Ultra tender flesh and super crispy skin smothered in a thick savoury sauce with vegetables. This Chicken Stew is slow cooked in the oven to develop deep, incredible flavours. The smell that fills the house when it’s in the oven is simply wonderful!
Made with skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks, this Chicken Stew recipe is a firm favourite during the colder months along with Beef Stew and Pot Roast. Mop your bowl clean with Irish Soda Bread, a quick and easy rustic no-yeast bread!
Chicken Stew – with crispy skin!
Anyone else here not a fan of slimy chicken skin??
I don’t care how long it’s been slow cooked. And whether it’s a stew, in soup or Hainanese chicken.
No chicken skin comes near my mouth unless it’s crispy or caramelised.
When my mother reads this, I know she’s going to roll her eyes and think”she’s so childish!!”
I don’t care. I love crispy skin. I want crispy skin. Give me all the crispy skin!!! 😂
Slow cooked in the oven for crispy skin!
Because I’m so anti-slimy chicken skin, I like to make my Chicken Stew in the oven rather than on the stove. And unless someone knows a magic trick, the only way to get crispy skin for a stew is in the oven.
Cook it covered for part of the time, then uncover it to let the sauce thicken, make the chicken flesh super tender, the surface of the veggies and edges of the stew caramelise, and – most importantly in my world – to get that chicken skin super crispy!
Don’t have the time to slow cook?
Try my speedier Chicken Stew – made with boneless chicken thighs, this is on the table in an hour but tastes like it’s been cooking all day!
OK, I think I’ve babbled on enough about the chicken skin. Let me move on.
Under the crispy skin -> tender flesh.
Smothering the crispy skin -> thick savoury gravy sauce.
Around the crispy skin -> tender soft vegetables.
😇😇😇
I’m lucky enough to have a big, shallow casserole pot / dutch oven which is absolutely perfect for these kind of stews that go from stove to oven. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry, just tip it all into a baking pan before popping it into the oven.
And – confession time. The reason I cropped out most of the bowl in the photo below is because I ate the chicken before I took this photo. The side you can’t see just has bones, picked completely clean.
I couldn’t resist! Don’t judge me! 😂 – Nagi x
More Stews
- Faster Chicken Stew – when you need a rich stew on the table in under an hour!
- Classic Beef Stew – fall apart beef in a deep rich sauce
- Irish Beef and Guinness Stew – an incredible dark, rich sauce with incomparable flavour
- Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff – fall apart beef in a creamy Stroganoff sauce!
- Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce – truly exceptional, restaurant quality!
- Browse all Stew recipes
Classic dinners we’ll love forever
- Meatloaf – a family favourite forever and ever!
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Beef Pot Roast
- Beef Stroganoff
- Ultra Tender Roast Pork with Crispy Crackling
Chicken Stew
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 kg / 3lb bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (6 to 8 pieces)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 onions , halved and cut into wedges
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 large carrots , cut thick end into 1.5cm / 3/5" pieces, thin end 2.5cm/1"
- 4 celery stalks , cut into 2cm / 4/5" chunks
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) white wine (or water)
- 3 tbsp (35g) flour
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken broth , low low sodium
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
- 3 sprigs thyme , or 1 tsp dried thyme (or other herb)
- 2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
- 600 g / 1.2lb baby potatoes , halved (quarter large ones)
Serving (optional):
- Fresh thyme or parsley (chopped)
- Warm crusty bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Brown chicken on both sides until light golden, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Remove from pot. (Do in 2 batches if pot not big enough).
- If there's too much oil in the pot, discard some. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add carrots and celery, cook for 1 minute.
- Add wine. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve the brown bits into the liquid. Cook for 1 minute until liquid is mostly gone.
- Sprinkle flour across surface, stir.
- Add broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to dissolve tomato paste.
- Place chicken on top, keeping the skin above the liquid level as much as you can.
- Bring to simmer then cover. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven, remove lid. Add potatoes, pushing them into the liquid and rearranging chicken so they sit on top (for lovely crispy skin).
- Return to oven without the lid for a further 40 minutes until the chicken skin is deep golden and super crispy, the potatoes are soft and the sauce is thickened.
- Taste sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with warm crusty bread on the side to dunk in the sauce - or go all the way with Garlic Bread! Optional: garnish with extra fresh thyme leaves or parsley.
