This easy, family-friendly Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore has tender chicken thighs, peppers and onions simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce. Perfect over pasta, rice, polenta or veggies.
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is an easy, comforting Italian dinner with tender bone-in chicken thighs, bell peppers, onions, and herbs simmered in a rich tomato sauce. You can quickly brown the chicken and vegetables first for even more flavor, or use the easy dump-and-go method when you’re short on time. Serve it over pasta, polenta, rice, or spaghetti squash to soak up every bit of the sauce.
Chicken cacciatore means “hunter-style chicken” in Italian and is traditionally prepared by slowly braising chicken with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and herbs. My lighter slow cooker version skips the flour and heavy frying but still gives you tender chicken and a flavorful, rustic sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Easy and mostly hands-off: Once everything is in the slow cooker, it does the rest of the work.
- Two preparation options: Brown the chicken and vegetables for deeper flavor or use the quick dump-and-go method.
- Tender, flavorful chicken: Bone-in thighs stay juicy during the long cooking time and add richness to the sauce.
- Healthy comfort food: It’s naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, and made with simple ingredients.
- Great for meal prep: The flavor is even better the next day, and leftovers freeze well.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you need to make Chicken Cacciatore in the slow cooker. See recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed. The bone adds flavor and helps the chicken stay tender as it slowly cooks.
- Crushed tomatoes: These create the rich tomato sauce. I like Tuttorosso.
- Bell peppers: A combination of red and green bell peppers adds sweetness, color, and classic cacciatore flavor.
- Onion: Slice half of a large onion into strips.
- Dried oregano: Adds Italian flavor to the tomato sauce.
- Bay leaf: Infuses the sauce with flavor as it cooks. Remember to remove it before serving.
- Salt and pepper: Season the chicken and adjust the sauce to taste after cooking.
- Fresh herbs: Finish with chopped basil or parsley for freshness and color.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
You can make this recipe using the quick method or brown the chicken and vegetables first for even more flavor. See recipe card below for printable instructions.
- Season the chicken: Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper and place them in the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Pour the crushed tomatoes over the chicken. Add the sliced onions and bell peppers, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Give everything a quick stir and cover.
- Slow cook: Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- Thicken the sauce: For the quick method, remove the lid and leave the slow cooker on HIGH for 1 additional hour, allowing the excess liquid to evaporate and the sauce to thicken.
- Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaf, adjust the salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
For Even More Flavor
Before adding everything to the slow cooker, brown the seasoned chicken thighs in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side. Transfer them to the slow cooker. Sauté the onions and peppers in the same skillet until their juices release and the vegetables begin to turn golden, then add them to the slow cooker. Continue with the tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Gina’s Slow Cooker Tips:
- For the best flavor: Brown the chicken thighs for a few minutes on each side before transferring them to the slow cooker. Sautéing the onions and peppers until they begin to turn golden also adds depth and produces a richer sauce.
- For the easiest method: Short on time? Add everything directly to the slow cooker without browning it first. The sauce will be thinner, but you can easily thicken it at the end.
- To thicken the sauce: Remove the lid and leave the slow cooker on HIGH for 1 additional hour. This allows some of the excess liquid to evaporate without adding flour.
- Don’t add broth: The chicken and vegetables release plenty of liquid as they cook, so no additional broth is needed.
- Use bone-in chicken: If you prefer white meat, you can use bone-in chicken breasts. Keeping the chicken on the bone adds flavor and helps prevent it from drying out.
- Adjust the seasoning at the end: Flavors can become muted during slow cooking, so taste the sauce before serving and add more salt, pepper, or oregano if needed.
What to Serve with Chicken Cacciatore
This saucy Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is delicious served over something that can soak up the flavorful tomato sauce.
- Vegetables: Pair it with roasted broccoli, green beans, or a simple green salad.
- Pasta: Serve it over spaghetti, linguine, or your favorite pasta.
- Polenta: Creamy polenta is perfect with the tender chicken and rich sauce.
- Rice: Spoon it over white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
- Spaghetti squash: A lighter, low-carb option that pairs well with the tomato sauce.
- Bread: Add a piece of sourdough bread for soaking up every last bit of sauce.
A Note About Chicken Cacciatore
Cooking Chicken Cacciatore on the stovetop differs from using the slow cooker. Liquid evaporates quickly on the stove, whereas very little evaporates in the slow cooker. You may be tempted to add broth, but don’t. The chicken and vegetables release plenty of liquid as they cook. Since flavors can become muted during slow cooking, taste the sauce at the end and adjust the herbs, salt, and pepper as needed. For a faster method, try my Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore recipe.
Storage and Freezing
- Refrigerate: Store the chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Once cooled, freeze the chicken cacciatore in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through. Add a splash of water if the sauce has become too thick.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
If you love easy, hands-off chicken dinners, try these recipes next, or browse all my
- Crock Pot Chicken a la Criolla
- Slow Cooker Coq au Vin
- Slow Cooker Lemon Feta Chicken Drumsticks
- Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, Tuttorosso my favorite!
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1/2 large onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- kosher salt, and fresh pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley for topping
Instructions
Quick method:
- Season chicken with salt and black pepper and place in the slow cooker.
- Pour tomatoes over the chicken, top with onions and peppers, add oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, give it a quick stir and cover.
- Set crock pot to LOW 6 to 8 hours or HIGH 3 to 4 hours.
- When the timer beeps, remove lid and keep the crock pot on HIGH one hour to help it thicken.
Better method but requires more prep:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high, lightly spray with oil and brown chicken on both sides a few minutes, season with salt and pepper. Add to the slow cooker.
- To the skillet, spray with a little more oil and add onions and peppers. Sauté until juices release and the vegetables become golden, a few minutes.Add to the slow cooker. Pour tomatoes over the chicken and vegetables, add oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, give it a quick stir and cover.
- Set crock pot to LOW 8 hours or HIGH 4 hours. Remove bay leaf, adjust salt and pepper and enjoy!
- * Pasta not included in nutritional info.