Made with tender chicken breasts, vegetables, and potatoes, this creamy chicken stew is perfect comfort food for cold winter nights, and it’s ready in 1 hour. This easy one-pot recipe lets the stove do most of the work. Everything is gently simmered in a flavorful chicken stock with herbs, then finished with coconut milk for a rich, creamy, naturally gluten-free stew.
The Ultimate Creamy Chicken Stew - Easy One-Pot Comfort in 1 Hour
I grew up enjoying Kerala chicken stew made with coconut milk and spices, especially on cold days. That slow-cooked stew always filled the house with a lovely aroma and felt very comforting. But this recipe is different. It's a mild, Western-style creamy chicken stew.
This easy, one-pot stew is made with vegetables and coconut milk instead of cream, though you can use cream if that's what you have. It stays light but still creamy. If you like a lighter stew that's mild, try my Mediterranean chicken stew.
I make this creamy chicken stew when I want winter comfort food without strong or heavy spices. It gives the same cozy, filling feel of a classic stew without cream, but uses tender chicken breast that cooks faster, so you get great taste in about 1 hour, without waiting all day.
Similar to One pot minestrone soup, Vegan pumpkin soup, and Thai chicken noodle soup, this soup is loaded with protein, fiber, and good fats.
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Ingredients
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts to keep the stew light and easy. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer. Dark meat stays more tender and adds extra richness to the gravy. You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken
- Vegetables: A classic mix of onion, garlic, carrot, and celery gives the stew a rich base and nice texture. Potatoes make it more filling. I have also used frozen peas and corn for convenience. Add some fresh greens like spinach, as we did in my chicken and chickpea soup recipe.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is used for cooking. It adds good flavour and keeps the stew light.
- Herbs & seasoning: Italian seasoning gives a mild, comforting flavour. You can replace it with 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary if needed. These herbs also make the kitchen smell lovely while the stew cooks.
- Chicken stock or broth: It adds depth and flavour to the stew. I have used homemade chicken stock for this recipe. You can use vegetable stock or broth instead. If using stock or bouillon cubes, dissolve 2 cubes in water.
- Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is used to make the stew creamy without using heavy cream. I used homemade coconut milk, but store-bought works well too. You can easily substitute it with heavy cream.
Recipe Tips
- Chicken breasts: Cook the chicken slowly on low heat so the breasts stay soft and juicy. High heat can dry them out, especially in stews.
- Brown the chicken well first to build flavour at the base of the pot. Those browned bits add colour and depth to the gravy.
- Cook coconut milk on low heat. Once coconut milk is added, keep the heat low and let the stew gently simmer. Avoid high heat, as coconut milk can split. If using homemade coconut milk, stir in 1 teaspoon cornflour or cornstarch to prevent curdling. Rice flour works well, too.
- Use a good-quality chicken broth or stock for the best taste. I used homemade stock that I always keep ready for soups and stews during winter. You can also use a good store-bought broth if needed.
- Add frozen peas and corn at the end: Frozen peas and corn cook very fast. Add them in the last 5-7 minutes, so they stay bright and sweet.
- Rest the stew before serving. Let the stew rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking. The flavours settle, and the gravy thickens nicely. It tastes better even the next day.
Serving Suggestion
This creamy chicken stew is a complete one-pot meal on its own, but I love serving it with a little bread to soak up all that flavorful broth. Classic dinner rolls work perfectly, or no-knead focaccia.
If you want a side, Mediterranean Kale salad, Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad, and some toasted, buttered, crusty bread are always a hit. Feeling indulgent? Make a loaf of Garlic Bread for the ultimate cozy dinner.
Recipe Card
One-pot Chicken stew with vegetables
Video
Equipment
- heavy bottom pot/pan
Ingredients
For searing the chicken
- 2 chicken breast cut into cubes
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
For the stew
- 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth/stock (I used homemade chicken stock, refer notes)
- 2 medium potatoes chopped
- ½ cup frozen peas (or use fresh peas)
- ½ cup frozen corn (or use fresh corn)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 celery, stalks
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt to taste
- Bay leaf (optional)
- 2 cups of coconut milk (or use heavy cream)
- 2 teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottom pot/pan.
- Add chicken to the pan. Season it with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Cook chicken until brown on all sides. Remove and keep it aside on a plate.
- In the same pan, add onion, carrot, celery stalks and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables soften.
- Add black pepper powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and bay leaf. Saute for a minute.
- Add 1 cup of chicken stock or broth and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve the brown bits into the broth.
- Add potatoes, and cooked chicken back to the pot.
- Next, add the remaining 3 cups of chicken stock or broth. Cook until it comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
- Add peas and corn.
- In a separate bowl, combine 2 teaspoon cornflour with 2 cups of coconut milk. Addition of cornflour is optional. It stops the milk from curdling.
- Add this coconut milk to the stew. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the stew thickens.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.
Notes
- You can substitute coconut milk with heavy cream.
- The coconut milk may curdle while cooking. The addition of cornflour to the coconut milk not only helps to thicken the stew but also helps to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.
- After adding the coconut milk, cook the stew over low heat.
- I have used frozen peas and frozen corn. So added it in the last few minutes of cooking. If you are using fresh peas or fresh corn then add it while adding the potatoes.
- You can adjust the consistency of chicken stew as per your liking. Add more cornflour to thicken the stew.
- If the stew is thick you can thin it by adding more chicken stock or broth to the recipe. I used homemade chicken stock for this recipe.
- You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken to make the stew.
- You can add some red pepper flakes to make it spicy.
- You can add some fresh greens like spinach to it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to make Creamy Chicken Stew - Step-by-Step Photos
Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Step 2: Brown the chicken on all sides, then remove and set aside.
Step 3: In the same pot, add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables soften.
Step 4: Add black pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, and a bay leaf. Sauté for another minute. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, scraping the bottom to loosen any browned bits for extra flavor.
Step 5: Add the potatoes and browned chicken back into the pot. Pour in the remaining 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Step 6: Finally, stir in the peas and corn. Add 2 cups of coconut milk. Simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve warm.
Recipe FAQs
There are many ways you can thicken a stew. A few among them are -
1) The addition of potatoes helps to thicken the stew.
2) The addition of cornflour or rice flour thickens it. You can add 1 tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch for 1 cup of liquid in the stew.
3) You can also add some all-purpose flour while sautéing the vegetables. Cook the flour well (until brown) and then add broth. The flour will thicken the stew.
Yes, searing the chicken before adding it to the stew results in better flavor.
Yes, you can. In a large pot, brown chicken in oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the frozen vegetables and other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender. Add coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes or until it thickens.
Barbara K
It was everything I hoped it would be! Very flavorful and a different way to use some chicken breasts. I only had cornmeal, not cornflour, so I used that. It didn't thicken it much at all but it was not a problem for me. I just called it 'soup'!
Preeti
Glad you like it.