Recipe Notes:
Originally published May 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters – no change to recipe.
Life of Dozer
Flashback to May 2018 when this recipe was first published when he tore his ACL and had to have a knee operation. Shaved rump, permanent “help me up” harness, and trapped in a play pen for weeks.
Adding a Cone of Shame was just rubbing salt into the wound, isn’t it?
I told him not to scratch the stitches. I warned him about the cone. He did not obey!!😂
Happy to report he is back to normal, chasing birds, leaping off jetties and generally living the high life!❤️ N x
Hi Nagi, can this recipe be made with chicken breast? Thank you xx
No sorry Dee, it will dry out too much and you want a cut with the bone in for flavour. N x
Hi Nagi,
What can I replace Worscestershire sauce with?
Thanks!
Hi Cher, replace with 2 tsp of soy, 1/4 teaspoon vinegar and a dash of hot sauce 🙂 N x
I don’t have tomato paste. What can I used as a substitute?
I dont like celery. Can I omit?
And no white wine- any substitute? Red?
Trying this today
Thrilled
Hi Dharsh, just leave the celery out if you prefer. The sub for wine is listed in the recipe 🙂 N x
A great easy tasty meal, and the crispy skin is much better than the normal greasy one thats bean boiled ……………………………………………………………….. Max
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Max 🙂 N x
Hi nagi! this recipe looks great but is it possible to finish the whole thing off in a stove instead of placing it in an oven?
Hi Shen, it’s the oven that gives that lovely crispy skin – do you have a grill you can use? N x
yes i do!
HI Nagi! This recipe looks delicious I can’t wait to try it tonight! One question – can I substitute the white wine for red?
Cooked this today -wow!
So delicious! I read a review where they left out potatoes and mashed them as side dish-worked out great.All yummy gravy over mash potatoes yum!!!
That’s great to hear Angie! N x
Mmmmmmm!
So glad you loved it White! N x
Hi Nagi,
How do i keep the skin on my chicken when browning it always gets stuck. 🤔
Hi Felicity, you need a high heat and wait until its super golden before removing otherwise it will stick 🙂
Is it okay to go without potatoes? Thank you 🙂
100% Nancy! N x
Thanks Nagi!
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes and this one looks so good. One question, my husband is REALLY finicky when it comes to anything with ‘fat’ or ‘cream’ in it. I guarantee he will not want the skin on. Can I make it without? Will it be just as good or will it be dry? Hugs for Dozer!!
Hi Linda, the skin is the best bit! But you can definitely do it with skinless pieces, just keep them submerged in the stew 🙂 N x
This is my favorite stew. Followed recipe and it turned out as shown on ur video. Very tender and full of flavor. I made this many times and it’s always a win ! I’ve even shared the link with friends and family
I’m so glad you love it Sonya!! N x
Hi, great recipe just wanted to know if when placed into the oven is it on bake, broil or roast?
Hi Ronald, I use a fan oven on the standard setting. N x
May I ask you what size pot you are using. I want to buy a good Le Creuset braiser but can’t decide between the 3.5 quart or 5 quart model. I typically cook for 2-4 people.
Hi Steve, I would always go for the larger one! I use a Chasseur pot thats 26cm 5.2L 🙂 N x
Delicious! Another great meal with minimal effort but a great result. Garlic bread on the side was an absolute necessity but will add some greens next time too
Garlic bread is always a MUST Natalie 🙂 N x
Sopping up this broth with bread is a must, although drinking it is also an option because it is just that delicious!!
Yes I can’t agree more Christie!!! N x
Most delicious chicken stew I’ve ever made. I loved the crispy skin effect from lifting the chicken onto the potatoes and the sauce was so rich, like a reduced jus. Although my potatoes were tiny they took longer to cook than the recipe suggests – definitely cut them small.
Hi Sarah, Im so glad you loved it! The type of potato can affect the cook time as well – if you cut them small enough they should cook in time 🙂 N x
Thank you Nagi. Cooked both the chicken stew and beef stew and my family loved them! The videos and the notes/tips were extremely helpful for a novice cook like me!
This was veryy delicious! 🥰
That’s great to hear! N x
Hi Nagi, I would like to try this recipe but I can’t find Worcestershire Sauce. Any sub? Thanks