This Slow Cooker Chicken and Stout Stew is so rich and delicious with earthy mushrooms, sweet carrots, bacon and tasty stout beer. Peas added right before serving stay fresh and green. Serve this over rice, polenta or pasta to soak up all the flavorful broth.
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Cooking with Beer
Have you discovered how wonderful it is to cook with beer? Beer adds an earthy richness to recipes. Any beer will add flavor and depth, but I really love using a stout in winter stews and soups.
A stout beer is a dark beer with coffee chocolatey flavor. It pairs beautifully with beef and chicken and it’s even used in some desserts. For this recipe I used a Guinness Stout.
You may be wondering if alcohol cooks out in a slow cooker. The consensus seems to be that it does. The longer cooking time is enough to cook off the alcohol. If you are concerned, you can leave the lid off during the last half hour.
Ingredients in this Chicken Stew
- Flour
- Chicken Thighs – boneless, skinless. Can substitute chicken breasts, but thighs stay more moist.
- Olive oil
- Bacon
- Stout – Guiness or other stout.
- Carrots – I used baby, but whole carrots can be cut to size.
- Mushrooms – cremini, baby bella, or button will work.
- Onions – white or yellow
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Chicken broth
- Baby peas – can use regular peas. Thaw if frozen.
Browning and Deglazing for Added Flavor
I admit it, I sometimes don’t do the extra steps in a slow cooker recipe. The browning. The deglazing. However, for this recipe, you really need to do the extra steps. They don’t take long and they add so much flavor.
The chicken is dredged in flour and browned. Then bacon is added to the skillet and more flour. After that, you pour in the stout and scrape up all the browned bits. I think all of those steps add some crazy good flavor, plus the flour helps thicken the rich broth.
This recipe is such a winner. It was fabulous the first night and even better as leftovers. The broth is amazing, I would suggest serving this over rice, polenta, pasta or potatoes.
Looking for more Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Beans
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup
If you make this Chicken Stew with Stout, be sure and let me know what you thought!
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Slow Cooker Chicken and Stout Stew
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt divided, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper plus more to taste
- 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless, trimmed
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 3 pieces bacon chopped
- 1 2/3 cups Guinness beer or other stout 14-ounce can
- 1 pound carrots whole baby, or large carrots cut into chunchs
- 18 ounce cremini or button mushrooms halved if large
- 2 cups onion shopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups baby peas thawed if frozen
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Combine the flour with a 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs and set aside on a platter.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken thighs and brown about 4-5 minutes per side. Place in slow cooker. Turn the heat down to medium, add 2 more teaspoons of oil and brown the rest of the thighs in the same manner and add to slow cooker.
- Add the bacon to the pan and cook stirring often. Add the rest of the flour (1/2 cup) to the pan and stir for 2 more minutes. Pour in the stout and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Pour this over the chicken. Add the carrots, mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme and spread over the top of the chicken. Pour over the chicken broth.
- Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on low. About 10-15 minutes before serving, stir in the peas. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
- Serve over polenta, rice or noodles.
Notes
- Chicken Thighs - boneless, skinless. Can substitute chicken breasts, but thighs stay more moist.
- Stout - Guinness or other stout.
- Carrots - I used baby, but whole carrots can be cut to size.
- Mushrooms - cremini, baby bella, or button will work.
- Onions - white or yellow
- Baby peas - can use regular peas. Thaw if frozen.
Mark Poulalion says
March 9, 2019 at 1:20 pmcould this be cooked in an instant pot?
Pam Greer says
March 9, 2019 at 2:36 pmYes! I would cook it at high pressure for about 8 minutes, then let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release.
Ann says
February 17, 2019 at 1:28 amI’m longing for the kind of weather that suits a heartwaming dish such as this.
Tisha says
February 17, 2019 at 12:08 amI love a good hearty stew, especially in the winter!!!
Pam Greer says
February 17, 2019 at 9:54 amMe too!
Kristi says
February 16, 2019 at 11:27 pmThis looks delicious and your photos sure make me hungry! I’ll be making this soon. I’m not a huge soup fan but this stew doesn’t look all soupy, which I like, not so much broth or liquid.
Pam Greer says
February 17, 2019 at 9:54 amYes, it’s the perfect stew!
Cathy says
February 16, 2019 at 8:52 pmOMGoodness does this look absolutely delicious! Cannot wait to make this tomorrow, have all the ingredients I need already! Yay!
Lisa Bryan says
February 16, 2019 at 8:33 pmThis sounds like the ultimate hearty winter stew!
Ben Myhre says
February 16, 2019 at 8:29 pmThis looks like such a comforting and tasty recipe! Also, it gives me an excuse to buy some stout. 😉
Pam Greer says
February 17, 2019 at 9:55 amWe all need some excuses to buy stout!
Heather says
February 16, 2019 at 7:43 pmI just pinned this! Looks amazing. I want to try it this week.
April J Harris says
January 31, 2017 at 2:04 amI’ve cooked beef with stout before but never chicken. Your Slow Cooker Chicken and Stout Stew looks amazing, Pam. I definitely need to give this recipe a try! Scheduled to share on Pinterest and also on our Hearth and Soul Facebook page later today. Thank you for sharing with Hearth and Soul. Hope to ‘see’ you again this week!
Cindy says
January 29, 2017 at 4:01 pmThis looks YUMMY!
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
Dave @ Dave's Delights says
January 29, 2017 at 2:07 pmThis looks great, I would’t usually think of bringing chicken and stout together but this recipe looks really interesting. Great pics too! #SaucySatudays
Ann says
January 23, 2017 at 2:14 amI wish it was Slow Cooker Chicken and Stout Stew weather. 41 deg C tomorrow 🙁
David @ CookingChat says
January 21, 2017 at 6:10 pmLooks good! Pinning now!
Cheryl says
February 1, 2016 at 9:02 pmI see that in my future. Sounds delicious. Not the same old chicken. Love your photography here also Pam..beautiful deep tones and wonderful composition…Now off to print the recipe…thanks so much for sharing.
Ginger Wroot says
January 31, 2016 at 11:52 pmThis looks so cozy and warmly satisfying. Love the photos too!
–G
gingerwroot.com
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
January 29, 2016 at 10:00 pmI love stout in recipes (and always leave a bit on the side to drink as I cook:). With the cold weather, this looks like the perfect dinner, with a loaf of great bread and a salad.
Ann says
January 29, 2016 at 3:04 pmThat’s a tasty dish, heartwarming and comforting.
Catherine says
January 29, 2016 at 6:57 amDear Pam, what a beautiful winter dish. It’s rich and soul-comforting..just my kind of meal on these chilly days. xo, Catherine