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!
More chicken stew recipe options: Faster Chicken Quick Stew (using bite size chicken pieces), Coq au Vin and Chicken Fricasée (creamy French Chicken Stew, reader favourite!).
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
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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
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Meatloaf – a family favourite forever and ever!
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
Love THIS ! Perfect timing, one pot metal on Cold night is a Winner. Will BE doing Quinces sweet, about 03 kg, and useing Peel to make liquer, Big, Big job But love IT. Prep is the HARD pat But slow cooking for 03 hrs is soooo worth IT.LOTS OF JAR Washing AS Well . THIS Sunday am going to Italian Food Festival!! Hope to find Fresh bergomont, plenty chesnuts Inc dry and fluor. HAPPY w/End!! Hope Yours is Just AS good.hugs to DOZER?.
I made this recipe is so good.
i love chili so i did made a litle change
i used the ”Spirit of Attila chili sauce instead the fresh chili. The teast even better. i get this sauce from my frends from Hungary. He order it from http://www.worldofchili.com
i highly recommend this recipe
DEFENETLY 5 STAR!!!
Hi Nagi, could you please advise if the chicken broth used is stock or consommé? Love your recipes and look forward to your emails & blog.
Cuddles to Dozer during his post operative and rehab period hope all goes well
Hi Nagi, unfortunately she died two years ago 😢. She got 8 months of good living after the surgery, but it came back to her lungs. She was 12 years old – Belgian Shepard/Doberman .
I love how you have “notes” with your recipes . Not only are the hints for success helpful, you often have substitution suggestions in case a person doesn’t have, or can, use the listed ingredients. “Cone of shame” – you were warned Dozer! Don’t look so unhappy. You are getting the best care and love any dog could wish you.
I’m glad you find my recipe notes helpful Lee! And just wait until you see Dozer’s current situation… 😂
Hi Nagi, want to make this camping in the camp oven but alas crispy skin would not be happening. Could I therefore just use skinless cutlets? It’s a long 4 months, particularly when Dozer starts feeling better and wants to breakout…. Our black lab has just got the all clear and finally running around again. Poor Dozer.
Hi Kelly! Is the camp oven like a dutch oven set over a fire?? If so, I’m afraid that’s effectively like cooking it on the stove so the skin won’t get crispy 🙂 It needs to be in an oven – N x
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Great recipe and really simple. I used a mix of potato/sweet potato for a bit of variety. Thanks for another wonderful recipe.
Wow, that was quick! So glad you enjoyed this Samantha!! N xx
I’m with you on the chicken skin. It gots to be crispy. That slimy, gelatinous chicken skin is a total no-go! I love to go get yakitori and order the chicken skin with all it’s crispy goodness. My mom is appalled that I eat chicken skin period. She’s crazy though. It’s the best. And I love that you ate the chicken before taking the photos! I shot some corn the other day that was supposed to have 4 pieces, but it ended up with only 3 because I couldn’t wait.
HA HA HA!!! You and me both!
Hi Nagi, chicken skin crispy✔️, chicken skin caramelised ✔️.Had this dish for dinner tonight, , actually had dinner early because I was so hungry and the oven smelt so good. Thank you my husband and I loved this dish. Also we have left overs , so good.
WHAT!!? You’ve made it already??!!! SO GLAD you enjoyed this one Alana 🙂 N x
Never mind Dozer hang in there ..the weeks will fly. .best wishes from your Canadian buddy luca🐕👍
Tks again for another delish chicken recipe 👍
Thanks Gillian! He will be absolutely FINE!! 🙂 N xx
Poor both you and dozer hope he’s on the road to recovery thanks for the amazing recipes
Thanks for the well wishes Deb!! He will be fine, just got to be patient! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi – Love your site and recipes as well as your posts about Dozer. He looks adorable.
The Chicken Stew looks great. Could I use a dissected 1.5 kg chicken ie including breasts? I note that your recipe calls for just thighs and drumsticks, (and I know everyone says thighs are the best), but breasts are a must in this household. Everyone fights over them with a baked chicken!!!
Speedy recovery Dozer
Hi Karen! Bone in breast will be terrific if you’re cutting up a chicken! It will be sooo nice and tender 🙂 N x
Poor Dozer, big hugs & smooches to him ❤️ Like you I love my fur babies so much and it’s awful to see them in pain but they are amazing creatures who don’t register their pain as we humans do and recover remarkably fast to the point you find yourselves having to stop them being too active and fun loving! Wishing him a speedy recovery x
You’re so right! They don’t understand pain, do they?? I can’t believe how well he has bounced back, the probably is keeping him still!!
Poor Dozer. So undignified for him. And hard on you too. Watching someone (especially a fur person) you love, suffer, is so hard. Even when you feel like smacking him for scratching).
Hope Dozer and dog “mom” are all up and on the go soon.
Looks like a super recipe. Going to try it soon.
Looks like something even my finicky grandkids will like.
I don’t know what it is about dogs and their forlorn face, but they do it SO WELL!!!😥
Poor Dozer I feel for him, he looks so sad, hope he gets better really fast and please give him a BIG cuddle from me xx
Passed on and lapped up – he is totally smoochy at the moment!
O my God , look the face so sad of Dozer , things will get better but try to explain this to your fur child , got to have a lot of visitors ,furry and un furry , love and kisses will do it ,
oh yes chicken looks good ,had to write to you right away ,,send blessings to your Mom too –lily gar.
He’s being such a girl at the moment. Totally feeling sorry for himself. He does an excellent forlorn face!!!
Oh Dozer! it won’t be long buddy and you will be up and around again in no time. 🙂
I have a sick Husband at home at the moment and I think that he is way worse then Dozer in the resting department.
I am going to have a crack at your Chicken Stew, I think that it might just hit the spot for the invalid. LOL xxxx
Ba ha ha!!!! Men when they’re down…. they are the WORST!!!
So glad Dozer came thru his surgery with flying colors.He looks like such a kind and gentle furry friend, with such a sweet face.Best wishes to him for a speedy recovery.
Kin and furry – gentle?? Not so sure. He’s a bit of a boisterous boy!!! 😂
Awww poor Dozer with the cone….glad his beautiful tail is still in full fluff. He’ll recover before you know it – and has the best Mum. Shall have to try this – like you – can’t stand slimy skin.
I don’t understand, 20% of his body is shaved, he’s confined to a cage and yet there is more fur than ever all over the house!!!