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Slow Cooker White Wine Chicken Stew

Slow cooker white wine chicken stew with tender chicken thighs, mushrooms, pearl onions, and a silky golden broth. Cook it low and slow, then thicken with a quick cornstarch slurry for a hearty, spoonable stew.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 560

Ingredients
  

chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in chicken thighs
vegetables
  • 2 cup cremini mushrooms halved
  • 1 cup pearl onions fresh or frozen
  • 3 carrots sliced
  • 4 garlic minced
stew base
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
herbs
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
thickener and finishing
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter added at end
  • 0.25 fresh parsley for serving
  • 0.5 crusty bread for serving
seasoning
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.5 black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season and assemble
  1. Season the bone-in chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add them to the slow cooker along with the cremini mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, and garlic.
  2. Whisk together the dry white wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, and Dijon mustard, then pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables.
  3. Add the fresh thyme and fresh rosemary sprigs to the slow cooker.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on Low for 6-7 hours, or High for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is very tender and the vegetables look softened.
Thicken and finish
  1. Whisk the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry, then stir it into the stew.
  2. Cook on High for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the broth thickens to a glossy stew consistency.
  3. Remove the herb sprigs, then stir in the unsalted butter until melted and incorporated for a richer finish.
  4. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then serve with fresh parsley and crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

For the best texture, avoid stirring too aggressively during the low-cook phase—let the chicken gently tenderize. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; reheat in a pot over medium-low until steaming. Freezing is not recommended because the cornstarch thickening can become grainy after thawing. For a gluten-free option, serve with gluten-free bread or omit the bread entirely.