Slow-Cooker Stout & Chicken Stew

I thought this was a great recipe. Perfect for a cold winter day when you want something simmering in the kitchen to make the house smell good. . I've made it a couple times. The second time I made a couple adjustments. I doubled the garlic, added a bay leaf, and diced a red bell pepper. Also to increase the bacon flavor a bit I seared the chicken in a half mixture of olive oil and bacon grease. Finally, I added a half teaspoon of Liquid Smoke. Very slight adjustments. Know this...it needs to cook awhile. The Guinness is frankly, gross. I hate the taste of it straight. That said, in this recipe, once cooked a while it mellows nicely and blends the sauce well. If you try the sauce when first adding it, it will not be a pleasant experience. :-). Patience! Some folks say this dish is bland. It certainly isn't spicy. It's good winter comfort food. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Delicious. Also freezes well.

Love this recipe, but did make a substantial change - when I found that I didn't have bacon, I just threw a ham hock into the pot. Added a very smoky flavor. Came together really well.

My family loves this recipe and asks for it often. It's perfect for a cold night. I serve it over mashed potatoes.

I made this yesterday and thought it was fantastic and filling. I think the stout is key to loads of flavor. I followed the recipe minus the peas and would definitely make this again.

Agree with Linderz09. I liked the idea but it was a very bland taste. and for the calories per serving, it honestly isn't very filling.

Liked the idea of it, Didn't care for for the taste. Very bland, kind of a musty, earthy, dirt taste from the combo of mushrooms and stout. Needs LOTS more salt, pepper & herbs. Maybe vinegar or lemon to brighten the taste & start w half the beer.

Our family enjoyed this tasty recipe. I made a few changes: added Chef Paul Prudhonne's Poultry magic and increased the garlic and thyme amounts. I cut the thigh meat into bite-sized pieces, before cooking. I served the stew over mashed potatoes. Delicious!!

This was very good, but quite bland, so the next time I made some changes. We're on a low-sodium diet so I didn't want to increase the salt. I added garlic, onion powder, and smoked paprika to the flour I dredged the chicken in. I increased the number of garlic cloves to 6. I added two minced shallots to the chopped onion to up that flavor. I also added 1 tsp dried marjoram with the dried thyme. Like others, I used bone-in thighs and removed the skin before cooking. Delicious, and this is definitely going into rotation for our meals.

Made a few changes. First I used whole wheat flour instead of AP... healthier and added a nice nutty flavor. I also added some onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika to the dredge mixture for more flavor. I doubled the bacon, and added extra garlic and thyme as well as fresh parsley and some worcestershire sauce. Lastly, I used chicken thighs bone in, and by the time it was done cooking the bones just slid out. I think this helped make it much more flavorful, my BF and I loved it, served it with some homemade Guinness bread. Delicious.

I noticed some stated it was bland. I added 1 teaspoon minced dried garlic to the flour to dredge the chicken in. I added 2 T balsamic vinegar and 2 T Worcestershire sauce to the stout mixture and extra minced garlic and poultry seasoning on top of veggies. I used fresh thyme instead of dried. Served with mashed potatoes and sweet rolls. It was fantastic.

I followed this recipe with the exception of less chicken. It had no flavor. I even added a bit more seasoning. It was so bland, I ended up throwing half of it out.

This was delicious, great for a cold day. None of us like peas, so we didn't use them. I also used canned mushrooms because I didn't have fresh ones on hand. Still turned out yummy. The Guinness flavor is not overbearing, which is good for me because I don't like Guinness.

My husband and I really loved this. Husband says it needs more starch or needs to be served over starch, like potatoes or noodles. He made it with a Bourbon Barrel Porter that he and a friend made and the broth was very rich and very tasty. He also used 1/2 teas of Morton Lite Salt instead of 1 teas of regular salt. My baby boomer palate didn't need to add more salt at the table, which is a win for us. He also used a full pound of mushrooms and 1 tbsp of dried thyme instead of 1-1/2 teas.

My husband and I really loved this. Husband says it needs more starch or needs to be served over starch, like potatoes or noodles. He made it with a Bourbon Barrel Porter that he and a friend made and the broth was very rich and very tasty. He also used 1/2 teas of Morton Lite Salt instead of 1 teas of regular salt. My baby boomer palate didn't need to add more salt at the table, which is a win for us. He also used a full pound of mushrooms and 1 tbsp of dried thyme instead of 1-1/2 teas.

This turned out very well for us. The only real change I made was to add 3 stalks of celery, sliced. The carrots were just barely tender - next time I think I will cut them in smaller pieces. The whole family enjoyed this and we will certainly make again.

