Crock pot chicken cacciatore is a simple dinner that makes an easy weeknight meal or Sunday dinner. This classic Italian dish is cooked low and slow and can be served over pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes.
This post was originally published in April 2021 and has been updated for content.
Slow cooker meals are great for busy weeknights or even the holidays. They are prepped ahead of time so you can go about your day for an easy weeknight dinner or holiday celebration. This easy recipe is a great slow cooker meal for such an occasion.
This easy chicken cacciatore recipe would be great served with spinach and ricotta stuffed mushrooms and Italian rice balls with chocolate dipped biscotti for dessert. Don't forget the crusty bread so you can dip it in the cacciatore sauce!
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🥘 Ingredient notes
- Chicken - Chicken thighs are tender and higher in fat than chicken breasts, so they are great for slow cooking. They are also inexpensive and very flavorful. You can either use boneless skinless chicken thighs as listed below or bone-in chicken thighs for more flavor.
- Bell pepper - Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers have a sweeter flavor to them, while green bell peppers have a lighter and slightly bitter taste to them. Any or a variety of all can be used in this crock pot chicken cacciatore recipe.
- Tomatoes - For a thicker sauce, use canned crushed tomatoes, and for a thinner sauce, use canned diced tomatoes.
- Serving - Spaghetti noodles or your favorite pasta can be used to serve this dish. White rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta would also be great with this crockpot chicken cacciatore.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Olives - A can of drained black or kalamata olives can be stirred in during the last hour of cooking.
- Spicy - Add ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the seasonings.
- Peppers - Add 6-8 pepperoncini peppers during the last hour of cooking.
- Creamy - Stir in ½ cup of half and half or heavy cream into the finished dish.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, add the chicken thighs to the bottom of the crock pot and then season them with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Next, add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth or stock.
Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours until the chicken is fork tender. Serve the crock pot chicken cacciatore over your favorite pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that I mention, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Lay your chicken in an even layer in the crock pot so that it cooks evenly.
- Slice your mushrooms and chop your vegetables into bite-sized pieces for even cooking and easy eating.
💭 Frequently asked questions
Cacciatore is an Italian word that means "hunter". In Italian cuisine, it means that a dish is prepared "hunter style" with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, occasionally bell peppers and sometimes wine or vinegar.
🥡 Storage instructions
Leftovers of this Italian chicken cacciatore will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It can then be reheated in the microwave, the oven, or the stovetop over medium-low heat.
🥘 More slow cooker meals
If you loved this crock pot chicken cacciatore recipe, then make sure you check out these other slow cooker recipes that I know you will love!
- Slow Cooker Jalapeno Pulled Chicken
- Easy Slow Cooker Minestrone
- Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos
- Crock Pot Chicken Marsala
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in the crock pot and season with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
Substitutions or Variations
- Olives - A can of drained black or kalamata olives can be stirred in during the last hour of cooking.
- Spicy - Add ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the seasonings.
- Peppers - Add 6-8 pepperoncini peppers during the last hour of cooking.
- Creamy - Stir in ½ cup of half and half or heavy cream into the finished dish.
Linny
Delicious recipe! I’ve been wanting to attempt this dish and when I saw your
recipe, I knew it was something I can do! I actually made it on an iron cast skillet because I forgot to put it in my slow cooker earlier that day and wanted it to cook faster. It was still very delicious!
Amanda
That's awesome, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!