Pot of Homemade Chicken Stew with Onions, Carrots, Celery, Garlic & Herb Blend to shape the overall flavors. This is a Wonderful, Robust, Savory Chicken Stew, that you can serve with Soft Fluffy Buttered Dinner Rolls, or Bread. Over Biscuits for a Chicken Stew & Biscuit Dinner or use Poly Flour to create dumplings for a Savory Chicken & Dumpling Stew. While this recipe is usually done with a whole Chicken. You can certainly use Chicken Quarters, Thighs, or Legs or even leftover turkey meat for a Turkey Stew.
Chicken Stew Ingredients
Made with a 3-4 lbs Whole Chicken, Chicken Broth, Onion, Carrots, Celery, Garlic, Butter and/or rendered Chicken Fat, Flour, Milk or Cream, and Seasoning (Savory, Thyme, Rosemary, Tarragon, Bay Leaves) or Poultry Seasoning in place of the Herbs, Salt & Pepper Blend.
Chicken
Typically a whole Chicken is used to make Chicken Stew. However Chicken Quarters, Thighs and/or Legs can be used too. Even Chicken Breast or leftover Chicken, including a Rotisserie Chicken and even Turkey. Although you don’t need the 45 minutes simmer time if using these. You could however, break the whole chicken down and simmer the bones for for 45 minutes to strengthen the broth, should you choose, either way is fine.
Whole Chicken
A Whole Chicken is broken down into pieces with the skin removed and simmered in water for about 45 minutes to create a weak broth and cook the meat through. To which Bouillon cubes are added to strengthen the Broth. The Chicken is then scooped out, set aside and stripped off the bones to throw back into the stew at the end.
Chicken Quarters
Instead of a Whole Chicken, chopped down into pieces and the skin removed. Use 3-4 lbs of Chicken Quarters, Legs or Thighs. Remove the Skin to render out or save for other recipes.
Chicken Breast
Chicken Breast can go into the water to simmer for 45 minutes just the same as a Whole Chicken or Chicken Quarters. Removed and pulled apart to get shredded Chicken. Another route is to dice the Chicken Breast and add them in towards the end. Since these are smaller pieces, you only need about 10 minutes of simmering followed by the rest to cook them through.
Leftover Chicken
Leftover Chicken or store bought Rotisserie Chicken can be used just as well. Strip the meat off the bone and add the bones to the Water to simmer for 45 minutes. Scoop the bones out and continue with the recipe. Very often I save the bones from JFC Fried Chicken to simmer in the broth for 45 minutes. It just adds incredible flavor! I’ve done this with the bones from a whole Rotisserie Chicken too.
Another step that can be taken before boiling the bones, is to rinse them off and roast them until good color is formed. Then place them in the pot to simmer which adds depth of flavor. If there is alot of seasonings on them like the rotisserie Chicken, you can rinse the bones off, then roast before simmering for the 45 minutes. Either way you do it, adding in bones with the Chicken, even the bones from the whole chicken, if you have made this recipe before will add more flavor and gelatin to the broth.
Turkey Stew
Leftover Turkey Meat from a Holiday Dinner can also be used to make a Turkey Stew. Just strip some meat and optionally chop into smaller bite size pieces. Use Butter as the source of fat and toss the meat into the stew before taking it off the heat to rest.
Chicken Broth
To the Water, we add in Maggi Bouillon Cubes to strengthen the Chicken Broth. We intially start out with 12 Cups of Water and this will reduce some while simmering the Chicken. In place of Maggi Chicken Bouillon cubes, the equivalent in Chicken Broth Powder can be used. Although for both flavor and the cheap price for the amount that you get, Maggi Bouillon cubes are definately the way to go. I write a whole post on just Maggi Bouillon Cubes.
Chicken Cracklin
This step can be skipped, using 1/2 C of Butter or other Fats/Neutral Oils if desired. However, Chicken Cracklin or rendered chicken fat is really going to offer up that Fried Chicken Flavors in the Chicken Stew.
Chop the Skin up into small pieces and place into the skillet over medium to medium low heat to cook until they are golden brown and crispy. Move them around every so often for even cooking and maximum fat rendering.
