A hearty slow cooker chicken stew made from chicken thighs, onion, celery, carrot, potato, canned tomatoes, capsicum garlic and herbs. The ultimate throw-together comfort food meal.
We have quite a few creamy chicken casseroles on the website already (if you haven't tried my Southern Creamy Chicken yet, what are you waiting for??), but we didn't have any tomato-based. I decided to rectify that with this tasty Slow Cooker Tomato Chicken Thigh Stew. This stew is super simple to make and produces a lovely, comforting meal. Simply brown the chicken and onions before adding them to the slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients then walk away! This is a great meal to prepare in the morning, then have a hearty meal waiting for you at night.
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Ingredient notes:
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs stay tender and juicy during long cooking times, making them perfect for slow cooker meals. They soak up all the rich tomato flavour and become beautifully soft by the end. You can also use whole thighs with the bone still in, my partner just prefers no bones in a stew!
- Canned Chopped Tomatoes: These form the base of the stew, creating a rich, savoury sauce. Their acidity balances the sweetness of the vegetables and makes the whole dish comforting and flavourful.
- Fresh Thyme: A small amount of fresh thyme brings a subtle earthiness that lifts the whole dish. It pairs perfectly with chicken and tomato, adding depth without overpowering.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
In a fry pan over a medium heat, drizzle in half of the oil and sauté the onions for 5 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden brown. While the onions are cooking, roughly dice the celery, carrot, potato, and capsicum. Add them all to the slow cooker with the crushed garlic.
Slice the chicken thighs into 2-3cm chunks. Once the onions are done, add them to the slow cooker. Heat another drizzle of oil in the same pan and brown the chicken in two batches over high heat.
You're not cooking it through - just giving it some colour and flavour. In the second batch of chicken, stir in a spoonful of tomato paste and fry briefly to cook off the bitterness.
Add all the browned chicken to the slow cooker then add a small splash of water to the hot pan and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom - this adds extra flavour. Pour this into the slow cooker as well. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the stock cubes dissolved in 500ml of boiling water. Sprinkle over the thyme, season generously with salt and pepper, then stir everything to combine.
Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours until the chicken is tender and the veggies are soft. Before serving, taste the stew, season and if it's too acidic, stir in 1-2 tsp of honey or sugar to balance the flavour.
Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir it into the HOT stew to thicken. Adjust the amount to suit your preferred sauce thickness. Serve with mashed potato or crusty bread and butter and some seasonal greens
Recipe FAQs:
You can, especially if you're short on time - just add everything straight to the slow cooker. However, browning adds extra depth and richness to the flavour, so it's worth the extra few minutes if you can manage it.
Yes, but chicken breast can dry out more easily in a slow cooker. If using breast, cook on low and check for doneness a bit earlier to keep it tender.
Yes, this stew keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days and the flavours only get better. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months - perfect for meal prep.
Just a small amount of honey or sugar (1-2 teaspoons) helps to balance the acidity of the canned tomatoes. It's completely optional, but it can round out the flavours and make the stew taste richer and more well-balanced.
Storage:
Once cooled, transfer left overs to an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months, to reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight then heat in a microwave or saucepan until piping hot.
Top tips:
- Make sure to add the cornflour thickener when the stew is still piping hot, as it needs to be hot in order to thicken properly.
- This is a classic hearty stew, if you want to enhance the flavours you can add extra of your favourite herbs and even a touch of chilli.
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Slow Cooker Tomato Chicken Thigh Stew
A hearty slow cooker chicken stew made from chicken thighs, onion, celery, carrot, potato, canned tomatoes, capsicum garlic and herbs.
Ingredients
- 2–3 Tbsp oil
- 2 brown onions, diced
- 2 sticks celery (1 cup chopped)
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 large potato, chopped
- 1 yellow capsicum, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 800g boneless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 chicken stock cubes
- 500ml water
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1-2 tsp sugar or honey (optional)
- 1-2 tsp cornflour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To serve
- Mashed potato or crusty bread with butter
- Greens
Instructions
- In a fry pan over a medium heat, drizzle in half of the oil and sauté the onions for 5 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden brown.
- While the onions are cooking, roughly dice the celery, carrot, potato, and capsicum. Add them all to the slow cooker with the crushed garlic.
- Slice the chicken thighs into 2–3cm chunks.
- Once the onions are done, add them to the slow cooker.
- Heat another drizzle of oil in the same pan and brown the chicken in two batches over high heat. You’re not cooking it through – just giving it some colour and flavour.
- In the second batch of chicken, stir in a spoonful of tomato paste and fry briefly to cook off the bitterness.
- Add all the browned chicken to the slow cooker then add a small splash of water to the hot pan and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom – this adds extra flavour. Pour this into the slow cooker as well.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the stock cubes dissolved in 500ml of boiling water. Sprinkle over the thyme, season generously with salt and pepper, then stir everything to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours until the chicken is tender and the veggies are soft.
- Before serving, taste the stew, season and if it’s too acidic, stir in 1–2 tsp of honey or sugar to balance the flavour.
- Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir it into the HOT stew to thicken. Adjust the amount to suit your preferred sauce thickness.
- Serve with mashed potato or crusty bread and butter and some seasonal greens
Notes
- Make sure to add the cornflour thickener when the stew is still piping hot, as it needs to be hot in order to thicken properly.
- This is a classic hearty stew, if you want to enhance the flavours you can add extra of your favourite herbs and even a touch of chilli.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 426Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 781mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 30g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
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