Chicken Cacciatore (Slow Cooker 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!

Titled Image: Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore


 

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!

ingredients for slow cooker chicken cacciatore

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.
  • 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.
cooked chicken in a pan

Chicken Cacciatore Crock Pot Recipe Tips

  • Save some 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 full of vegetables and chicken stock

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore FAQ

What is the difference between chicken parmesan and chicken cacciatore?

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.

Do I need to brown chicken before it goes in the slow cooker?

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.

What is good to serve with chicken cacciatore?

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!

Chicken Cacciatore in slow cooker

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.

slow cooker chicken cacciatore next to a bowl of noodles

Enjoy!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore in slow cooker with mushrooms and garlic on the side

chicken cacciatore in slow cooker

Chicken Cacciatore (Slow Cooker Recipe)

Donna Elick
Make Chicken Cacciatore in the Slow Cooker for a hearty Italian meal of braised bone-in chicken with tomato sauce and aromatic vegetables.
5 stars from 2 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Method Slow Cooker
Servings 4

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

Serving: 1 | Calories: 552cal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 1969mg | Sugar: 15g | Fiber: 8g | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 5mg

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.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore - PIN

Originally published January 2018, updated and republished September 2023

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9 Comments

  1. I followed the recent link from life, love, and sugar (since I really prefer cooking and not baking). I have been following Lindsay for some time, as I am in awe of her talent and creativity, and welcome her suggestions for other sites/recipes. Unfortunately, I find your website very overwhelming and not user friendly. I like having "hard copies" of all of my recipes (I love cookbooks and will consider purchasing yours!), but it takes forever to locate the recipe. I am not going to download every time I want a copy…I just want to click a button to print. I FINALLY scrolled to the bottom of the page and found it, but then you can't get back to where you left off. I saw lots of recipes I'd love to try, but it is way too difficult (and time consuming) to navigate. I read a comment from someone who said they have been following you for 6 years and have all of the recipes from your website…there MUST be an easier way. Maybe when I have nothing else to do, I'll try again. In the meantime, I'm hoping that signing up for your emails will get me, at least some of your recipes. And, I will see if I can order your cookbook locally…I don't do Amazon.

  2. 5 stars
    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 💕

    1. 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

  3. 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.

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