Slow Cooker Chunky Chicken Barley Stew
This Slow Cooker Chunky Chicken Barley Stew recipe is a hearty, healthy dinner that’s packed with tender chicken, wholesome barley, and loads of fresh veggies. It’s the ultimate hands-off, cozy meal for chilly days.
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This Slow Cooker Chunky Chicken Barley Stew is a thick, hearty, and delicious bowl of goodness!
Chock full of fresh vegetables, a healthy, fiber-rich carbohydrate (barley), and lean chicken, this stew is the perfect way to start the new year on track!
The best part is that this is a recipe where you just throw everything in the slow cooker, and dinner is done!
In addition to chicken and barley, this stew has a plethora of fresh vegetables: green beans, carrots, celery, onion, and potato.
Another barley recipe we love is Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup!
Ingredients needed for this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Chicken breasts – feel free to use chicken thighs if preferred
- Pearl barley
- Potato – I like Russets because they’re starchy
- Green beans – I use fresh, but frozen would work
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Chicken broth
- Chicken bouillon – Better than Bouillon is my favorite!
- Seasonings – bay leaf, garlic powder, dried thyme, paprika, salt & pepper
📍The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to make Chicken Barley Stew
- Add chicken, barley, vegetables, broth, bouillon, and seasonings to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Cook according to instructions on recipe card at bottom of post.
- When done, shred or chop the chicken, then add it back to the stew.
- Enjoy this hearty soup with some buttered bread or crackers!
Because my husband doesn’t like thin, runny soups, I intentionally made this stew thick & chunky. Feel free to add more broth if desired!
How to serve Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
This chicken stew is so delicious with a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
We enjoy serving this stew with bread for dunking. French baguette, dinner rolls, and Calabrian Garlic Bread are our favorites!
You could also serve this soup with Saltines or your favorite crackers.
💡Tips & Tricks
- Barley: This recipe uses pearl barley, which has had its hull and sometimes, bran removed. It takes less time to cook than barley groats or pot barley.
- Thickness: Stews are thicker than soups, so this recipe isn’t very brothy. Feel free to add more broth to make it brothier.
- Better than Bouillon: This is one of my favorite additions to soup! It adds so much flavor! It’s available in roasted chicken, reduced sodium, and organic.
- Green beans: I prefer the texture of fresh green beans, but you could use frozen if desired.
- Chicken: I use chicken breasts, but you could substitute them with boneless, skinless thighs if desired.
- Potato: Russets are my favorite in soup because they’re starchy and fall apart a little bit, compared to a red potato, which is more waxy and will hold its shape.
How to store leftover chicken stew
Once cooled, store leftover stew in an air-tight container in the fridge and use within 3-4 days.
The barley will absorb liquid, so you may need to add more broth when reheating.
You can freeze leftovers in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
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Slow Cooker Chunky Chicken Barley Stew
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker or larger
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup pearled barley
- 1 cup sliced celery stalks (approx. 2 stalks)
- 1 cup sliced carrots (approx. 2 carrots)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 Russet potato cubed
- 1 cup fresh green beans 1" pieces
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme rubbed between your hands
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- black pepper to taste
- 5-6 cups chicken broth depending on how brothy you like it
- 1.5 tablespoons Better than Bouillon roasted chicken flavor
- parmesan cheese optional garnish
Instructions
- Add chicken breasts, barley, and all the vegetables to the slow cooker. Then add the bay leaf and sprinkle on the seasonings . Pour the chicken broth over everything. Add the Better than Bouillon and stir it around in the soup.
- Cook the stew for 5-6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. When the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165° and the vegetables have softened, remove the chicken and either shred it or dice it, whatever you like best.
- Depending on how brothy you like your stew, you may need to add more broth/water, as barley will absorb more liquid the longer it sits. Taste for any needed salt and adjust as necessary. I like to add a little parmesan cheese on top when serving (optional). Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
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low carb alternative to the potatoes?
You could use sweet potatoes as long as you don’t mind the subtle sweetness their flavor will impart. You could also use parsnips, cauliflower, or butternut squash. I don’t have experience with replacing potatoes with any of these in this stew, but these are low-carb options. Enjoy!
This stew is thick, hearty, and so nutritious! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this new recipe!