This is the faster way I make Chicken Stew – using boneless chicken thigh fillets cut into large pieces, simmered with vegetables until tender in a rich, dark stew sauce. It’s a Chicken Casserole made in an hour, but tastes like it’s been simmering all day!
More chicken stew options: Slow Cooked Chicken Stew, Coq au Vin and Chicken Fricasée (creamy French Chicken Stew, reader favourite!).
Chicken Stew – faster!
I feel like the word “stew” conjures up visions of slow cooked goodness that’s been simmering on the stove all day. And our patience is always rewarded with the deep flavours you can only achieve through slow cooking. Beef Stew, Guinness Stew, slow cooked Chicken Stew and Pot Roasts.
This speedier Chicken Stew is for all the days when you want the slow cooked flavour – fast! It takes under an hour to make, and it’s loaded with plenty of veggies and potatoes swimming in a rich stew sauce!
This speedier Chicken Casserole tastes like it’s been simmering all day… look at that rich sauce!!
Flavour Tricks
Here are the things in this recipe that ups the flavour quota even without slow cooking for hours:
boneless chicken thigh fillets which are juicy enough to withstand the simmering time needed for the sauce to develop beautiful flavours, but cook quicker than using bone-in chicken pieces;
beef broth (stock) instead of chicken broth – beef broth has deeper flavours than chicken stock AND it gives the sauce a deeper brown colour without having to slow cook for ages;
red wine – a good slug adds depth of flavour and again, adds to the rich brown colour of the sauce; and
BACON. Need I explain this point? 😂
There’s a decent amount of veggies in this, so you can serve it as a meal without extra veg sides
How to make Chicken Stew
The total simmering time here is 40 minutes, compared to 1.5 hours for classic Chicken Stew made using bone-in chicken pieces.
Nothing tricky or unusual with this speedier Chicken Stew – we start off browning the bacon and chicken to get all those tasty brown bits on the bottom of the pan which will form part of the flavour base for the sauce.
Then cook off the veggies, add all the stew sauce ingredients, simmer for just 30 minutes until the chicken is tender, then lastly add the mushrooms and greens which don’t take long to cook.
And this is what comes off the stove:
juicy pieces of chicken;
soft vegetables that have sucked up the flavour of the sauce;
little pops of bacon (the BEST bite!);
loads of thick, rich, dark, savoury, herb infused stew sauce.
Seriously. Just tell everyone you’ve been slaving away all day. They’ll totally believe you! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Chicken Stew (Casserole)
Ingredients
- 0.5 tbsp olive oil
- 150g/5oz bacon , chopped
- 750g/ 1.5lb boneless skinless chicken thighs , cut into 3cm / 1.25″ pieces (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper , each
- 3 garlic cloves , minced (1 tbsp)
- 1 onion , sliced
- 3 carrots , peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced 1cm / 1/3″ thick
- 2 celery stalks , sliced 1cm / 1/3″ thick
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) red wine (Note 2)
- 4 tbsp flour
- 3 cups (750ml) beef stock/broth , low sodium (or chicken, Note 3)
- 400g/ 14oz crushed tomato , canned
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper , each
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 350g/ 12 oz baby potatoes , halved
- 200g/ 6oz mushrooms , halved (large quartered)
- 150g/ 5 oz green beans , trimmed and halved
Instructions
- Place oil and bacon in a large heavy based casserole pot over high heat.
- When the oil is heated and bacon releases some fat, add chicken.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, until chicken and bacon is browned.
- Add garlic and onion, cook 1 minute.
- Add celery and carrot, cook 2 minutes.
- Add red wine, allow to simmer rapidly 2 minutes until the winey alcohol smell is gone.
- Add flour, mix until incorporated.
- Slowly pour in half the beef broth while stirring, then pour the rest in.
- Add tomato, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper.
- Stir, add potato.
- Cover, simmer 30 minutes.
- Remove lid, add mushrooms and green beans. Simmer without lid* for a further 10 minutes.
- Serve with crusty bread, sprinkled with parsley if desired!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I’m so grateful that food doesn’t move…..😂😂😂
I am not sure whether I have commented on this recipe or not, but I have made this twice now, and it is beautiful, definitely going to be in my rotation for winter beautiful meal. Flavours were so great. Nagi absolutely awesome. 10 out of 5.
Hi Nagi, should the entire process be cooked on high heat? or do i bring it down to medium when simmering on Strong stove?
