Winter Chicken Stew

Written by Anneke Toliver

Winter is not my favorite. I grew up in Canada and loved winters as a kid—playing in the snow, skating on the pond across the street, inching our way to church over unplowed roads. But no more. I’m over it. Give me all the warm, sunny days. Living in the Caribbean for nearly three years thanks to the Navy didn’t change my mind a bit; it just solidified my warm weather feelings. I love it.

While I’m a total sucker for warm, sunny skies, I do love curling up by the fire with a hot cup of something and a good book, and I’ll take advantage of any excuse to spend my day in leggings and a hoodie. (Notice the constant presence of some sort of heat source?) But I have to say, winter’s biggest saving grace is the food. Soups, stews, fresh baked bread. Ultimate comfort food—which is pretty important when we’re freezing our tushies off.

Now we’re back in Virginia, and while I recognize that Virginia isn’t exactly known for its harsh winters, it’s cold to me. We’ve had a lot of gray days lately, and this morning I awoke to a winter advisory on my weather app. What that means is that we’ll probably get some rain, possibly a dusting of snow, and all the stores will be out of bread and milk for three days. It’s no northern blizzard; however, it is the perfect opportunity for a bowl of something hot and comforting by the fire. 

I found a recipe years ago, and quickly adapted it for my preferences. My version is simpler and has a different flavor. It’s super basic with just a few ingredients, and it’s one of the meals I try to keep the ingredients on hand for. (Today I didn’t, so Prime Fresh delivery for the win!)

It’s basically chicken, potatoes, and carrots in a delicious, herbed broth. (Here is the original recipe if you’re interested.)

Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

• 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you could sub boneless, skinless breasts if you prefer white meat)

• 1 bag baby yellow potatoes

• 1 pound whole carrots

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 large yellow onion

• 1 box chicken stock

• 3 bay leaves

• Fresh thyme or dried thyme, to taste

• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Brown thighs in batches and remove to a plate. (You’re not trying to cook them through here; just giving them some nice color to add flavor to the stew.)
  

• Chop onion and add to pot. While the onion cooks, wash the carrots and potatoes. Chop into large chunks and set aside. 
  

• Peel garlic cloves. Mince (I love this tool for mincing) and add to the pot with the onions for just a minute. Add in carrots, potatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, and thyme. (I like the thyme to be a pretty strong flavor. If using fresh, you could had a handful of springs as they are or remove the leaves from the stems first. Either way. If using dried, start with a teaspoon or two and taste before you serve to see if you want more.)

• Add the chicken thighs back in, nestling them among the other ingredients. Cover and put into a 300 degree oven for 2-3 hours. (Or cook on the stovetop until chicken is cooked though and vegetables are tender. I like throwing it in the oven and forgetting about it for a few hours. But it can be ready more quickly if you need to rush it.)

• Before serving, remove chicken thighs and shred. Add them back to the pot and taste for seasoning. 

• Pile it all into a bowl, serve it with some hot, crusty bread (check out these great options here and here), and stay warm! Oh—and some butter in the bowl on top of everything just makes it even better. 

*This is a great meal to take to a new mom or a sick friend. It freezes well and reheats easily. 

*You could easily make this in the crock pot or InstantPot as well. 

As Amazon Associates we may earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase using an Amazon affiliate link, the item does not cost you more but does provide us a small commission, which helps to support the Collective!

---

---

Recipes you may be interested in