If you are wanting to cook a classic Italian dish but are looking for something a little fancier than spaghetti and meatballs, you should try making this slow cooker chicken cacciatore!
I have been riding the Italian cuisine train ever since I made this Sausage and Peppers recipe in the crockpot and honestly, I’m not even close to done with my love for Italian food and cooking.
And, as much as I would love to load up on all the pasta, this chicken cacciatore dish really has a nice, rounded balance of ingredients. Between all of the veggies and the lean chicken breast, all I want to do is MANGIARE!
Hint: That means to eat in Italian…
Frequently Asked Questions About This Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Before I share my Italian chicken cacciatore recipe, here are a few questions I have gotten from our readers that I wanted to share:
Why Is It Called Chicken Cacciatore?
Cacciatore is the Italian word for “hunter” and they were the ones who originally came up with and served this dish a very long time ago. Although it wasn’t always made with chicken, this Italian dish has become a huge staple and even has its own celebratory day (October 15th).
Just a little history fun fact for you 😉
Do I Have To Use Chicken in This Italian Dish?
Nope! This recipe is very flexible and if the chicken is not your protein of choice, you can easily swap it out.
I would recommend swapping it out with fish, specifically a halibut if possible. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you can replace the chicken with your own kind of vegetable medley. I usually prefer to swap it out with eggplant and it turns out amazing!
How Long Does Chicken Cacciatore Last In The Fridge?
After it’s been cooked, you can store this chicken cacciatore dish in the fridge for up to five days. To maintain the freshness, store it in a tightly sealed glass container.
If you already know you won’t get to it all in that timeframe, I would highly recommend splitting up this dish into portion sizes and store them in freezer-safe ziplock bags to store in your freezer.
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
My favorite part of my day- cooking time! Here is the list of ingredients you will need to have on hand to make this chicken cacciatore recipe!
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Balsamic glaze (a balsamic vinegar reduction)
- Crushed tomatoes
- Green bell pepper
- Sweet onion
- Baby bella mushrooms
- Garlic powder
- Thyme
- Basil
- Oregano
How To Make Chicken Cacciatore In The Slow Cooker
The first thing we are going to do is brown all of our chicken to make sure we can get the most flavor out of the protein.
In a large pan over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Once it’s heated, add the boneless chicken breasts to the pan. Generously season it all with salt and pepper!
Cook each side for approximately 2 minutes. Just enough to get a nice sear on each side. You want to see a golden brown color.
While the chicken is in the pan, take this time to add the crushed tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms into the slow cooker. You will also need to add the garlic powder, thyme, basil, oregano, and balsamic glaze.
Gently stir all of the ingredients together until it’s combined.
Place all of the chicken breasts into the slow cooker and cook it on HIGH for about 4 hours.
Once it’s all done, top it off with some fresh parsley or grated parmesan cheese!
Cooking Tips
- You can substitute chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts. Just follow the same process of browning the chicken on each side but you will need to add a little bit more olive oil. It just depends on how many thighs you are planning to cook. For this specific recipe, I wouldn’t add any more than 6 to still have the same amount of flavor.
- Thicken the sauce with a little more time. If your sauce is still a little too runny, take out the chicken and let the rest of the sauce sit in the crockpot for an extra 20-30 minutes or until its thickened up. If not, you can make a little slurry (equal parts water and cornstarch) and stir it into the sauce.
What To Serve With This Chicken Dish
With all the delicious Italian flavors going on in this dish, I would recommend serving this Chicken Cacciatore with something that will add to the dish, not take away from it.
Some of my favorites are:
- Polenta- I’ve found making a simple, buttery and creamy polenta to go with the chicken dish is the way to go. 10/10 for sure!
- Pasta- I mean, are you surprised? My go-to is thin angel-hair pasta!
- Rice- You can go with white or brown rice. Whatever you prefer.
If you’re living that low carb life, then you can serve this Chicken Cacciatore over some riced cauliflower or a side of zucchini noodles!
More Crockpot Recipes
If you loved this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, check out some of our best recipes from The Slow Cooking Club:
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic glaze (a balsamic vinegar reduction)
- 1 (28-ounce) can Crushed tomatoes
- 2 medium Green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium Sweet onion, chopped
- 8 ounces Baby bella mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Basil
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
Instructions
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil.
- Once heated, add chicken breasts. Season both breasts with salt and pepper.
- Cook each side for approximately 2 minutes. Just enough to sear each side a golden brown color.
- In a slow cooker, add crushed tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic powder, thyme, basil, oregano, and balsamic glaze.
- Gently stir all ingredients together until combined.
- Place chicken breasts into the slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 hours.
- Once done, serve with fresh parsley or parmesan cheese.
Notes
- You can serve over your favorite pasta, creamy polenta, or rice. If you’re living a low carb life, then serve over rice cauliflower or a vegetable based pasta.
- You can substitute chicken thighs, in place of the chicken breasts. Still follow the process of browning each side of the chicken. You will need to add a little more olive oil, depending on how many thighs you are cooking. I wouldn’t do any more than 6.
[…] eating and cooking it the same way over and over again. I mean, don’t get me wrong- I love my chicken cacciatore and smothered mushroom […]