Hi Ishini, you want it simmering for the cook – so you may need to turn the heat down slightly if you have a strong stove – N x
This recipe is divine! I didn’t have a few of the ingredients so I improvised, but the base and wine are a winning combination.
Hi Nagi
Can I use non alcoholic red wine for my toddler to eat . Would the flavour be the same ?
Hi Mariana, the alcohol cooks of during the cooking process but if you prefer non-alcoholic it will still taste great! N x
Hi Nagi, Could you use beef instead of chicken for the stew? Would you need to alter the cooking time so the beef could get more tender?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Kristina, you can definitely use beef but depending on the cut – the cook time will be longer for the meat to be tender. N x
Made this for dinner tonight. The most delicious, tender chicken. It does taste so similar to KFC and I cannot wait to have it for lunch tomorrow. Yum! Thanks!!
Thanks Melissa!!
Sorry! Wrong recipe!! I also made this for dinner later in the week. Will comment once I’ve tasted it, but your oven cooked KFC tenderloin is the bomb!!
I made this tonight teamed with your recipe cauliflower mash and it was divine. It tastes very complex which is amazing considering how long it doesn’t need to cook for. Never tried a bad recipe from recipetineats yet Nagi.
That’s so great to hear Mel!
I made this for dinner tonight, and my husband and son both had seconds! !
I’m so glad you both loved it Pat!
Ok. Follow-up in real time Pacific coast (San Diego). Awesome awesome recipe! Normally I sub chicken or turkey bacon in recipes but this time I used the real thing and the smokiness made all the difference. Soooo good. Don’t miss a drop of the broth – either arm yourself with good crusty bread or a big spoon. Thank you, Nagi, for another wonderful dinner recipe!
I can’t wait to make this tonight after work! I got everything prepped yesterday so I can just add ingredients like on one of those cooking shows – or your videos 😀. The only sub I’m making is peas for the green beans because I have too many packages taking up space in my freezer. It looks like a beautiful, guest-worthy dish.
This is the 3rd recipe I’ve tried from your website (also done sausage casserole & the honey mustard chicken) & gosh, it certainly didn’t disappoint! Made it for lunch today & even my fussy kids gobbled it all up! Speedy, one pot & absolutely delicious teamed with some crusty buttered bread to mop up the thick sauce! Thank you once again Nagi! 🙂
I tried a few of your recipes and they are so easy and yummy. For this stew, what can I sub with or can I do without tomato ask I am allergy to it.
Hi Kathryn, unfortunately it’s the base for this stew!
Hi, anyone can advise what’s the taste like (ie sweet/saltish)I tried making it however, it’s was quite saltish.
I used stout .
Thank you in advance
Hi Nagi, I had some issues with the recipe. The 3rd step says to cook the chicken and bacon until browned, but the chicken released so much water that the meats were being boiled rather than fried. Any advice on avoiding this? Otherwise the recipe is fantastic.
Hi Denny, sounds like your pot needed to be hotter – try turning up the heat and cooking in batched to avoid it stewing ❤️
Awesome recipe! Warmed this Canadian family up on a blustery late fall evening! 🇨🇦
Perfect Linda ❤️
I don’t cook with wine. Do you think beef broth would be a good substitute?
Hi Granny, the substitutes are in the notes ❤️
I have tried several of your recipes with the rice in with the rest on the ingredients and the rice never cooks. i leave it in the time you say but it does’nt work. i’ll add cooked rice from now on at the last
Hi William – which recipes are you referring to? You may need to just increase the heat a little more – N x
Has anyone done this is a slow cooker?
Hi, I made this in a slow cooker a couple of days ago, but I cooked the chicken, bacon, carrot and celery in a pan and then cooked the wine off with them in the same an before pouring into the slow cooker. I added the stock and tomatoes and herbs then and then about an hour before I served it and the beans and mushrooms about half n hour after that. It was amazingly good! Going to be making this one all winter.
Wow , fabulous stew . So delicious! It needed another 10 or so minutes cooking time at the end as the veggies still a little crunchy . Yum .
I’m so glad you loved it Sue!
hi Nagi, just clarifying if the whole process should be done over high heat? Do i bring it down to medium to simmer?
Delish, I left out the Wine due to allergies. Is there something I can use to sub for the wine to add that extra flavor?
Hi Grace, I’m so glad you loved it! Subs are listed in the recipe notes 🙂