Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is a classic comfort food recipe that we modified and made in the crockpot to create delicious set-and-forget version of the Italian classic. Chicken breasts (or thighs/bone chicken pieces) are seared then cooked in the most delicious rich herb tomato sauce filled with mushrooms, bell peppers and onions.
Served with pasta, this lovely meal has big and beautiful flavors, and brings such cozy and comforting vibes. So filling and so elegant in taste, flavors, and preparation!
Looking for more easy and delicious Italian dinners on the blog? Check out my recipes for Spaghetti and Meat Sauce, Lemon Chicken Piccata, Classic Lasagna, Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta and Spinach Lasagna.
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
There’s something magical about this slow cooker chicken cacciatore – the Italian flavors, the tender chicken soaked through with rich tomato sauce, and the soft vegetables that surround it. It’s a simple dish, but such a flavorful one, the kind that warms the heart and stomach alike.
“Chicken Cacciatore” translates to “hunter-style chicken” in English (it’s called alla cacciatora in Italian). It’s a rich, tomato-based Italian stew where tender chicken slowly cooks in a vegetable-rich sauce, infused with herbs and spices along the way. Traditionally, cacciatore was made with whatever the hunter brought home that day (often rabbit!). Chicken has since become the most popular version by far.
The slow cooker makes it super easy to get a delicious Chicken Cacciatore dinner on the table. You really don’t need to work too hard to get some pretty fancy tasting Italian food with very little effort.
I love making slow cooker chicken cacciatore because everything cooks in one pot. There’s no babysitting or stirring involved, and you can set it, forget it and even leave the house!
It’s Quick and easy to throw together in the morning, or even the night before. This Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe is actually ready for you after a busy or long day. Hello dinner in style with minimal effort!
If you don’t have a slow cooker or crockpot, chicken cacciatore can easily be made on the stovetop. You will have to babysit it and it will take about 40 minutes of your time from start to finish.
To make slow cooker chicken cacciatore, you will need a at least a 6 qt slow cooker to fit all the ingredients. You will want to season and sear chicken on the stovetop first, before bringing everything into the slow cooker.
While searing the chicken brings an extra step to this recipe, it is an important step to really bring incredible flavors to the chicken. Avoid skipping this step! It’s only an extra 5-10 minutes and it is so worth it!
Ingredients for slow cooker chicken cacciatore
This delicious slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe calls for a couple of classic Italian ingredients:
- Chicken breasts: This recipe calls for boneless chicken breast, halved lengthwise for a thinner cut that sears up flavorful and fast. Bone-in, boneless, or even skin-on chicken thighs work great too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Red wine: This cooks down so it won’t be very alcoholic by the time it’s done (most of the alcohol evaporates during cooking). Red wine adds a deep, rich flavor to the sauce and is very much needed. Any dry red wine such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon works great. Avoid sweet red wines for this recipe.
- Red bell pepper: Any color bell pepper works here, so use whatever you have on hand.
- Onion: White or yellow onions work great, sliced or diced into smaller pieces.
- Crushed tomatoes: If you cannot find crushed tomatoes, you can use canned diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes. Crush them up a little first.
- Tomato paste: Don’t substitute this with anything else. It gives a nice deep tomato flavor as well as a thick consistency to the sauce.
- Mushrooms: White mushrooms work great (that’s what I use). Cremini (baby bella) are a lovely swap if you want something a little earthier. Wash and slice before adding to the slow cooker.
- Garlic cloves: The slow cooking process softens and practically dissolves the garlic. Avoid substituting garlic powder here – fresh garlic really is best.
- Dried oregano: Adds an earthy, slightly peppery, aromatic depth that’s central to cacciatore’s flavor. Other herbs such as basil or Italian seasoning can be used as well.
- Salt and black pepper: The simple seasoning base for the chicken rub. It’s what helps that seared crust turn out so good.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme sprigs add a lovely earthy, aromatic edge to the sauce.
- Sugar: Just a touch to balance the acidity of the tomatoes – it rounds out the sauce nicely.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore in the Slow Cooker
Step 1: Season and Sear Chicken
First, we will season both sides of the halved chicken breasts with a seasoning combination of salt, black pepper and dried oregano.
