Description
This Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore is a comforting Italian classic made easy with tender chicken thighs cooked low and slow in a rich tomato sauce loaded with bell peppers, mushrooms, and aromatic herbs. Perfect for a hands-off meal that fills your home with irresistible aromas and delivers a hearty, flavorful dish ideal served over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless & skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetables
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Tomato Sauce
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Finishing Touches
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Fresh parsley and basil for garnish
Instructions
- Sear the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown. This step is optional but adds great flavor.
- Prepare the slow cooker base: Add the sliced onion, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, and minced garlic to the bottom of your slow cooker, creating a flavorful vegetable bed.
- Layer the chicken: Place the seared or raw chicken thighs or breasts evenly on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Mix the tomato sauce: In a large bowl, combine crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, dried basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir well to blend all ingredients thoroughly.
- Combine and cook: Pour the tomato sauce mixture evenly over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours until the chicken is tender and easily pulls apart.
- Finish with capers and seasoning: Stir in the capers, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed to balance flavors.
- Serve: Serve the chicken and rich tomato sauce over cooked pasta, rice, or creamy mashed potatoes. Garnish generously with fresh parsley and basil for a pop of color and fresh herb flavor.
Notes
- Searing the chicken before slow cooking is optional but enhances flavor and texture.
- Use chicken thighs for juicier, more flavorful results; breasts work as a leaner substitute.
- Adjust red pepper flakes to control the spice level, or omit for milder flavor.
- This dish pairs beautifully with any pasta shape, polenta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/6th of recipe)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
