Creamy Chicken Stew
This easy creamy chicken stew recipe is full of carrots, celery, potatoes…and bacon! The ultimate comfort food, all in one pot.
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Why we love this recipe
Oh, this easy, scrumptious chicken dinner. It’s somewhere in between your best chicken stew recipe and a chicken soup…it’s thicker than a soup for sure, and even though I’m calling it a stew, all that delectable creamy sauce up there makes it a little more soup-like than your typical stew.
Let’s just put it this way: you are going to want both a fork AND a spoon to scoop up every single drop and morsel. Because this is hearty, warm and wonderful bowl full of cold weather comfort food at its most comforting.
Now, one of the things I love about this recipe is that it is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken.
If you don’t happen to have leftover roast chicken hanging around, it’s perfectly okay to pick up one of those roasted chickens in the supermarket…they will work just fine here.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient additions and substitutions
- Chicken: You can use any kind of cooked chicken you have around, both chicken breasts and chicken thighs. You can also use turkey instead of chicken.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes can be substituted for the red potatoes. You can even use sweet potatoes if you like.
- Cream: Want things Extra Creamy? Use heavy cream instead of half and half.
- Vegetables: Other vegetables you can add include peas, green beans, cubed butternut squash and spinach. Add these when you add the potatoes.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Now, one of the things that makes this easy chicken stew recipe so heavenly is that you are going to both start off and finish it with bacon. You cook up some chopped bacon until it is nice and crispy, and then scoop it out…but leave the drippings in there.
Step 2: Now toss in some chopped carrots, celery and onion along with some salt and thyme, and cook them up just until they are tender and perfect, about 5 minutes. Stir in a little all purpose flour (this is going to help things thicken up a bit).
Step 3: Add some chicken broth and chopped potatoes to the pot, bring it to a boil and simmer everything up for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in some half and half and some cooked shredded chicken, give it all a stir and simmer it up for another five minutes.
Step 5: Stir in that cooked bacon and some chopped scallions, stir and give it a minute or so to warm up. Taste and add some salt and/or black pepper if you think it needs it.
Tell the folks drawn into your kitchen by the amazing aroma to set the table…because you’re done! Now spoon it out, and spend the next little while thinking that it really doesn’t matter whether it is a soup or a stew…as long as it tastes so dang good!
Recipe FAQs
White meat, dark meat or a mixture will all work. I’ve even used leftover Thanksgiving turkey and it was scrumptious!
You can…but it’s not that much over the whole recipe, and it does provide that creaminess that makes this recipe so special.
If you are using Idaho potatoes then yes, I would peel them. If you are using red or Yukon gold or baby potatoes, I always leave the skin on – it’s nice and thin and tender.
A Dutch Oven is a heavy pot with thick, high walls and a tight fitting lid (although you don’t need the lid for this recipe). Here is the Dutch Oven I love to cook with. It’s definitely spendy, but I use it all the time and it will last forever.
Drop it in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!
Want to round out your meal?
Well, nothing goes better with a creamy, dreamy soup or stew like a nice warm butter biscuit or some cream cheese stuffed biscuits. And how about some pumpkin doughnut muffins or some caramel apple cake for a sweet dessert?
Other soup and stew recipes we love
Looking for more comfort food? Here is our complete collection of comfort food recipes!
We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Creamy Chicken Stew
Creamy chicken stew is full of carrots, celery, potatoes…and bacon! The ultimate comfort food, all in one pot. Welcome to comfort food heaven!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken broth (I like the Pacific and Imagine box varieties)
- 2 large red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon drippings in the pot.
- Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and thyme and cook over medium heat until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add flour, stir and cook another 2 minutes.
- Add broth and potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are done.
- Add chicken and half and half and simmer another 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Stir in cooked bacon and scallions and serve.
Notes
Chicken: You can use either white meat or dark meat for this recipe. If you don’t have leftover chicken or you don’t want to cook up your own, you can use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket and it will work just fine!
Potatoes: We recommend either red skinned or Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe. Not only do they both have a great flavor, but you don’t have to peel them (scrub them up well though!)