Excellent I would definitely make this again. I followed the recipe except added extra bacon. My family loves bacon. I prepared it the day before, put in the fridge and the following morning all I had to do was turn it on. Pros: Great Taste Cons: Took a lot of time to prepare

ExcellentI would definitely make this again. I followed the recipe except added extra bacon. My family loves bacon. I prepared it the day before, put in the fridge and the following morning all I had to do was turn it on.Pros: Great TasteCons: Took a lot of time to prepare

COMFORT FOOD to the nth degree I loved it! I usually like lots of spices, but this satisfied. It tasted like chicken pot pie, sans the dough. I like the idea of adding a bay leaf. I also added extra garlic and pepper. It was the perfect antidote to a cold, long day. Pros: Wonderful texture, creamy sauce, chicken falls apart easily Cons: PerHAPS a bit on the bland side.

Fantastic Chicken Stew This turned out to be a fantastic slow cooker chicken dish. The combination of the chicken, vegetables and stout made for a hearty dish. Several reviewers described the dish as bland but I found it to be very flavorful. I did season the dish more than what was called for in the recipe. One reviewer suggested a couple shakes of Worcestershire sauce which I added and it definitely gave the dish some punch. A definite thumbs up for this stew.

All for Naut Added extra measures of some seasonings, worcestershire sauce, & fresh parsley. With adding extra bacon, the finished product had no hint of bacon flavor whatsoever, and the stout gave it a funky bitter taste. Maybe a marsala wine would have fared better. Pros: Smells wonderful while cooking, chicken very tender. Cons: For all the prep time, wonderful ingredients, and clean up time, this dish disappointed.

All for NautAdded extra measures of some seasonings, worcestershire sauce, & fresh parsley. With adding extra bacon, the finished product had no hint of bacon flavor whatsoever, and the stout gave it a funky bitter taste. Maybe a marsala wine would have fared better.Pros: Smells wonderful while cooking, chicken very tender.Cons: For all the prep time, wonderful ingredients, and clean up time, this dish disappointed.

Hearty stew for a cold winters night While this may require some prep work before the slow-cooker, it is well worth it. The only change I made was to add a few dashes of Worchestershire Sauce at the end. I didn't find the taste to be overly stouty, which was a concern because I don't like strong alcohol flavors in my foods (not a fan of marsala recipes). The flavors were well balanced. I found this to be a perfect recipe. It turned out thick and hearty; which I found to be perfect because it was cold outside. I made biscuits brushed with butter, garlic powder, and parsley flakes. A+++++ recipe, will make again! Pros: Hearty, thick, tasty. Cons: Not a set it and forget it slow-cooker recipe.

Hearty stew for a cold winters nightWhile this may require some prep work before the slow-cooker, it is well worth it. The only change I made was to add a few dashes of Worchestershire Sauce at the end. I didn't find the taste to be overly stouty, which was a concern because I don't like strong alcohol flavors in my foods (not a fan of marsala recipes). The flavors were well balanced. I found this to be a perfect recipe. It turned out thick and hearty; which I found to be perfect because it was cold outside. I made biscuits brushed with butter, garlic powder, and parsley flakes. A+++++ recipe, will make again!Pros: Hearty, thick, tasty.Cons: Not a set it and forget it slow-cooker recipe.

Chicken and Stout Stew I made this tonight for dinner. I did use center cut bacon and probably a little more stout then called for.. I'm not sure what some are talking about it being bland. I followed the directions to the letter in terms of the spices and it came out great! My boyfriend loved it. I did serve it with french bread. Pros: Easy to put together .

Chicken and Stout Stew I made this tonight for dinner. I did use center cut bacon and probably a little more stout then called for.. I'm not sure what some are talking about it being bland. I followed the directions to the letter in terms of the spices and it came out great! My boyfriend loved it. I did serve it with french bread. Pros: Easy to put together .

Delicious!The dark stout completely made this dish. The flavors are amazing. It was just as good the next day!

Delicious! The dark stout completely made this dish. The flavors are amazing. It was just as good the next day!

We thought this to be quite good! I tried this recipe after reading a rave letter to the editor in the April edition. (Love anything braised in Guinness!) Didn't read the reviews until it was already in the crockpot this afternoon. But it smelled amazing, and we really liked it tonight. I could see where it would benefit from a splash of Worcestershire sauce; I added a couple of bay leaves to the mix. Definitely a repeater, here. Pros: Easy to make and forget about. Large serving -- good for a potluck or for leftovers. Cons: I'm not a fan of frying chicken, bacon; the kitchen and my t-shirt really smelled afterward.

Pretty blah . . . Added some salt - made it a little better. Added chopped jalapenos and that helped quite a bit, but still won't bother with it again. Pros: slow cooker recipe Cons: lack of flavor, needs to be kicked up a notch or two

Needed a little work... I thought this was a good recipe, though I did make a few adjustments. To help the recipe go a little further, I added a turnip and two small potatoes. I also added about 1 Tbps of apple cider vinegar. Because I used reduce sodium chicken broth, I did have to add a little extra salt (to taste) at the end. Pros: Easy

Needed a little work...I thought this was a good recipe, though I did make a few adjustments. To help the recipe go a little further, I added a turnip and two small potatoes. I also added about 1 Tbps of apple cider vinegar. Because I used reduce sodium chicken broth, I did have to add a little extra salt (to taste) at the end.Pros: Easy