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Home » Dinner » Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Published: December 1, 2019 Last Modified: December 1, 2019 By Sara 51 Comments

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe | Italian Chicken #chicken #crockpot #slowcooker #dinner #italianfood #peppers #dinneratthezoo

This slow cooker chicken cacciatore is tender chicken thighs that are cooked in the crock pot with peppers, mushrooms and olives. An easy Italian dinner that’s perfect served over pasta!

Chicken cacciatore is one of my go-to dinner recipes. My kids happily eat it, it’s got a ton of flavor and it’s so easy to make. This slow cooker version takes just minutes to put together and you’ll come home at the end of the day to a restaurant quality meal.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe | Italian Chicken #chicken #crockpot #slowcooker #dinner #italianfood #peppers #dinneratthezoo Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe | Italian Chicken #chicken #crockpot #slowcooker #dinner #italianfood #peppers #dinneratthezoo

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore served over spaghetti.

I just love a good meal I can throw in the crock pot. Especially when it’s like this slow cooker chicken cacciatore which my entire family loves. It’s not always easy to find one meal that everyone is head over heels for, but this crockpot chicken cacciatore really hits the spot.

HOW DO YOU MAKE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE?

This dish contains a delicious mixture of bone-in chicken thighs cooked to perfection amid the aromatic flavors of peppers, mushrooms, and olives in the crock pot. Italian chicken cacciatore is the perfect hearty dinner that’s both easy and satisfying. Serve it over pasta to round out your meal and up the kid friendly factor!

Browned chicken thighs in a crock pot.

Tips for crock pot chicken cacciatore

  • I prefer using bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs when making crock pot chicken cacciatore. This type of chicken holds a ton of flavor and doesn’t dry out or lose its shape after a long cooking time. You can substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs – your meat may fall apart a bit when you go to serve it, but it will still be delicious.
  • I highly recommend browning your chicken before it goes into the slow cooker, but if you’re in a big hurry, you can skip that step and it will still be great. If you have a favorite brand of marinara sauce, definitely use that in your dish. I use Newman’s or Classico brand.
  • The chicken will release liquid as it cooks, which will thin out the sauce. If you feel like your sauce is too thin, you can thicken it up by uncovering the slow cooker and running it for 20 minutes on high heat.
  • The bell peppers and mushrooms will get quite soft from being in the slow cooker all day. If you prefer firmer veggies, add them about 2 hours before the chicken cacciatore is done. I stir in the olives at the very end right before serving.

Chicken thighs with peppers, onions and mushrooms inside a slow cooker.

WHAT DOES THE WORD CACCIATORE MEAN?

This word means “hunter” in Italian. In the culinary world, this usually means that a meal is prepared “hunter-style.” Hunter-style means prepared with onions, bell peppers and herbs. This word also means a dish that is typically cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.

Marinara sauce poured over chicken and vegetables.

CAN SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE BE MADE WITH OTHER MEATS?

As with most meals of this nature, just about any meat can be substituted in place of the chicken. The flavors and cooking times will definitely adjust so be aware of this when making your substitutions. A great substitution would be beef stew meat, or other cuts of chicken such as chicken drumsticks.

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore with mushrooms, peppers and olives.

I typically serve slow cooker chicken cacciatore over pasta, but it’s also delicious over rice or mashed potatoes. I will definitely be making this again in the near future!

MORE ITALIAN DISHES YOU’LL LOVE

  • Pesto Pasta Salad
  • Shrimp Alfredo
  • Sausage and Pepper Pasta
  • Bruschetta Chicken
  • Spaghetti Salad
Slow cooker chicken cacciatore served over pasta.
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4.93 from 28 votes

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

This slow cooker chicken cacciatore is tender chicken thighs that are cooked in the crock pot with peppers, mushrooms and olives. An easy Italian dinner that's perfect served over pasta!
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 384kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup onion thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in the slow cooker. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender.
  • Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Place the mushroom mixture, onion, bell peppers, Italian seasoning and marinara sauce in the slow cooker.
  • Gently toss all the ingredients together.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
  • Remove the cover and stir in the olives. Sprinkle the parsley over the top and serve.

Notes

The chicken will release liquid as it cooks, which will thin out the sauce. If you feel like your sauce is too thin, you can thicken it up by uncovering the slow cooker and running it for 20 minutes on high heat.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 708mg | Potassium: 853mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 675IU | Vitamin C: 26.1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2.5mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!

This post was originally published on August 2, 2018 and was updated on December 1, 2019 with new content.

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Filed Under: Dinner, Slow Cooker

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    Comments

    1. Sandra says

      September 19, 2021 at 8:26 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent base recipe … love the concise directions. Fam loves it too. Perfect hearty meal. Easy to put together, prep was very minimal, and cooked perfectly on high 4 hrs. In New Orleans, we – love – garlic! So I obviously added 3 times as much. Also added double Italian seasoning called for, and served over ditalini pasta. I will def. bookmark this to recipes!!

