Tuesday, February 3, 2026
HomeHealthy FoodNourishing Hen Stew - Iowa Lady Eats

Nourishing Hen Stew – Iowa Lady Eats

Hen Stew is a nourishing, slightly-thickened stew recipe with tender shredded hen, creamy child potatoes, and greens simmered in a savory, herby gravy. That is the last word cold-weather consolation meals!

bowl of chicken stew and gravy

When solely the coziest of dishes will do – Hen Stew.

This savory and nourishing stew recipe is hearty but mild, and can heat you from the within out. Filled with silky pulled hen, hearty greens, and comfortable dried herbs, it’s the last word cold-weather consolation meals!

pot of chicken stewpot of chicken stew

What’s the distinction between stew and soup?

Whereas hen soup is a comparatively quick-cooking recipe with a liquid-based broth, Hen Stew encompasses a deeply-flavored, gravy-type broth that’s slowly simmered over the course of an hour or so. It’s the proper weekend meal.

Bone-in hen thighs are seared then braised in inventory with greens, dried herbs, and a contact of flour then simmered till the meat shreds simply. Consider it as hen soup’s buddy who studied overseas – a bit of fancy, and also you received’t have the ability to cease speaking about it. 😉

That stated, stew is an inherently simple dish conceivable people making then tucking into over the course of lots of if not 1000’s of years. Easy, cozy, consolation meals. It’s SO scrumptious!

chicken stew in a bowl with a rollchicken stew in a bowl with a roll

Essential Elements Wanted

Just like hen soup, the elements for Hen Stew are on a regular basis fridge and pantry staples you possible have already got readily available. Listed below are the primary ones you’ll want:

  • Bone-in, skin-on hen thighs: means inexpensive than hen breasts, and the meat turns into silky and tender as soon as simmered within the stew.
  • Greens: carrots, celery, onions, crimson bell pepper, and child Yukon Gold potatoes pack every spoonful of stew with taste, colour, and vitamin.
  • White wine: offers acidity to lighten and brighten the stew. In the event you don’t hold wine in the home, add a drizzle of contemporary lemon juice as a substitute.
  • Hen inventory: no matter model you want greatest. Selfmade is nice!
  • Dried herbs: dried parsley, dried rosemary, dried thyme, floor sage, and a dried bay leaf add a ton of cozy taste – no chopping required.
  • Flour: gluten free “measure-for-measure” or “1-to-1” flour lends a barely velvety thickness to the stew. In the event you don’t must eat gluten free, you need to use all-purpose flour as a substitute.

What to serve with Hen Stew

Hen stew is a hearty, full “meat and potatoes” meal in a single. That stated, I prefer to serve it with bread to sop up each drop of the savory broth. Listed below are some concepts:

close up photo of a bowl of chicken stewclose up photo of a bowl of chicken stew

Serve with Gluten Free Biscuits

Methods to Make Hen Stew

Step 1: Sear the hen thighs.

Begin by seasoning bone-in, skin-on hen thighs on each side with salt and pepper. Sear skin-side down in a big Dutch oven over medium-high warmth till the pores and skin is golden brown, then flip and sear till the second facet is golden brown. The thighs don’t should be absolutely cooked by means of at this level.

Switch the thighs to a plate utilizing tongs then set them apart.

seared chicken thighs in a potseared chicken thighs in a pot

Step 2: Saute the greens.

Flip the warmth down barely then add diced carrots, celery, onion, and crimson bell pepper to the pot. Season with salt and pepper then saute till the greens are tender. Add minced contemporary garlic then saute till it’s extraordinarily aromatic.

Recipe Tip

As I shared in my Beef Stew recipeI don’t like chunky stews. In the event you like your greens to be on the chunky facet, merely lower them bigger and plan on sauting for longer till they’re tender.

vegetables sauting in a potvegetables sauting in a pot

Step 3: Deglaze with white wine.

Add a splash of white winewhich can add acidity to an in any other case heavy, hearty stew, then simmer till it’s principally evaporated, a minute or two. In the event you don’t hold wine in the home, plan on including a drizzle of contemporary lemon juice to the stew on the finish of cooking.

Recipe Tip

Select a wine you get pleasure from consuming, and keep away from utilizing candy wines resembling a candy riesling or moscato. I like to recommend sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.

wine deglazing a pot of vegetableswine deglazing a pot of vegetables

Step 4: Thicken with flour.

As soon as the wine has principally cooked off, sprinkle the greens with gluten free flour (or all-purpose flour in the event you’re not gluten free) then stir to mix and cook dinner whereas stirring for one minute.

Recipe Tip

Use your favourite “measure for measure” or “1-to-1” gluten free baking flour mix. This recipe is not going to work with a single flour or starch like almond flour or cornstarch.

flour cooking with vegetablesflour cooking with vegetables

Step 5: Braise the hen thighs.

Add hen inventory to the pot together with dried herbs then flip the warmth as much as deliver the inventory to a simmer. As soon as simmering, nestle the hen thighs again into the pot then place a lid on prime. Flip the warmth right down to low then simmer for 20 minutes, flipping the thighs over midway by means of.

chicken thighs simmering in stockchicken thighs simmering in stock

After 20 minutes, take away the hen thighs to a plate or reducing board. As soon as they’re cool sufficient to deal with, take away and discard the pores and skin then shred the meat and set it apart.

