This hearty easy Dutch Oven Chicken Stew recipe is out of this world! Slowly cooked in the oven, it’s made with tender vegetables and juicy chicken thighs, smothered in thick gravy. It will be a perfect comfort meal for a cold night!
This Dutch Oven Chicken Stew is my new favorite recipe which we put on our weekly rotation. It’s super easy to make in one pot and quite comforting during these cold winter days!
Similar to my Dutch Oven Beef Stew and Instant Pot Beef Stew, this recipe is packed with tender vegetables and flavorful thick gravy. The only difference is it’s made with chicken thighs instead of beef tips, which makes it lighter and healthier.
Also, check out my Healthy Chicken Dinner Ideas for more inspiration!
Why you will love it
- One Pot Meal. No one wants to clean a mound of dishes after cooking. So, there is nothing better that cooking the whole dinner in one pot!
- Easy to make. This recipe is really forgiving and perfect for beginner cooks! The oven will do all the magic!
- So much flavor! The veggies and the meat are so tender, they will melt in your mouth! Plus, cooking it slowly in the oven helps to develop deep rich flavors.
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Preheat a large pot with heavy bottom over a medium/high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add 4 chicken thighs skin down. Brown them for about 5 minutes each side or until it gets a golden crust. When done, transfer to a plate and set aside.
NOTE: At this point, we don’t need to cook the chicken through, as it will be baked in the oven with other ingredients.
Add 1 sliced onion to the pot and cook it for about 10 minutes or until it’s caramelized. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds to release the aroma.
Sprinkle 3 tbsp all-purpose flour and stir for a minute. Then add 4 cups chicken stock, 2 tbsp tomato paste, and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix everything and scrape the burned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add 2 roughly chopped carrots and merge them into the liquid and bring it to simmer.
Place the browned chicken on top of the carrots, so the skin is NOT submerged into the liquid. Add fresh thyme and bay leaves, cover with the lid, and bake for about 35 minutes.
Then take the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Add diced potatoes and push them into the liquid.
NOTE: Make sure that the chicken now sits on top of the carrots and potatoes and the top skin doesn’t touch the liquid.
Cover with the lid and return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Take the pan from the oven and remove the lid. Add ½ cup frozen peas and push it into the liquid. Put the pan back to the oven for another 10 minutes to warm up the peas and crisp up the chicken skin.
Tips for best results
- I like to cook the onions longer until they are caramelized, so when they cook in the oven, they just melt, creating delicious flavor and aroma.
- Make sure that your chicken skin doesn’t touch the liquid. Otherwise, the skin will be soggy.
- For this recipe, I like to use a cast iron 3.6 Qt casserole dish, so everything cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. If you don’t have a similar dish, you can use an oven proof deep skillet or a Dutch oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer to use less starchy potatoes, like Dutch baby potatoes, red, or Yukon variety.
You can refrigerate it in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Yes. You can transfer the chicken stew to an air-tight container or a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.
Want more One Pot Meals?
- Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Broccoli Chicken Rice Casserole
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Classic Chili Recipe
- White Bean Soup
- Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
- Dutch Oven Whole Chicken
Easy Dutch Oven Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 large onion halved and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 springs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 baby potatoes halved or quartered
- ½ cup peas frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Preheat a large pot with heavy bottom over a medium/high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add 4 chicken thighs skin down and season with salt and pepper. Brown them for about 5 minutes each side or until it gets a golden crust. When done, transfer to a plate and set aside.
- NOTE: At this point, we don’t need to cook the chicken through, as it will be baked in the oven with other ingredients.
- Add 1 sliced onion to the pot and cook it for about 10 minutes or until it’s caramelized. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds to release the aroma.
- Sprinkle 3 tbsp all-purpose flour and stir for a minute.Then add 4 cups chicken stock, 2 tbsp tomato paste, and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix everything and scrape the burned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add 2 roughly chopped carrots and merge them into the liquid and bring it to simmer.