      Reply
    2. Rmercier says

      January 30, 2021 at 5:17 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious my favorite chicken cacciatore so far I coated the chicken in seasoned flour added 1/2 cup if white wine to deglaze the pan and added a small can of tomato paste after reading all the comments will definitely make this again

      Reply
    3. Lisa says

      December 21, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!! I used boneless/ skinless chicken because I’m trying to eat healthier. It broke apart like pulled bbq chicken; tender and perfect! Otherwise, I followed the directions exactly. I wouldn’t change a thing! I will definitely make this again! I used Classico marinara for the sauce.

      Reply
    4. Bates says

      November 12, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      This looks delicious! I’m looking forward to making this for my wife this weekend, and have a question. We are both trying to watch our weight and sodium intake, and the nutrition information is important to us. I will be using my homemade marinara, which is not going to have the sugars and sodium content of a jarred marinara. Could you share the brand of marinara you used in this recipe? Knowing this would allow us to adjust for our version. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 12, 2020 at 6:32 pm

        I used Newman’s Own!

        Reply
        • Bates says

          November 13, 2020 at 9:00 am

          Thanks so much for your timely response – very helpful.

          Reply
    5. sheri says

      October 8, 2020 at 6:48 am

      Can’t wait to try this! Your recipes are delicious!
      Do you think it would be safe to do all of the prep the night before, including searing the chicken, and then let it sit in the refrigerator over night ready to go in the morning? Or is that unsafe due to the partially cooked chicken?

      Thanks for your help!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        October 8, 2020 at 8:28 pm

        I would not sear the chicken in advance but you could definitely prep everything else!

        Reply
        • Sheri says

          October 9, 2020 at 6:24 am

          Thanks so much!!

          Reply
    6. Jenny says

      September 21, 2020 at 2:34 pm

      I want to make 10 servings but I have a 4 quart slow cooker. Will that be too much volume? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        September 21, 2020 at 4:05 pm

        I’m thinking it would be too much but you’d have to actually see if you could layer it all in, it would depend on the size of your chicken pieces.

        Reply
    7. DAVID CERRITELLI says

      September 3, 2020 at 7:41 am

      5 stars
      It cam out delicious! I did add a small can of tomato paste to thicken sauce. I also add red pepper flakes, and a bit o cayenne pepper 7 hours on low and so easy to make! I recommend browning the chicken thighs as well

      Reply
    8. Ann-Marie says

      June 28, 2020 at 5:56 pm

      Can I double the recipe as I have a large slow cooker and am looking at making enough to feed my family of six?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 28, 2020 at 8:56 pm

        Yes just change the number of servings on the recipe card and the ingredients will automatically update!

        Reply
    9. Linda says

      April 24, 2020 at 11:39 am

      This was delish – used boneless skinless thighs – didn’t brown anything – put peppers, olives and parsley in later as directed. House smelled divine. Served over egg noodles. Is now dh second favorite meal of all time!

      Reply
    10. Trish says

      April 18, 2020 at 4:19 am

      Can I use a bottle of any pasta sauce or must it be the marinara sauce ? Thanx, sounds delish.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        April 18, 2020 at 10:34 am

        Any pasta sauce is fine!

        Reply
    11. Rose ann Fanelli says

      April 14, 2020 at 9:31 pm

      Can you use bone in chicken breasts?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        April 15, 2020 at 3:55 pm

        Yes that’s fine!

        Reply
    12. Fernanda Vargas says

      March 22, 2020 at 9:06 am

      Hi would adding a little bit of tomato paste to the recipe help thicken out the sauce and not mess with the taste ?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        March 22, 2020 at 9:44 am

        Yes that would be fine!

        Reply
    13. Nancy says

      January 26, 2020 at 5:50 am

      5 stars
      This. Was. Delicious. I usually have bad luck with chicken in the crockpot but the thighs were so tender. I browned them first as suggested and used Barilla marinara. Next time I may add a little red wine but will definitely be making this again!

      Reply
    14. Robert Flynn says

      December 10, 2019 at 3:25 pm

      4 stars
      Mine turned out a bit more watery than in the pictures but maybe thats because I used Prego sauce, still really nice and tasty though and would definitely make again, maybe next time use the recommended Newmans or Classico sauce.

      Reply
    15. Emily Liao says

      December 6, 2019 at 8:46 am

      This slow cooker chicken looks delicious! Perfect for a weeknight meal.

      Reply
    16. Adriana says

      December 5, 2019 at 6:41 pm

      5 stars
      This chicken is perfection, the color of the chicken thigs is so appetizing and an easy dinner to make. I made this for my family and everyone loved it!

      Reply
    17. Jill says

      December 5, 2019 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      Such a classic and comforting meal. Love how colorful it is too!

      Reply
    18. Noelle says

      December 5, 2019 at 4:50 pm

      5 stars
      Another slow cooker recipe for the win! I love this idea, can’t wait for more!!

      Reply
    19. Nicole says

      December 5, 2019 at 4:09 pm

      5 stars
      I love this! Looks so flavorful and delicious!!!

      Reply
    20. Anita says

      December 5, 2019 at 3:46 pm

      5 stars
      Using bone-in chicken thighs for this is simply perfect, and cold weather is a great time for all kind of slow cooker meal. 🙂

      Reply
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