Description
This hearty Chicken Stew combines tender boneless chicken thighs with a medley of vegetables simmered in a rich tomato and beef broth sauce, flavored with garlic, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Perfect as a comforting main dish, it is cooked slowly on the stovetop to develop deep, satisfying flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 0.5 tbsp olive oil
- 750 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tbsp)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 cm thick
- 2 celery stalks, sliced 1 cm thick
- 4 tbsp flour
- 3 cups (750 ml) low sodium beef stock or broth
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 350 g baby potatoes, halved
- 200 g mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
- 150 g green beans, trimmed and halved
Instructions
- Heat oil and brown chicken: Place olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole pot over high heat. Add chicken pieces sprinkled with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides.
- Add aromatics: Stir in minced garlic and sliced onion. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook vegetables: Add sliced celery and carrots to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often to soften slightly.
- Add flour and broth: Sprinkle flour evenly over the mixture and stir to incorporate, cooking for a minute. Slowly pour in half of the beef broth while stirring to avoid lumps, then add the remaining broth, continuing to stir.
- Season and add tomatoes: Stir in crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, bay leaves, and 1/2 tsp salt and pepper each. Mix well to combine.
- Add potatoes and simmer: Add halved baby potatoes. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook gently for 30 minutes until potatoes and chicken are tender.
- Add mushrooms and green beans: Remove the lid. Add mushrooms and green beans to the pot. Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and the vegetables to cook through.
- Serve: Remove bay leaves. Serve the stew hot with crusty bread and a sprinkle of chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- The lid stays off during the final simmer to thicken the sauce; do not cover at this stage.
- Boneless chicken thighs are preferred to keep the meat juicy and tender throughout cooking. If using chicken breast, add it only in the last 5 minutes of cooking to prevent drying out.
- For bone-in chicken, increase simmering time and add water as needed, although this recipe specifically suits boneless pieces.
- Adding red wine or dark beer such as Guinness during the broth addition step adds rich flavor, but it can be substituted by extra broth if preferred.
- Use beef broth for a richer, deeper color and flavor; chicken broth is acceptable for a lighter taste.
- To make the stew without alcohol, brown bacon and mushrooms separately before adding chicken to develop flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 510 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 1231 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 162 mg
