This Paleo Rustic Chicken Stew is made with chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions. And the we just take the flavor up all the notches with celery seeds, thyme flakes, sea salt, and pepper. It’s hard to believe such a simple recipe could taste so comfortingly good! Oh, and it makes for delicious leftovers, if you have any, that is! {Paleo}
Leftovers, anyone? Meal prep, perhaps? Spiriteds, this Paleo Rustic Chicken Stew is versatile and delicious and convenient and all things right with the world. Such a strong reaction to a stew seems reasonable when you think of all the flavors tucked into it. And if you’re a big fan of thyme, then your tastebuds will be thrilled with the final result. I think the thyme takes the cake. Or some such thing.
I modified this recipe from the Complete Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carol Heding Munson to make it paleo. One of my dads gave it to me and K-Hubs as a first-Christmas-as-a-married-couple gift. This recipe in particular has been a mainstay. Said my dad, “I thought you’d like this cookbook to go with the slow cooker you registered for. I also saw a recipe on page 70 that looks awfully good. Might want to start with that one.”
Uh huh. I see what you did there, Dad. I’ll make the stew if you bring the bread I like.
We struck a deal.
And he was right. Rustic Chicken Stew was amazing. It was also the first slow cooker recipe I ever tried. Now we have a paleo version the whole family can enjoy. It’s also so delicious that those who don’t follow a paleo diet won’t notice, mind, or care that it has been paleo-ized. Paleo Rustic Chicken Stew is just that good. Slow-cooked chicken breasts, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, thyme, and celery seed are just a few of the main players. I also added sea salt because I can’t not, I do so love that stuff, and coarse black pepper, because always with the pepper.
Paleo Rustic Chicken Stew is
- Paleo
- Easy prep
- Perfect for leftovers
It’s convenient and simple and so freaking delicious. But maybe I already said that. What I didn’t say was that you can throw these ingredients in the slow cooker overnight for a meal the next day, or just before work for a meal at dinnertime. Either way, you can’t go wrong, and the leftovers are next-level good.
Paleo Rustic Chicken Stew ingredients
- Chicken breasts. Fresh and quickly sautéed in a skillet first (preferred) or frozen (will do in a pinch).
- Homemade Bone Broth. I like to have extra on hand in case I want to add more liquid to my stew. Water will also work.
- Baby carrots. Any carrots will do, really, so long as you have enough to work with.
- Sweet potatoes. Medium-sized. If they are really small, then add one more. And if they are quite large, then just use one.
- Onions. I usually use red, but white or yellow will also work.
- Dried herbs. Thyme and celery seed. If you have fresh herbs, they will also work. You’ll need a few tablespoons instead of teaspoons.
- Extras. Sea slat, coarse black pepper, and garnishes (think minced parsley or cilantro, or thinly sliced green onion.
Best practices for a delicious stew
As I have made this countless times since that first try, I can confidently say I’ve figured out a few favorite steps that you are free to duplicate in your kitchen or disregard entirely.
- You can definitely throw even frozen chicken breasts right into the slow cooker and prepare this recipe. But if you have a few minutes, I think it’s worth it to sauté the chicken breasts first, prior to adding them to the slow cooker. Doing so, according to Slow Cooker Central’s post Slow Cooking with Chicken – The Basics, creates juicy, tender chicken and provides a chance to drain any unwanted liquids.
- Add the onions to the slow cooker depending on the color and crispiness you desire. If you’d like to add a little crunch to your stew, then add the onions much later in the process. If you’d like a milder flavor with a softer consistency, then add the onions sooner.
- I confess I use dried thyme in this particular recipe. If you have fresh thyme sprigs on hand, then feel free to use them instead. You’ll want a few tablespoons, at least, rather than teaspoons.
- Err on the side of longer cooking times. This will produce tender, juicy chicken that has had time to absorb its surrounding flavors.
This recipe is top-notch, a life-saver, full of flavor, and worth every minute of cooking time. Paleo Rustic Chicken Stew is how we’re staying full and warm when the weather turns cool.
Happy stewing, Spiriteds. Stay wild and know I’m glad you’re here. ❤️
~ Adapted from Complete Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carol Heding Munson, pg. 70.
Paleo Rustic Chicken Stew
This Paleo Rustic Chicken Stew is made with chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions. And then we just take the flavor up all the notches with celery seeds, thyme flakes, sea salt, and pepper. It’s hard to believe such a simple recipe could taste so comfortingly good! Oh, and it makes for delicious leftovers, if you have any, that is! {Paleo}
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soups and Stews
- Method: Slow cooker
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3–4 chicken breasts (fresh and cut into chunks or slices, preferred, or whole and frozen, if necessary)
- 4 cups bone broth (more as necessary to submerge meat and vegetables)
- 3 cups baby carrots
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 onions, any color, halved with peel and ends removed
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon thyme flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper (I suggest starting with one teaspoon at the beginning of cooking and then adding more as desired just before serving)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 6-8 hours.
- Season with additional black pepper and sea salt as desired.
- Refrigerator leftovers for 2-3 days.
Notes
- For extra flavorful, juicy chicken, sauté the chicken breasts for a few minutes in a skillet with a little coconut oil and a pinch or two of sea salt. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sautéed chicken to the slow cooker. Discard the remaining liquids in the skillet.
- Use two medium-sized sweet potatoes, one large sweet potato, or three tiny sweet potatoes.
- For crispy, crunchy onions, do not add them at the beginning of cooking. Instead add them one hour before cooking is done. For even crispier onions, add them with just 30 minutes to go. I admit, if I’m in the mood for ridiculous flavor and crunch, I’ll add them just prior to serving.
- If you have fresh thyme on hand, then feel free to use that instead. You’ll need a few tablespoons of tiny leaves. Dried herbs tend to be more concentrated in flavor. So if a few tablespoons of fresh thyme still isn’t enough, feel confident to add more. Or, if you run out of fresh, then sprinkle a little dried thyme over the top of the slow cooker ingredients.
Leave a Reply