You possibly can see how tender and juicy the hen thigh meat turns into when cooked on this means – it’s DELICIOUS!

shredded chicken thighsshredded chicken thighs

Step 6: Simmer the potatoes.

Whereas the hen cools, add diced Yukon Gold potatoes to the pot, place the lid again on prime, then simmer for 20-Half-hour or till the potatoes are tender, stirring often.

Recipe Tip

I like to cut all of the greens for this recipe previous to cooking, together with the potatoes. To stop them from browning, retailer the chopped potatoes in a bowl of contemporary water within the fridge, then drain them simply previous to including to the pot.

chopped yukon gold potatoes in a bowl of waterchopped yukon gold potatoes in a bowl of water

Step 7: Stir the hen into the stew.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, stir the shredded hen thighs again into the pot, take away the bay leaf, then style the stew and add extra salt and pepper if wanted.

Serve every bowl with freshly minced herbs, if desired, then dig in!

ladleful of chicken stewladleful of chicken stew

Methods to Retailer Leftovers

Hen Stew leftovers must be cooled barely then scooped into individual-sized storage containers. Microwave till sizzling.

bowl of chicken stew with a spoonbowl of chicken stew with a spoon

Whether or not you’re seeking to heat up from the chilly, or just get pleasure from a scrumptious and nourishing meal, my Hen Stew is a complete winner, and makes for an ideal supply to a buddy or member of the family in want.

Take pleasure in each luscious drop!

gluten free chicken stew in a bowlgluten free chicken stew in a bowl

Extra Hearty Soups and Stews

  • 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on hen thighs, 4-6 thighs, trimmed of extra pores and skin
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon additional virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped, ~1 cup
  • 2 ribs celery, finely chopped, ~1 cup
  • 1/2 crimson bell pepper, finely chopped, ~3/4 cup
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/4 cup white wine, see notes
  • 2 barely rounded Tablespoons gluten free flour mix, or AP flour if not GF, see notes
  • 4 cups hen inventory
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon floor sage
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 15 oz child Yukon gold potatoes, lower in half if small, into quarters if medium-sized, or into sixths if massive, ~3 cups
  • Line a small prep cup with foil then set it apart. Season each side of the hen thighs with salt and pepper.

  • Warmth a big Dutch oven over medium-high warmth. As soon as sizzling, add a drizzle of additional virgin olive oil – simply sufficient to cowl the underside of the pot with a really skinny layer – then add the hen thighs skin-side down and sear till the pores and skin is golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Flip then sear till the second facet is golden brown, 2-3 minutes. The thighs should not have to be cooked by means of at this level, and you might want to do that in batches to keep away from overcrowding the pot. Switch the seared hen thighs to a plate then set them apart.

  • Fastidiously pour the surplus oil/grease from the pot into the prepped, foil-lined cup, maintaining the brown bits within the backside. Return the pot to the range then flip the warmth right down to medium.

  • Add the remaining Tablespoon additional virgin olive oil and butter to the pot then, as soon as melted, add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, and onion. Season with salt and pepper then saute till the greens are tender, 10-12 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic then saute till very aromatic, 1-2 minutes.

  • Add the wine then use your spatula to scrape up any remaining brown bits within the backside of the pot. Flip the warmth up barely then cook dinner till the wine has principally evaporated, 1-2 minutes.

  • Flip the warmth again right down to medium then sprinkle the flour over the greens and cook dinner whereas stirring for one minute. Add an enormous glug of hen inventory then stir to make sure there are not any lumps of flour. Add the remaining hen inventory and dried herbs then flip the warmth as much as excessive to deliver the inventory to a simmer.

  • As soon as simmering, place the hen thighs again into the pot then place a lid on prime, flip the warmth right down to low, and simmer till the hen thighs are cooked by means of, 20 minutes, flipping the thighs over on the midway mark. Switch the hen to a clear plate then discard the pores and skin and shred the meat as soon as it’s cool sufficient to deal with. Set the shredded hen apart.

  • In the meantime, add the potatoes to the pot, place the lid again on prime, then simmer till the potatoes are tender, 20-Half-hour relying on how massive they’re lower, stirring often. Stir the shredded hen into the stew then style and add extra salt and pepper if obligatory. Take away the bay leaf then scoop into bowls and serve.

  • Use a white wine you get pleasure from consuming – sauvignon blanc or pino grigio are good selections. Keep away from utilizing a candy riesling or moscato.
  • In the event you don’t have wine readily available, or don’t wish to use it, stir a drizzle of contemporary lemon juice into the stew on the finish of cooking to lighten and brighten the flavors.
  • Ensure you’re utilizing an all-purpose “cup for cup”, “1-to-1”, or “measure for measure” kind gluten free flour mix. Single flours or starches like almond flour or cornstarch is not going to work on this recipe.

Energy: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 27g, Fats: 30g, Saturated Fats: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g, Monounsaturated Fats: 12g, Trans Fats: 0.3g, Ldl cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 379mg, Potassium: 862mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 3941IU, Vitamin C: 30mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 2mg

Dietary values are estimates solely. Please learn our full vitamin data disclaimer.

photo collage of chicken stewphoto collage of chicken stew

Photographs by Ashley McLaughlin

Like this recipe? Share it with associates!

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments