Published 12/21/2021 • Updated 8/28/2023 If you are a big slow cooker fan, try our crockpot sesame chicken, honey sriracha crockpot chicken, or this crockpot chicken chili!
Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker Recipe – An Italian Favorite
Have you ever been asked the question “If you could eat one type of cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?”? Every single time my answer is ITALIAN. Meat, cheese, crunchy bread, green salads, red onion, wine, and pasta. PASTA. I just love the spices and flavors of Italian cooking. I also love Italian culture. The very first trip Lee and I ever took together was a study abroad trip to Italy. We studied, took cooking classes, and ate delicious food. I fell in love with Italian culture, PDA, and the intentional time Italians spend on their food for their people. Actually, the cooking class that Lee and I took in Italy is where we both learned how to make a traditional chicken cacciatore! Cacciatore (or alle cacciatora) means “hunters style”. The dish is traditionally made with wild game. You throw your meat into a pot with tomato sauce, onion, herbs, and olives and you let it slow cook in a dutch oven. It is a delicious process! Our chicken cacciatore recipe uses all of the traditional ingredients of a traditional cacciatore, but we throw it all in a crock pot for ease. Give it all a stir at the end, and serve it over your favorite pasta — seriously, the tenderness of this slow cooker chicken cacciatore cannot be beat.
Chicken Cacciatore Tips + Tricks
There is really nothing you can do to screw up this chicken cacciatore slow cooker recipe. One thing I really love about this recipe is the flavor of the tomato sauce after you have let it slow cook for hours. It’s so scrumptious. Some of the things to keep in mind before making this chicken cacciatore slow cooker recipe. Nobody likes squishy vegetables. Don’t slice your sweet peppers too thin. You don’t want them to get too squishy in the slow cooker. It’s all about the flavor. The flavor of the tomato sauce really depends on your fresh herbs and what Italian Seasoning you have. You guys, our very favorite Italian Seasoning is from Lunds & Byerlys. It has a mixture of real Italian seasoning, but then has chunks of garlic, onion, and more. It’s to die for. If I’m being honest with you I always add an extra tablespoon if I have this mix on hand! Anyway, buy yourself a quality Italian seasoning, people! Don’t have an Italian seasoning on hand? Use the following dried ingredients:
oregano parsley basil rosemary thyme
Make it your own. If you would like to add different veggies to your chicken cacciatore, feel free to add them! Here are a list of some other great options!
Potato – cut into 1/2 inch cubes Mushrooms – halved Cauliflower – cut into chunks Spice it up with red pepper flakes Use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts Don’t have yellow onion on hand? Any medium onion will do.
Do I have to add olives to chicken cacciatore? Of course you don’t have to add the olives, but they add an insanely delicious flavor to the recipe. Try adding the olives and then picking them out before you eat it!
What do I serve with chicken cacciatore? You can serve this chicken cacciatore slow cooker recipe however you would like, but we would serve it over your favorite pasta! We used pappardelle pasta and it was amazing, but feel free to use anything from spaghetti to zucchini noodles. What kind of wine goes with chicken cacciatore? The last touch would be to top your cacciatore with parmesan cheese and a glass of wine! We would suggest keeping things Italian with this dish. We would suggest a Sangiovese red with this delicious dish! How long does chicken cacciatore last in the refrigerator? You can keep chicken cacciatore in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
6 Crockpot Chicken Recipes
Looking for more crockpot chicken recipes? Look no further! Check out 6 similar recipes below. And for an added bonus, check out our Crockpot Freezer Meals post where we teach you how to turn all of these slow cooker recipes into freezer meals.
