Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker (Easy Recipe)
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Make my Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker recipe for a rustic Italian meal! Braised, flavorful bone-in chicken slow cooked in a luscious tomato sauce and aromatic vegetables — crockpot Chicken Cacciatore will change your life! Even picky eaters will love this dish!
This easy chicken cacciatore recipe is all about the slow cooking process.
It’s a classic Italian dish that has such an amazing depth of flavor and makes such an easy weeknight dinner.
I’ve made this slow cooker recipe so many times, and we always have leftovers to enjoy for the next 3-4 days.
If you want a combination of tender chicken with great flavors, the entire family will love this slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe.
The recipe card below shows the exact steps needed to make this simple Italian food. You’ll be enjoying the great flavor in no time at all.
Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker
This easy chicken cacciatore crock pot recipe is all about the sauce!
A variety of veggies and spices, plus crushed and diced tomatoes, simmer alongside bone-in chicken thighs for hours in the crockpot.
Once it’s done, you’ve got perfectly tender, braised chicken that has soaked up all of those flavors — plus that incredibly rich sauce.
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is the perfect winter comfort food, and it only gets better with time! Make it for Sunday dinner, then enjoy it again the next night.
Try more Italian chicken recipes like my cheesy skillet rigatoni or Chicken Bellagio like the one from Cheesecake Factory!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken – I love to use a combination of bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks. You can easily substitute chicken breasts if you prefer.
You could also use boneless skinless thighs as well. - Veggies – Onions, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, and Kalamata olives provide loads of flavor and a little something for everyone.
Plus, so many veggies in this chicken cacciatore crock pot recipe make it a really hearty meal! - Canned Tomatoes – You’ll need a large can of crushed tomatoes, plus a regular can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
These help form the base of the savory sauce and add an extra bit of smoky flavor. - Stock – Use reduced-sodium chicken stock so you can season to taste. Vegetable broth is a great substitute.
This recipe really does use common ingredients, but the nice thing about it is that you can alter and add various ingredients or changes to fit what you’re craving.
Chicken Cacciatore Crock Pot Recipe Tips
- Save some meal prep time!
Chop all of your vegetables the night before and store them in the refrigerator. That way, all you have to do is throw everything in the crockpot in the morning.
And, if you opt for skinless breasts or thighs for your crock pot chicken cacciatore, you can skip the browning step!
- Include extra veggies for a heartier meal.
Other slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipes include baby potatoes and carrots.
Feel free to swap those in for the mushrooms and peppers, or use a mixture of everything — as long as it all fits in your crockpot!
- Thicken the sauce.
Remove chicken cacciatore from the slow cooker, then simmer the remaining liquid uncovered on High for about an hour.
Need to serve dinner sooner? Whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry, then stir that into the sauce.
Simmer until thickened and spoon over your crock pot chicken cacciatore!
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore FAQ
Chicken parmesan features breaded cutlets that are fried and topped with melted cheese, often served with marinara or another tomato-based sauce.
Instead, cacciatore resembles a stew packed with chicken and veggies in a rich tomato broth.
It depends! Boneless, skinless chicken is fine to go right in the crock, but skin-on varieties do better with browning first.
That simple extra step gives the outer layer some texture and color, so I really advise it for this chicken cacciatore slow cooker recipe.
Spoon slow cooker chicken cacciatore (with sauce!) over rice or noodles. Or, plate it as is with a side of potatoes or your favorite veggies.
You could also whip up an Italian salad and some garlic skillet bread — perfect for mopping up every last drop!
I also think that the deeper flavors of this traditional chicken cacciatore would be yummy with white rice. It helps soak up those Italian flavors!
Storing and Reheating Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
Allow chicken cacciatore in the slow cooker to cool, then transfer everything to an airtight container.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Warm leftover crockpot chicken cacciatore in the oven for best results. Transfer everything to a baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F, then remove the foil and broil for a minute or two to get the chicken skin crispy.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Slow Cooker Recipes
Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker (Easy Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- 2 chicken drumsticks, bone in, skin on
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup Kalamata olives
- 2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced (aka crimini)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Mix 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper and sprinkle over the chicken.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet (I love using cast iron) over medium-high heat. Place about 1/2 of the chicken pieces in the skillet skin side down. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes each side. Place browned chicken in the slow cooker while you cook the remaining chicken. Repeat.
- Meanwhile: add onions, peppers, olives, mushrooms, garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and remaining 1/2 salt to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 5 hours.
- Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice and enjoy!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published January 2018, updated and republished August 2024
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I keep staring at the photo and I can taste it already. This will be made today!!!! Yummy!!
Awesome! Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
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Such a delicious and comforting taste. Definitely a quality recipe. Thank you so much!
I would add some wine or vermouth
To the recipe.
I followed your recipe almost exactly. My onl1y changes were that I used 8 boneless skinless thighs seasoned in salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and italian seasoning, and then I dredged it in flour before browning so that the flour could help thicken the sauce while cooking. I also substituted white wine for chicken broth and went heavy on the garlic because…well…garlic! Truly magnificent dish and so easy! The entire family loved it. We served it over gnocchi. The house smelled amazing all day! Thank you for this recipe 💕
Hi Monica,
We are so happy you enjoyed it, I love the substitutions and our readers will thank you. Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Delicious! Next time I would add Italian seasoning for a more robust flavor. I skeptical about the Kalamata olives but they really added great flavor.
Hi Susan!
We’re glad you enjoyed! Kalamata is an acquired taste for sure.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn