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5.0 from 222 votes

Chicken Stew (Casserole)

Recipe video above. This is the faster way to make a chicken stew (casserole) that's done in an hour but tastes like it's been simmering all day! The trick is to use boneless thigh fillets, beef instead of chicken broth, a good slug of red wine and BACON!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 5
Calories: 510 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place oil and bacon in a large heavy based casserole pot over high heat.
  2. When the oil is heated and bacon releases some fat, add chicken.
  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, until chicken and bacon is browned.
  4. Add garlic and onion, cook 1 minute.
  5. Add celery and carrot, cook 2 minutes.
  6. Add red wine, allow to simmer rapidly 2 minutes until the winey alcohol smell is gone.
  7. Add flour, mix until incorporated.
  8. Slowly pour in half the beef broth while stirring, then pour the rest in.
  9. Add tomato, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper.
  10. Stir, add potato.
  11. Cover, simmer 30 minutes.
  12. Remove lid, add mushrooms and green beans. Simmer without lid* for a further 10 minutes.
  13. Serve with crusty bread, sprinkled with parsley if desired!

Notes

  • * Video error - I showed putting lid back on! Lid needs to stay off to thicken sauce.
  • Chicken - boneless thighs best because they stay juicy after the simmering time required for the sauce to develop beautiful flavours. I don't recommend chicken breast, but if you have no choice (or really insist!) then don't put the breast into the broth until the last 5 minutes or so, just to finish cooking through.
  • Bone-in pieces: Just add water and simmer for longer. But note my personal preference when making chicken stew with bone-in, skin-on pieces is to use this slow cooked oven Chicken Stew recipe because it makes the skin CRISP!
  • Red Wine adds incredible extra flavour into this quick stew, making up for the short cook time! Any dry, full bodied red wine is fine here - Cab Sauv and Merlots are ideal. Just avoid light ones like pinot noir.
  • Guinness or Stout will also work great here too - they are dark beers, labelled as such on the cans. Use some, drink some - or tip the whole can in and simmer for longer with the lid off! If you love Irish Beef Guinness Stew, you'll know what the Guinness does to add flavour into stews.
  • Non alcoholic sub - brown the bacon well first, remove. Brown the mushrooms, remove. Then brown chicken, and proceed with recipe (add bacon in once chicken browned, mushrooms at end per recipe). These multi-stage browning will create an intense "fond" on the base of the pan (ie the brown stuff) which will add great flavour into the stew sauce, making up for absence of wine.
  • Beef vs chicken broth/stock - I like to use beef here for this quick cook stew because it's got a bit more flavour than chicken AND gives the sauce a deep brown colour (with chicken, it's a more pale brown). But chicken is just fine to use too!
  • Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories 510cal (26%) Carbohydrates 29g (10%) Protein 40g (80%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 162mg (54%) Sodium 1231mg (51%) Potassium 1654mg (47%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 6550IU (131%) Vitamin C 23.3mg (26%) Calcium 104mg (10%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 510

% Daily Value*

Calories 510cal 26%
Carbohydrates 29g 10%
Protein 40g 80%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 162mg 54%
Sodium 1231mg 51%
Potassium 1654mg 35%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 6550IU 131%
Vitamin C 23.3mg 26%
Calcium 104mg 10%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.