Because we are slow cooking Chicken Cacciatore, we are going to want to sear the chicken for a short few minutes in vegetable oil in a skillet, to lock in those seasonings and spices. Doing so will create a crispy texture on the outside of the piece of chicken. This will help keep the chicken flavorful and prevent it from coming out bland.
We are not looking for the chicken to be fully cooked at this point. Let it sear in vegetable oil for only a minute or so on one side in medium high heat, then flip and sear the other side.
Step 2: Slow Cook the Chicken Cacciatore
Next, grab a slow cooker that is at least 6 qt or larger, then add canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings – red wine, fresh thyme, garlic, and salt – into the crockpot. Stir to mix.
Nestle seared chicken into sauce in the slow cooker. Then add vegetables such as bell pepper, mushrooms and onions, and gently push vegetables into the sauce and on top of the chicken.
Top everything with a few sprigs of fresh thyme, then cover with the crockpot lid.
Cook on high heat for 3 hours in the slow cooker, or low for 6 hours. When it’s done, give it a stir. Discard the thyme sprigs, and then taste the sauce. Add salt to taste, this will help open up the flavors in the sauce.
When it is done, chicken cacciatore should be fork tender. It will be submerged in that rich tomato herb sauce that is not too thick or too thin, and very flavorful. Bell peppers and mushroom should have softened, adding even more flavor throughout the dish.
Step 3: Serve!
I highly recommend serving this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore over a bed of pasta – spaghetti, linguine, penne, or rigatoni all work great with this recipe. But pasta isn’t the only way to go! This dish is just as delicious spooned over rice, wide egg noodles, creamy mashed potatoes, or a scoop of warm polenta. Looking for a lower-carb option? Try it over zucchini noodles or roasted spaghetti squash instead.
Spoon sauce generously over your cooked pasta (or whichever base you choose) so every bite is coated – there should be plenty of sauce to go around! A sprinkle of fresh parsley (and parmesan, if you’re feeling fancy) right before serving is the perfect finishing touch.
Stove Top Directions
If you choose not to cook Chicken Cacciatore in the slow cooker, no worries! It can also be cooked on the stovetop. This method requires you to babysit it more while it is cooking, and it takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.
Sear the chicken: Season and sear the chicken in a large pot just as directed above, searing in two batches if needed, then remove chicken and set aside.
Cook the vegetables: Sear the garlic, onions, red bell peppers, and mushrooms in the same pot until softened.
Build the sauce: Stir in the sauce ingredients from above (crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, and sugar) and bring to a boil.
Simmer: Submerge the chicken into the sauce and let it cook covered on medium low for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.
Add salt to taste, then serve over pasta, rice, or your favorite side!
Variations And Substitutions
- Chicken thighs: Bone-in, boneless, or skin-on chicken thighs all work beautifully in place of chicken breast – thighs are actually the more traditional (and arguably more flavorful) choice for chicken cacciatore.
- Cremini mushrooms: A deeper, earthier alternative to white mushrooms in this recipe.
- Red pepper flakes: Add a pinch if you like a little heat – it’s not traditional, but it’s a delicious twist.
- Beef or pork cacciatore: Cacciatore was traditionally made with whatever the hunter caught that day, which historically often meant rabbit. These days, beef or pork stew meat can be substituted using the same method – just adjust the cook time until the meat is fork-tender.
- Rosemary: Swap or add rosemary alongside the thyme for a slightly more woodsy, aromatic sauce.
Make Ahead, Storage, And Reheating
Make ahead: Season and sear the chicken up to a day in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator, then add everything to the slow cooker when you’re ready to cook.
Storage: Store Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the chicken and pasta separately if possible, so the noodles don’t get mushy.
Freezing: This recipe freezes well too. Let the chicken cacciatore cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat Chicken Cacciatore in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. If frozen, defrost completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
Tips and Tricks
- Browning chicken: While it may seem like an unnecessary step, browning the chicken before adding it to the slow cooker adds so much more depth of flavor to the final dish.
- Searing in batches: Searing usually only takes 5-10 minutes total between both batches, so it’s worth the little extra time.
- Adding other vegetables: Other veggies such as carrots, broccoli, or green beans work great in this recipe too.
