Loaded with mushrooms and peppers, this generously sauced “hunter’s chicken” from Italy is a meal in a bowl. Fresh herbs, salty olives, and red wine add bright flavors.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this easy-to-make recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore.
1. Info for Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Cook Time: 3 hr 50 min
- Total Time: 3 hr 50 min
- Servings: 6
- Calories: 604 kcal
2. Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 onion (medium)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (for onion)
- 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (large, about 3 1/2 lb. chicken)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (for mushrooms)
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz. per can)
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- Cooked pasta (such as pappardelle, for serving)
- Salt (for serving)
- Freshly ground black pepper (for serving)
3. Directions:
3.1 Prep
Rinse the mushrooms and slice about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the bell peppers into 1 inch pieces. Cut the olives in half. Chop the rosemary. Set vegetables aside. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
3.2 Stove
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove skin from chicken, and trim away any fat. Discard skin and fat and arrange chicken in a single layer in a 6-qt. slow cooker. Arrange onion mixture over chicken.
Heat the oil in the same large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add reserved mushrooms and the rosemary, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
3.3 Prep
Add reserved bell peppers to slow cooker with the wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, and olives. Stir to blend tomato paste into vegetables.
Cover slow cooker and cook on high until chicken is no longer pink at the bone (insert small knife into a chicken thigh to see the bone), about 3 hours. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl and cover to keep warm.
Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into slow cooker juices. Cook, covered, on high until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Return chicken to slow cooker.
3.4 Serve
Chop the parsley. Spoon chicken cacciatore into wide serving bowls with pasta. Top with parsley, and add salt and pepper to taste.