If you don’t quite have enough, top up with Butter. But don’t add the Butter directly to the rendered fat, it’s too hot and will burn the butter. Instead, either set the rendered fat aside to cool down a bit or add the vegetables first to cool the fat down and then add butter as needed to get about 1/2 C of total Fat.
Chicken Stew Vegetables
Onions, Garlic, Carrots, Celery are your common vegetables in Chicken Stew. Some other vegetables that are a nice addition are Green Onions, Leeks, Peppers, Corn, and/or Waxed Beans. Even a Frozen Vegetable mix that can be added in towards the end.
Potatoes can be added during the 20 minute simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Roux
A Roux is a mixture of Fat & Flour used to thicken the Chicken Broth to a Chicken Stew like consitency. In this recipe the Flour is sprinkled over the Vegetables to cook for a few minutes, creating a light fond on the bottom of the pan, but no browning. This fond, will lift up when the Chicken Broth is added and elevate the flavors even more.
You will also have to keep stirring the Chicken Stew often to prevent any flour from setlling on the bottom of the pot. Keep it moving every few minutes during the 20 minute simmer, on low or medium low to prevent this.
Chicken Stew Seasoning
The Chicken Stew Seasoning is a blend of Herbs used to flavor the Chicken Stew. Made with;
- 1 Tbl Savory
- 1 tsp Thyme & Rosemary – each
- 1/2 tsp Tarragon
- 1/8 tsp Ground Bay Leaves – or 2 Bay Leaves
While this recipe provides the Seasonings to use, you certainly can go with other seasonings like Poultry Seasoniong or just a dominant Herb like Savory and/or Sage. Then just use the Salt & Pepper to adjust the seasoning, all of it, or added to taste as needed.
Salt & Pepper Blend
The Salt & Pepper blend is used to adjust the seasoning. I personally use all of it for this Stew, with the full 12 cups of Broth, which has a good Salt amount and a nice heat to it. Not too much, but will make your nose sniffle while you eat a bowl.
But others may want a bit more control over both the Salt & Pepper levels. Especially other things are added. Such as Butter Popcorn Seasoning, Poultry brine, even more bouillon cubes for a stronger broth taste, or Cream of Soups, including using the stew as a Pot Pie Filling. To which you will want finer control over the Salt & Pepper, to account for these variables. Add as much as you desire to elevate the flavors in the dish.
Salt & Pepper Ingredients
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
Chicken Stew Addins
There are quite a few things that can be added depending on what you’re looking for. But the best one by far and highly recommended is the addition of 1 tsp of Butter Popcorn seasoning. It just adds that buttery goodness that is enjoyed so much in soups, stews, and chowders. Especially where rendered fat is used, the butter popcorn seasoning wil give that butter taste and assist in color. Whereas the rendered fat will give that fried chicken flavor. Since the butter popcorn seasoning also contains salt, you will have to adjust the Salt & Pepper a tad less.
Spicy Chicken Stew
There is already a nice heat to the Stew through the use of Black & White Pepper. But if you wanted it spicier, add in more Black Pepper, White Pepper, or use Cayenne Pepper, even Aleppo Chili Flakes for some Spicy Chicken Stew with red speckling throughout.
Creamy Chicken Stew
While this recipe does contain Cream, this can be replaced with a can of Cream Soups like Cream of Chicken, Cream of Celery, Cream of Mushroom to both add additional flavor, and create a creamier thicker Chicken Stew. Add more water, milk or cream to thin it out if needed.
Chicken Stew with Poultry Brine
A few ice cubes of about 1/4 C – 1/2 C of Poultry Brine can be added to the Chicken Stew broth to really amp up the Savory flavors. If using this, significantly reduce the Salt & Pepper seasoning, since the poultry brine will contain a decent amount. Then add additional Salt & Pepper if needed. Add a good amount of Pepper to taste and enough to get the sniffles. This is another reason why I choose to keep the Salt & Pepper separate, just better control, depending on what you are adding.
Chicken Stew & Dumplings
Dumplings can be made using Poly Flour and added to the Chicken Stew after 10 minutes of simmering, covered to cook an additional 10 minutes.
If you’re adding dumplings, then add the stripped down chicken and adjust the seasoning before placing the dumpling on top to cook for 10 minutes.