- Place the browned chicken on top of the carrots, so the skin is NOT submerged into the liquid. Add fresh thyme and bay leaves, cover with the lid, and bake for about 35 minutes.
- Then take the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Add diced potatoes and push them into the liquid.
- NOTE: Make sure that the chicken now sits on top of the carrots and potatoes and the top skin doesn’t touch the liquid.
- Cover with the lid and return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Take the pan from the oven and remove the lid. Add ½ cup frozen peas and push it into the liquid. Put the pan back to the oven for another 10 minutes to warm up the peas and crisp up the chicken skin.
Video
Notes
- I like to cook the onions longer until they are caramelized, so when they cook in the oven, they just melt, creating delicious flavor and aroma.
- Make sure that your chicken skin doesn’t touch the liquid. Otherwise, the skin will be soggy.
- For this recipe, I like to use a cast iron 3.6 Qt casserole dish, so everything cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. If you don’t have a similar dish, you can use an oven proof deep skillet or a Dutch oven.
Hi,
I so enjoyed making this recipe. It smelled divine while cooking and made a pretty presentation. The only thing is the chicken thighs themselves, even though seasoned with salt and pepper per recipe — was juicy but pretty tasteless. The sauce was so good (I added a bit more seasoning). My husband gave it a B, which still isn’t bad. And it was hearty for a cold winter’s evening.
Very good!! I subbed 1 1/2 C lima beans for peas (what I had on hand), and added 1 1/2 C corn, 2 T tomato paste and 1+ T Worcestershire.
Also used boneless, skinless chicken breasts (what I had available) and finished on stovetop as a traditional stew.
My husband really liked this dish.. I thought the bone-in thighs were hard to manage. The skin stuck to the pan when I sautéed them. I think I’ll use boneless thighs the next time I make the dish. Wonderful flavor!
What a great combo filling the house with aroma and belly’s filled as well! Love making meals in my dutch oven.
Can you finish cooking on the stovetop instead of cooking in oven?
Can I double the recipe and get the same results?
A Dutch Oven does not brown the chicken. I finally used my iron frying pan to brown the chicken and did the rest in the Dutch Oven.
Yes, I had to brown my chicken in a frying pan the second time I made this. Dutch oven does not brown well.
First time I always followed a recipe exactly. It was a delicious and easily prepared dish. The pot was licked clean which was a good indication how the family enjoyed it. Next time I would only add Dill,
since in my world dill is a must. LOL. Thank you
Can I used dry thyme if I don’t have fresh sprigs of thyme If so how much Thank you
Hi Angela, you can easily substitute fresh thyme with dried one.
Super delicious. Followed the recipe made no changes
My husband loved it
Will make it again
Thank you so much, Denise! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the recipe 😉
Am making this for my kids
today. See you guys, can’t wait to taste it.
Thank you, Becky! Hope you enjoy it 😉
I added green pepper instead of thyme and it really was delicious. The aroma was the best.It’s now part of our menu. Everyone liked it .
Yaay! Thank you so much, Becky!
Made this recipe tonight and it was so easy and so good!
Hi Katie! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs? And if so how should I adjust the cook time??
Hi Shane! Boneless skinless chicken thighs cook very fast and will be overcooked in this recipe. If you want to change it, you can use chicken drumsticks or chicken breast.
I made this for dinner and it was delicious. I don’t usually eat thighs I like the breast but the meat was so tender and flavorful I really enjoyed it. My husband loved it and said this is definitely a keeper. So easy, plus I love one pot dinners. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I will definitely make again.
Thank you so much, Patty! I’m so happy you and your husband loved the recipe 😉 Chicken thighs are really underrated and there are so many ways you can prep them for dinner.
can i cut up a whole chicken and use it to make the stew.
Hi Kevin, I never tested this recipe, using a cut whole chicken, so I cannot say if it works. But if you try it, just make sure that all the pieces are the same size for even cooking.
CAN YOU DO THIS IN A SLOWER COOKER