- Loosening the sauce: If the sauce seems too thick after slow cooking, stir in a splash of chicken broth to loosen it back up.
- Thicken sauce: If you want your sauce thicker, whisk a little corn starch with some of the hot liquid, then stir it back in and let it simmer on medium heat for a few extra minutes.
- Use fresh herbs: I like to add fresh herbs such as thyme to the slow cooker, instead of dried. I use dried herbs to make the seasoning for the chicken, but fresh herbs have a more potent flavor and can really bump the flavor profile of the sauce up a few notches.
- Choosing your wine: Cook with a dry red wine you’d actually enjoy drinking – the quality really does come through in the sauce.
- Garnish before serving: A sprinkle of fresh parsley (and parmesan, if you like) right before serving brightens up the whole dish.
- Doubling the recipe: This recipe doubles well if you have a large enough slow cooker (8 qt or bigger) – great for meal prep or feeding a crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
When picking out wines, note that you don’t need to get an expensive wine, but I won’t get the cheapest wine either. My rule for cooking with wine is this: cook with wine that you would not mind drinking, because cooking does not take away the quality in old or bad wine. Cooking it does slowly take out the alcoholic content.
This step will help lock in the seasonings into the chicken. It is an important step to make sure chicken is flavorful and not bland, so do not skip this step.
You can thicken the sauce with corn starch. After chicken is done cooking, remove chicken from slow cooker. Bring 1/4 of liquid from the slow cooker into a small bowl, and combine with 2 tsp of corn starch. Mix until corn starch is fully combined, then bring liquid back into the slow cooker. Stir and cover. Cook on high for 10-15 minutes to thicken sauce.
Cook time is about 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. If using bone-in chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, the cook time should stay about the same, but always check that the chicken is fork-tender before serving.
Yes! Bone-in, boneless, or skin-on chicken thighs all work well in this recipe, and several readers have made the swap successfully with about the same cook time.
Yes, this is a mild, family-friendly dish as written – just skip any optional heat add-ins, and feel free to serve it over noodles or rice for smaller appetites.
Skip the pasta and spoon it over zucchini noodles or roasted spaghetti squash instead – both soak up the sauce beautifully.
Other Yummy Chicken Recipes
- Lemon Balsamic Grilled (or Pan-Fried) Chicken
- Skillet Chicken With Blistered Tomatoes
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Spicy Baked Chicken Tenders
- Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Baked BBQ Chicken Wings
- Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
- Slow Cooker Asian Ribs
- Slow Cooker Dr Pepper BBQ Ribs (by An Affair from the Heart)
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 4 pieces chicken breast halved lengthwise
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp salt plus more for sauce to taste
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz white mushrooms sliced
- 2 bell peppers sliced
- 1/2 white onion
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2-3 springs thyme
Instructions
- Combine oregano, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle over halved chicken breasts on both sides.
- Heat skillet with vegetable oil under medium high heat. Once oil is hot, sear chicken breast on one side until slightly brown (about 1-2 minutes), then flip and sear the other side (another 1 minute or so). Remove chicken once the other side is lightly browned and set aside. The goal is to sear seasonings into the surface of the chicken – chicken does not need to be fully cooked. Cook in two batches if skillet is not big enough.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, garlic, and sugar to slow cooker. Mix to combine.
- Add slices of chicken breast to slow cooker, and nestle them into the sauce. Then add onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, and then top with a very sprigs of fresh thyme. Use a spoon to submerge the ingredients into the sauce as much as possible (okay if not fully submerged).
- Cook on high for 3 hours.
- Remove lid and add salt to taste. Salt will open up the flavors of the sauce.
- Discard thyme and garlic pieces. Serve chicken with (lots of) sauce over a bed of pasta. Enjoy!
After cooking all day, my kitchen smelled so good that I couldn’t wait to dive into this meal. It tasted absolutely delicious and my family couldn’t wait to inhale the leftovers which is a rarity in my house.
I’m so glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
Such a flavorful and delicious meal!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you!
can I put potatos in it also?
Sure!
Hi! If I use boneless thighs, how long in the crockpot?
It should be about the same amount of time! 🙂