Dumplings
Combine 1 Cup of Poly Flour with 1/3 C or Cold Water or Milk and mix until it comes together. Drop on top of the Stew by the spoonful and spaced apart, after 10 minutes of simmering time on low. Cover and simmer for the last 10 minutes.
Chicken Stew Thickness
The Chicken Stew consistency will come down to how thick or thin you prefer Chicken Stew. This is as simple as adding enough of the reserved chicken broth as needed to get the desired thickness, maybe slightly more, since some liquids will evaporate during the simmer. Any leftover broth can be saved in the freezer for other uses. I use all 12 Cups for a decent conistency, in between thin & thick. Keep in mind it takes a bit longer to cook the vegetables softer in thicker liquids. If the Stew is really thick, it may take longer than a 20 minute simmer to soften the vegetables.
Some like a bit thinner and other like it really thick. You can adjust for a thinner Chicken Stew by adding more or all of the broth to thin it out and additional water if needed for even thinner.
To thicken the Chicken Stew after it has already been made. Combine equal amount of Flour & Cold Water and mix very well, about 1/4 C each. Empty into the simmering Stew very slowly, while mixing. Repeat if necessary to thicken to the desired thickness.
Dinner Rolls
If not adding Dumplings for a Chicken Dumplings Stew, serve the Chicken Stew with some Oven Fresh Homemade Dinner Rolls slathered with Butter is an excellent side for Chicken Stew.
Equipment
- 2 Stock Pot or Deep Skillet
- 1 Tray to cool down and strip the chicken
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 lbs Whole Chicken - Skin removed and chopped down into 12 pieces
- 12 C Water
- 1/2 C Cream - or Milk for thinner, or 1 can of cream soup for thicker
- 6 Cubes Chicken Maggi Bouillon
- 1 Large Onion
- 2 Medium Carrots
- 2 Large Celery - with leaves
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 1/2 C Butter - or rendered Chicken Fat
- 1 C Flour
Chicken Stew Seasoning
- 1 Tbl Savory
- 1 tsp Thyme & Rosemary - each
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper & Tarragon
- 1/8 tsp Ground Bay Leaves - or 2 Bay Leaves
Salt & Pepper
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
Instructions
- Chop the Chicken down and remove the skin on all pieces. Place the Chicken into the Pot with Water & Bouillon Cubes. Bring to boil over max heat on the back burner, uncovered. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes, or until Chicken is tender and beginning to fall apart.
- While the Chicken is simmering, chop the skin into small pieces and render the fat out in another stock pot over medium to medium low heat. This will be your main stockpot for the Chicken Stew. Mix every so often and remove the cracking once it is golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool down the fat. At the same time, prepare your Vegetables and set aside.
- When the Chicken has boiled for 45 minutes, scoop the Chicken out and set aside to strip down later on after it has cooled.
- Place the pot with rendered fat over medium heat, add Onions, Celery, Carrots, and Garlic, then Butter if needed to ensure you have about 1/2 C of total Fat. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle Flour over the Vegetables, mixing it in well. Continue to cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the reserved stock, a little at a time, and continuously mix. Once thickened and simmering, add more and repeat until all the broth is used or until the desired thickness, and the soup is simmering.
- Lower the heat to low and add the Chicken Stew Seasoning, along with Salt & Pepper to taste, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the Vegetables are soft. Mix often and scrape the bottom to ensure nothing gets stuck. If adding Potatoes, add them in to simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until tender. I use the entire Salt & Pepper blend, with the entire broth. But you may want to add less, depending on what additional ingredients you add, how much broth you use to get the desired thickness or based on preference. You can always add just the pepper to get a decent heat, and Salt can be added to taste.
- Strip the Chicken down while the stew is simmering, chop any large pieces into smaller bite size pieces. After the 20-minute simmer, add the Chicken back in to mix through and taste to adjust the seasoning as needed. Milk, cream or cream soups can be added here to mix in and bring back to a simmer. Make any final adjustments to the seasoning, and remove from heat to cool down a bit before serving. If adding in Dumplings for Chicken & Dumpling Stew, add them after 10 minutes of simmering instead of 20 minutes, cover, and finish cooking the last 10 minutes. Then remove from heat and rest 15–20 minutes, uncovered. The Chicken can be added back in and mixed right before adding the dumplings.