Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew with Saffron

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew combines chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, carrots and potatoes in a warm broth with aromatic saffron.

Chicken thighs or drumsticks are cooked slowly with the vegetables, allowing everything to become tender over several hours. Saffronice Saffron Threads are first soaked in warm water before being added to the stew.

You can cook the stew on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, making it a practical one-pot meal when you want the slow cooker to handle most of the cooking.

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What Is Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew?

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew is a chicken and vegetable dish cooked gently over several hours.

It combines chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, carrots and potatoes, with saffron added to the broth. The chicken goes into the slow cooker with the vegetables, seasonings and liquid, then everything cooks together until tender.

The stew can be served on its own or paired with rice, crusty bread or cauliflower rice.

Choosing the Chicken

Chicken thighs or drumsticks are used for this slow-cooked stew.

Boneless chicken thighs can also be used if you prefer chicken that's easier to portion and serve.

Whichever option you use, place the chicken toward the bottom of the slow cooker before adding the vegetables and remaining ingredients.

Vegetables for the Stew

This stew includes a hearty combination of bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, carrots and potatoes.

Prepare all the vegetables before assembling the slow cooker. Dice the onion and bell peppers, slice the carrots and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

The vegetables cook alongside the chicken in the tomato and saffron broth until tender.

Preparing the Saffron

Saffron is added to the liquid rather than sprinkling the dry threads directly into the slow cooker.

Place saffron threads in a small amount of warm water and allow them to infuse before adding them to the stew.

Pour the entire infusion, including the saffron threads, into the slow cooker with the other ingredients. This follows the warm-water preparation used for the saffron in the source.

Ingredients

boneless, skinless chicken thighs for chicken stew

For the Chicken Stew

1 kg (2.2 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
1 large onion (about 200 g), diced
2 bell peppers (about 300 g), chopped
2 medium carrots (about 200 g), sliced
400 g (14 oz) potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can (400 g / 14 oz) diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves (about 9 g), minced
2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
1 generous pinch (about 0.1 g) Saffronice Saffron Threads
¼ cup (60 ml) warm chicken stock, taken from the measured stock, for blooming the saffron
1 teaspoon (about 2 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon (about 1 g) dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Let's Make Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew

Step 1 – Prepare the Chicken & Vegetables

Prepare the chicken for the slow cooker.

Dice the onion and bell peppers, slice the carrots, cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and mince the garlic.

Season the chicken lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 2 – Prepare the Saffron

Place the saffron threads in a small amount of warm water and allow them to infuse while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Keep both the liquid and saffron threads for adding to the stew.

Step 3 – Fill the Slow Cooker

Place the chicken toward the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add the onion, bell peppers, carrots, potatoes and garlic.

Add the diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, dried oregano and bay leaf.

Pour in the chicken stock followed by the saffron infusion, including the threads.

Step 4 – Slow Cook

Cover the slow cooker and cook on:

LOW for 6–8 hours, or
HIGH for 3–4 hours

Continue cooking until the chicken is tender and the potatoes and carrots are cooked through.

Step 5 – Finish & Serve

Serving the Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew

Remove the bay leaf from the stew.

Taste the broth and season with additional sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.

Finish with chopped fresh parsley and serve warm.

Tips for Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew

A few simple steps can help you follow the cooking method successfully.

Keep the Chicken Near the Bottom

Place the chicken toward the bottom of the slow cooker before adding the vegetables. The vegetables, tomatoes, stock and saffron infusion are then added around and over the chicken.

Prepare the Vegetables Before Cooking

Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, slice the carrots and chop the peppers and onion before adding everything to the slow cooker.

Add the Entire Saffron Infusion

Don't strain out the saffron threads. Add both the infused liquid and saffron threads to the stew.

Check the Vegetables Before Serving

At the end of cooking, the potatoes and carrots should be cooked through, and the chicken should be tender.

Remove the bay leaf and check the seasoning before serving.

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot?

This preparation is specifically written for a slow cooker.

Cook it for 6–8 hours on LOW or 3–4 hours on HIGH.

An Instant Pot uses pressure rather than the same slow-cooking process, so its cooking time and liquid requirements would need to be adjusted. Don't use the slow-cooker timings unchanged for pressure cooking.

What to Serve with Spanish Chicken Stew

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew can be served on its own, but the broth also works well with a simple side.

Rice

Serve the stew with rice for a simple meal with the tomato and saffron broth.

Crusty Bread

Crusty bread can be served alongside the stew.

Cauliflower Rice

For another option, serve the stew with cauliflower rice. Rice, bread and cauliflower rice are included among the serving ideas for the dish. Pasted markdown

Vegetarian Variation

For a meat-free variation, chickpeas or tofu can be used in place of the chicken.

Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock when preparing the vegetarian version.

Because chickpeas and tofu don't cook in the same way as raw chicken, follow the appropriate cooking time for the ingredient you choose rather than automatically using the full chicken cooking time. The chickpea and tofu alternatives are included in the recipe's variations.

Storage & Reheating

Allow leftover Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew to cool before transferring it to an airtight container and refrigerating promptly.

If you're serving the stew with rice or another side, store it separately from the stew.

When ready to serve, reheat the stew thoroughly until the chicken, vegetables and broth are hot throughout.

More Saffron Chicken Recipes to Try

If you enjoyed the combination of chicken and saffron in this slow-cooked stew, try these other Saffron recipes.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine combines chicken with preserved lemon, olives and saffron.
Saffron-Infused Butter Chicken combines chicken with a creamy tomato, yoghurt and cashew sauce.
Saudi Chicken Kabsa with Saffron combines chicken and basmati rice with aromatic spices and saffron.
Chicken & Chorizo Paella combines chicken, chorizo, peppers and saffron-infused rice.

These recipes offer more ways to use saffron with chicken in slow-cooked, creamy and rice-based meals.

Ready to Make Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew?

Prepare the chicken and vegetables, then infuse Saffronice Saffron Threads in a small amount of warm water.

Place the chicken toward the bottom of the slow cooker, add the vegetables, tomatoes, seasonings, stock and saffron infusion, then cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.

Once the chicken is tender and the vegetables are cooked through, remove the bay leaf, check the seasoning and finish with fresh parsley.

Serve your Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew warm with rice, crusty bread or cauliflower rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew?

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew is made with chicken, vegetables and saffron. Bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, carrots and potatoes form the vegetable base of the stew.