Consistency: If you want the sauce thicker and more stew-like, whisk in some flour after you have simmered the broth and potatoes, about a tablespoon at a time. Wondra flour (which you can find in the baking aisle) is a super fine flour that is perfect for thickening soups and stews.
Ah, NOW I know what to do with left-over roast chicken. Thank you, Kate.
Ha! I think you already knew what to so, but tickled pink that you stopped by. A million thanks for your priceless chicken recipe! :)
I made this tonight for me and my hubby…it was a hit! We gobbled it up and he even wanted to take leftovers to work for lunch. I used a whole rotisserie chicken and it was a breeze to prepare. I think this would be an excellent pot pie filling also, might try that next time to switch it up…definitely a keeper! Thanks!
question, does this freeze well? It makes quite a lot for just the two of us, although I’m sure I won’t really have a problem scarfing the leftovers tomorrow :)
I haven’t ever frozen it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be fine to freeze (although I have to say the leftovers never last long in my house, especially in our frigid Northeast weather!)
I’m eating this as we speak :) extreamly delicious, it turned out a little more brothy, not sure why (i did double the recipe and thought i did it correctly) But for some reason why i put the flour into the veggies it made little dumplings like chicken and dumplings, even though it may have been by accident i love them and this is one of the BEST soups i have had :)!
THANK YOU!!
You are so welcome! I find that on the spot improvisations can make good recipes even better, so hurray for yours!
This is incredibly delicious! I’m making my second batch in as many days! And, I recycled the leftovers from the first batch into a chicken pot pie, with a puff pastry crust. Sooo good!
LOVE the chicken pot pie idea! :)
made it for dinner tonight. loved it! mine was a little on the salty side though (what with the bacon, broth, salt and i roasted some seasoned chicken breasts to make this!) so that’s something to consider and keep an eye on. but another 5 star from the ‘experts’ here at home! thanks again for a keeper and enjoy the rest of your holidays!
My pleasure, and hope your holidays were merry ones! (And agree on the salt – always good to watch, and a great excuse for tasting as you go along!)
Does this go under the chicken category or the bacon category? After all, bacon IS the first ingredient.
True – it COULD go in both, right? :)
See me on the pot pie bandwagon, too. ;) Or make it the poultry farmer’s version of Shepherd’s Pie? Or just the way it is. I’m sitting her shivering and, if I hadn’t just used up my leftover chicken, I’d be making it for lunch.
Thanks!
Hurray for the pot pie bandwagon – sign me up!
What is half and half? I am in Australia and many things have differing names between our countries.
Hi Steve! It’s a combination of half light cream and half milk. But really, you can be a little flexible with this recipe – mixing regular cream with milk will also work just fine – maybe try more like 2/3 milk and 1/3 cream. Hope this helps!
Thanks for that. Going to give it a go with low fat evaporated milk.
I’m making this Sunday! Can’t wait thanks for posting
What a great Sunday dinner! Warm and wonderful – enjoy!!
This was delicious! My family loved it. I skipped the bacon. Added extra carrots and potatoes and peas, and I had 4 cups of chicken. I only used 4 TBS of flour and it was plenty. This is a great way to use up leftover chicken.
Hi Sue and thank you! It’s definitely a family fave in our house too. :)
This looks and sounds yummy. I will try this on a cold night I think it will be perfect. Thanks.
It’s the perfect cold weather comfort food. :)
Mashed potatoes as a side? Looks fab.
Or maybe even spooned OVER the mashed potatoes? Heaven!
Oh wow, must try for our next snowy or chilly day. Looks delicious and I agree it reminds me of a chicken potpie. Yum! I am pinning this one for sure.
Hurray and thanks for the pin!
This reminds me of pot pie but without all the fuss of making that crust! Awesome in so many ways.
You know, I never thought of it that way but you are exactly right!! :)
This one goes into my file right away !
It is hot sunny summer here but we will be back in the USA by Spring and I will be cooking again. Can’t wait :)
Happy Holidays !
C
Happy Holidays to you too – and an early welcome home!! :)
This will be a must try:-)…just used leftover chicken but it won’t be long!
It’s even worth making chicken special just for this! :)