine Chicken Stew

It’s comfort food season, baby! What’s the best way to ring it in? A deliciously cozy, hearty bowl of stew that just so happens to involve wine, too.

I made this incredible slow cooker white wine chicken stew a few weeks ago and was seriously blown away and how delicious it was. It’s thick and creamy without being too heavy and filled with a wonderful blend of herbs and flavors that will keep your heart and belly full.

If you haven’t noticed, fall and winter are my absolute favorite seasons for cooking. I grew up on the best comfort foods like my mom’s slow cooker beef stew and this amazing lightened up chicken pot pie and they always give me such a warm, nostalgic feeling. This healthy chicken stew combines all of the best parts of chicken pot pie and beef stew and gives you a protein-packed meal that will impress anyone.

We’re adding a little dry white wine to the broth as well because we’re feelin’ fancy, right? Some for the stew, and some for your glass (of course). I hope you love this cozy hug-in-a-bowl. Enjoy with your fav sides all season long!

Everything you’ll need to make this white wine chicken stew

The list may look long, but this slow cooker white wine chicken stew is basically made with lots of fresh herbs, veggies, broth and chicken. OH, and wine, because if you’re like me you could use a glass this time of year. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Chicken: I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs because I think they have the best flavor and texture in the stew.
• Broth: we’re using chicken broth, dry white wine, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar to cook the chicken and veggies. They give the stew an incredible, rich flavor.
• Herbs & spices: don’t forget the fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, and garlic! You’ll also need plenty of salt and pepper.
• Veggies: this stew has a hearty dose of veggies like carrots, peas, onion and potatoes.
• To thicken: you’ll also need a bit of all purpose flour and almond milk to help thicken the stew. More on this below!

Can I make it without wine?

I love the flavor that dry white wine gives the chicken stew, but feel free to use more chicken broth in place of the wine.

Customize your stew

This crockpot chicken stew is easy to customize with ingredients you have on hand. Here’s what I can recommend:

• Add more veggies. I think mushrooms would also be delicious in the stew!
• Use dried herbs. I highly suggest using fresh herbs for the best flavor, but if you only have dried feel free to swap in about 1 1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning instead.
• Keep it gluten free & dairy free. Simply use a gluten free all purpose flour and your fav dairy free milk.
• Make it richer. If you’re not dairy free, you can also use regular milk or heavy cream in this recipe.

How to make white wine chicken stew in the slow cooker

1. Brown the chicken. You’ll start by browning your chicken in a skillet with some olive oil, salt and pepper to give it a nice sear. Then add it to your slow cooker.
2. Add the broth & herbs. Next, stir in all of the broth ingredients, along with the fresh herbs.
3. Add veggies & cook. Finally, add in the garlic, onion, carrots and potatoes. Save the peas for later! Cover the crockpot and cook the stew on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
4. Thicken it up. Once the chicken stew is cooked, you’ll want to remove 1/2 cup of the broth and transfer it to a medium bowl. In that bowl, you’ll stir in the milk and whisk in the flour until there aren’t any lumps. Pour this back into the slow cooker and stir it all up. This is where you’ll stir in the peas, too! Leave the stew uncovered and cook it on high for 15-20 more minutes.
5. Adjust & serve. The stew will thicken up, then it’s time to taste and add more salt and pepper if you’d like. Once it’s good to go, serve it up warm with some fresh thyme!

Three keys to the best slow cooker chicken stew

This cozy stew is easy to make, but don’t forget these tips for making it extra delicious:

• Sear the chicken. I know it might be tempting to just add the chicken right to your slow cooker for ease, but searing it in a skillet beforehand truly gives it the best flavor. Don’t skip it!
• Cook it low & slow. Yes, you can cook the chicken stew on high for 4-5 hours, but I really do like to cook it low and slow for that 7-8 hours to help the flavors really meld together. It’s a labor of love but SO worth it!
• Don’t skip the thickening. Instead of dumping flour and milk right into the stew (uh oh) be sure you whisk the two with that 1/2 cup of broth. Otherwise, you’ll end up with chunks of flour in the stew.

Storing this stew for later

• To store: store any leftover slow cooker white wine chicken stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.
• To freeze: let the healthy chicken stew cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the stew thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Our fav ways to serve this chicken stew

What’s a cozy stew without some delicious sides? Here are some of our fav things to serve with a hearty bowl:

More healthy comfort foods you’ll love

Get all of our comfort food recipes here!

I hope you love this slow cooker white wine chicken stew! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

Slow Cooker White Wine Chicken Stew

Cook Time 7 hours 15 minutes

Total Time 7 hours 30 minutes

Hearty and delicious slow cooker white wine chicken stew filled with fresh herbs, veggies and plenty of protein. This creamy white wine chicken stew is easily gluten free and dairy free, and is truly a hug-in-a-bowl that’s perfect for colder months! Serve with crackers, cornbread or homemade biscuits for the coziest dinner.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Freshly ground salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine*
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (fresh is best!)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (fresh is best!)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into chunks
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices
• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes
• ¼ cup all purpose flour (or sub all purpose gluten free flour)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or heavy cream or regular milk will work)
• 2/3 cup frozen peas

1. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet and place over high heat. Add chicken pieces and generously season with salt and pepper, brown the meat so that you give the meat room for a nice sear. This should take about 5-6 minutes. You do not need to cook all the way through, we just want these nice and browned. Transfer to a large 6 or 8-quart slow cooker.

2. Next add the following to the slow cooker with the chicken: chicken broth, dry white wine, worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, thyme, rosemary, dried oregano and salt and pepper. Stir together with the chicken until combined, then add in garlic, onion chunks, carrots and diced potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. I prefer to cook this slow and low so that the chicken flavors really come out and the flavors have time to meld together, so 7-8 hours is really best for flavor here!

3. Next, remove 1/2 cup of chicken broth from the slow cooker and transfer to a medium bowl, then stir in ½ cup of milk and whisk in ¼ cup flour until there aren’t any lumps remaining. Add mixture back to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Stir in frozen peas and cook uncovered on HIGH for 15-20 more minutes until chicken stew thickens up a bit. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately with fresh thyme, toasted french bread, cornbread, crackers, or even buttermilk biscuits. Serves 4.

Instead of the rosemary, thyme and oregano, you can sub 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning, but I strongly encourage fresh herbs. It makes all the difference!

*If you don’t want to use wine, you can feel free to use additional chicken broth instead but again there will be a big flavor difference.

Nutrition

Servings: 4 servings

Serving size: 1 serving (based on 4)

Calories: 427kcal

Fat: 11.6g

Saturated fat: 2.4g

Carbohydrates: 35.2g

Fiber: 5.6g

Sugar: 6.1g

Protein: 39.1g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

View Original Source Here