Slow Cooker Chicken, Veggie, and Quinoa Stew
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Aug 17, 2015 (last updated Jun 30, 2026) 
Made with shredded chicken, chickpeas, and a mix of garden vegetables, this slow cooker chicken quinoa stew simmers into a thick, hearty meal in a bowl. A dump-and-go weeknight dinner that gets even better as leftovers.
5 star review
“Robyn, I made this dish last night. My family loved it. Thank you for your amazing recipes and your beautiful blog.”
– Claudine
Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Soup
My goal for this recipe was to keep the dump-and-go simplicity of a classic chicken stew while adding quinoa for a more hearty and substantial meal. The result is a thick, hearty soup that’s almost a stew that fills bowls evenly and gets even better as leftovers, with the quinoa continuing to soak up broth overnight.
The quinoa timing was the biggest variable when I tested this recipe, and proved to be a bit tricky. Adding it at the start of the slow cooker time produced overcooked, mushy grains that lost their structure and turned the stew gluey. Stirring it in during the last 30 to 45 minutes fixes that problem, so don’t add it at the start! The same applies to the zucchini and corn, both of which break down completely on a full 4-hour cook but stay tender and intact when added with the quinoa at the end.
Serve this slow cooker chicken quinoa stew with crusty bread for soaking up the broth, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley or grated parmesan (HIGHLY recommend!) Leftovers thicken even further as the quinoa continues to absorb broth in the fridge, where the stew keeps for up to 4 days or freezes well in sealed jars for 3 months. And for another quinoa-based slow cooker meal, my slow cooker butternut squash, kale, and quinoa stew is what you need to try next. Or when you want a similar Italian-style soup with chicken and vegetables, check out my chicken minestrone soup. So good!
Testing Tips for Italian Chicken Quinoa Stew
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water through a fine mesh sieve before adding it to the slow cooker! Unrinsed quinoa has a natural saponin coating that turns bitter when cooked, and the rinse takes about 30 seconds, so don’t skip it.
- Chicken thighs are the more forgiving cut for slow cooker stews like this one, as they hold up to a long cook time without drying out.
- A squeeze of fresh lemon at the end of cooking brightens the broth and pulls all the Italian seasoning flavors forward! I add 1 to 2 tablespoons of juice when stirring the shredded chicken back in, then taste and adjust.
Slow Cooker Chicken, Veggie, and Quinoa Stew
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 cup fresh or frozen-defrosted corn kernels
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- ½ cup quinoa, rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic, carrots, Italian seasoning, salt, tomato sauce, chickpeas, stock, and water to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine. Add the chicken and stir again.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6, or until the veggies and chicken are cooked through.
- Remove the chicken. Shred with two forks and set aside.
- Add the corn, zucchini, and quinoa. Cover and continue to cook on high for an additional 30 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked through.
- Add back the shredded chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Do you think I could set this to cook on low for 7 hours while I’m at work? My crock pot switches to warm when it’s done–would this mess up the recipe?
Lisa, I think this would work. The veggies and chicken might be a little more well-done but it should still taste fine. You might want to kick it back up to high when you add the quinoa so that it cooks faster (it might take a little longer)–or you could add pre-cooked quinoa. Let us know how it goes!
Have you ever tried to freezer this after cooking to warm at a later date?
Becky, yes, I have frozen the stew (once cooled). It thickens a bit since the quinoa absorbs additional liquid, but it still tastes delicious once defrosted and reheated.
I absolutely love your ideas for getting kids to eat new foods! This is exactly what I need. I am hooked!
Jeanette, so glad you’re finding the tips helpful. Thanks so much for following along!
I am making this for dinner tonight! Let’s see what the family thinks!!
Hi hope it’s a hit Diana!
Is it supposed to be more like soup in consistency? Just made this tonight and its not really thick like a stew….tasty though!
Sarah, yes, should be more like a stew, though every slow cooker is different and some veggies give off more water than others. If you let it sit a bit, the quinoa should absorb some of the liquid and make it more stew-like. Hope you enjoyed!
Robyn, I made this dish last night. My family loved it. Thank you for your amazing recipes and your beautiful blog.
That’s wonderful, Claudine, I’m so glad you all enjoyed. And you’re more than welcome! 🙂
Can/have you adapted this to an Instant Pot? My slow cooker broke & I replaced it with an Instant Pot and love the quick cook times in the IP. This is one of my very picky son’s favorite dinner recipes and I’d love to make it this week.
Amanda, I’m still pretty new to the IP, so I’m afraid I don’t know enough quite yet to give instructions for adapting this one. I do have one now, though, and will work on adapting old recipes in the coming months!
Have you had a chance to convert this to an instant pot? If you haven’t, do you have any suggestions? Thank you.
I haven’t tired it yet, but try 8 minutes on high pressure, quick release, add the zucchini, corn and quinoa, 1 minute high pressure, quick release. Give that a try and let us know how it turns out! I’ll work on testing it as well.
Hello Robyn,
I want to make a chicken stew but cannot seem to find a recipe where I can add all sorts of veggies, mushrooms, peppers, courgettes, carrots, parsnips, spinach cauliflower, new potatoes, sweet potatoes all in proportion of course, and also perhaps add some red lentils and or quiona. My worry is whether I add all the vegetables at the beginning or in stages as some cook quicker than others. I am not too sure how long quinoa or red lentils take to cook so don’t know whether to add this at the beginning or towards the end of cooking time. What are your thoughts on this please. Thank you.
Jenny, are you wanting to try something like this in a slow cooker?
This was great! Easy to make and relatively quick. Loved the ingredients. They were all very mild veggies so my kids even ate it and said it was really good! Another recipe I will definitely make again.
Jodi, yay, so happy to hear this was a hit with you and your crew! Thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
This is one my favorites! Have you tried it in the InstaPot? I’d love to speed up this recipe!
Hi Sandra, I haven’t, but I can add it to the list of recipes to test in the IP. I think you could try high pressure for 8 minutes with a quick release and see what happens? If you give it a try before I have a chance to test it let us know how it goes!
I tried it last night in the insta pot! 8 minutes on high pressure then 1 minute after adding zucchini, quinoa, and corn (left chicken out). It turned out great! The zucchini was a bit mushy and over all it turned out thicker then when I make it in the slow cooker. Start to finish it took almost two hours though!!
Great to know, Sandra, thank you! So not a huge, huge time saver, but quicker than the slow cooker and at least hands off for most? I do find tender veggies like zucchini can get pretty mushy in the IP, but still tastes yummy. Thanks again!
Delicious, wholesome & straightforward recipe – I made this for my 10 month old but found it delicious as a whole family meal too. Thank you for sharing!
Joan, love this recipe description! So happy to hear you and your fam enjoyed this one, and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Hello, I just found your site and am excited to try your recipes
,
Can this recipe be frozen BEFORE cooking? However, I would not add the chicken broth and water until the day of cooking. Thoughts?
Thanks so much!
Hi Donna, I haven’t tried this method so I can say for sure. If you give it a try and it works out let me know! I hope you enjoy.
The flavor is good, and it was definitely easy. I doubled the amount of chicken and zucchini, added a sweet potato and did not add any water. Just the 32 ounces of broth. Soupy for sure. Not thick like a stew. I think I could have doubled the quinoa too. Maybe next time.