Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
The BEST thing to come out of my crock pot lately, this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is so simple to make from scratch. The set it and forget it chicken dinner you’ll add to your weekly menu from this point on.
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
School’s about to start in less than two weeks…..are you sick of me counting down yet? I just am in disbelief that summer is winding down so quickly and I’ll soon have piles of school papers taking over my kitchen….lunches to make (I hope there’s nothing still in the lunchbox from June)….morning drop offs every single day. I’m not ready. Landon’s not ready. We still have summer days to live.
Sometimes I wonder if home schooling is the way to go….to extend our summer days to the actual end of summer. Whhhhyyyy does school have to start before Labor Day? But, because the start of school will happen whether I want it to or not…..I’m planning all the easy meals to get dinner on the table without drama.
Like this easy Cheeseburger Macaroni which only makes it’s appearance during the school year for some reason and this easy Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe. It’s simple, it’s soooo tasty and it’s KID APPROVED!
It’s inspired by this easy Baked Chicken Cacciatore skillet recipe I made a few years ago and, was also, a huge hit with the littles. We’ve been making it for years and it’s always a quick dinner hit but this Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore is just as easy and so, soooooo good!
What is Chicken Cacciatore
Cacciatore, which means “hunter” in Italian, is a dish commonly made with chicken or rabbit. Alla cacciatora refers to the meal being prepared “hunter style” containing garlic, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and, sometimes, wine. It was, historically, made by hunters beginning in the 14th century.
These days, cacciatore is made most often with chicken but is also made with beef, veal and pork.
This easy Chicken Cacciatore recipe is, now, my favorite way to whip up these simple dinner to feed the family.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore
Making this easy Chicken Cacciatore recipe is simple to do with a few kitchen staples.
Here’s how to make Chicken Cacciatore in the Crockpot or slow cooker:
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet to brown on both sides. Set aside.
- Layer the vegetables in the slow cooker and then top with the chicken breasts.
- Pour the tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasoning over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- Remove the chicken and stir the vegetables to combine.
- Serve the chicken with the sauce and vegetables over pasta or rice, if desired.
Sometimes, I like to make this for an easy dinner party and pair it with a great wine like Chianti, Pino Noir, Lambrusco or a Tempranillo. A crisp white wine would go will with the rustic sauce, too.
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Ingredients
What I LOVE about this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe is that it uses common kitchen staples that I always have around. You can juice it up a bit, if you like, by adding olives, capers or some crushed red pepper to make it a little spicy.
- Olive Oil
- Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
- Onion
- Green Bell Pepper
- Red Bell Pepper
- Cremini Mushrooms
- Garlic Cloves
- Italian Seasoning
- Dry Red Wine
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Butter
- Chopped Parsley
- Chopped Fresh Basil
- Salt and Pepper
If you don’t want to use wine because you’re not a wine drinker or avoid alcohol, a splash of balsamic vinegar will add a lot of depth and body to your sauce. Just a tablespoon or two will do the trick but you may, also, want to add the same amount of sugar to help tame the tartness of the sauce.
You can certainly skip the wine altogether but the wine really does make the sauce extra tasty and the alcohol does cook off during the process.
How to Make in Advance
This Chicken Cacciatore recipe is a great way to meal prep for the week ahead, too! You can totally make the chicken in your slow cooker on Sunday along with your other meal prepping recipes and then package everything up for your lunches or easy dinners for the whole week.
Chicken Cacciatore will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the coldest part of the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
While this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is naturally wonderful with pasta, I like to mix things up a little bit. Sometimes, I love to serve it alongside this Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with some extra parmesan cheese.
The best noodles to go with chicken cacciatore are those that capture the sauce well like a rigatoni or a ditalini, something with ridges or holes for the flavorful sauce to hide in. We love to use linguine or fettuccini, too!
These reader favorites are perfect, too!
- Keep it low carb with Cauliflower Rice
- Serve over a pile of Mashed Potatoes
- Or these Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes are amazing, too
OR freshen things up with some crisp veggies like:
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipe Ideas
- Slow Cooker Pork Loin Roast
- Easy Slow Cooker French Dip
- Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cheesesteak
- Best Ever Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- This Butter Chicken recipe is nothing short of amazing!
Want even more easy family favorite recipes? Follow us over on Instagram!
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large vidalia onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 14.5 ounce can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 1 8 ounce can Tomato Sauce
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1/4 cup Fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup Fresh Chopped basil
Equipment
- slow cooker
- crockpot
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned, approximately 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken over and brown on the opposite side, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from the pan. Set aside.
- Layer the onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic in the slow cooker.
- Arrange the chicken breasts on top of the vegetables.
- Pour the wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, butter and seasoning over the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- Remove the chicken. Stir the vegetables and fresh herbs to combine.
- Serve the chicken with the sauce and vegetables over pasta or rice, if desired.
Video
18 Comments on “Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore”
Really good. I added a bit of sugar to offset the tomatoes. Will make this once per month! Delish!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it!
Third time making this! Delicious!
Can I cook this recipe in a Dutch oven and if so how long and at what temperature
Yes, you can definitely cook it in a dutch oven, covered, at 350˚F. Cook for 1 hour or until the chicken is fork tender.
This was delicious! Definitely will make again!
so happy you liked it! It’s one of our favorites.
What can I substitute for the red wine to make it kid friendly?
You can omit it or use apple juice in place of the wine.
Velry good
Thank you!
This is hand down a favorite of ours but making it in the slow cooker is genius!
Great recipe – turned out delicious!
Such a delicious dinner recipe and it was so easy to make! Thanks!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Yum! I loved how easy this was, and it was devoured by the whole family.
Slow cooker recipes are my favorite! This was amazing and I can’t wait to make it again. Such an easy way to make chicken!
Looks delicious! I always worry about chicken breast getting dry in the slow cooker.. I definitely will try this recipe! Did you use fettuccine noodles?