Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with potatoes is an EASY weeknight dinner that cooks itself! With chicken falling off the bone in an Italian stew, this is comfort food at its finest.
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is one of the most easy and flavoursome recipes I’ve made! That’s along aside Slow Cooker Asian Glazed Chicken, Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken, Slow Cooker Steak and Gravy Pies, and many more!
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Cacciatore means hunter in Italian, and alla cacciatora translates to a ‘hunter-style’ meal or stew with chicken, onions, herbs and vegetables, all simmered down in a thick and rich tomato sauce, until the chicken is falling off the bone.
A step up from my popular Chicken Cacciatore recipe, THIS Cacciatore has the added bonus of baby potatoes AND is so easy to make! No baby sitting a pot over the stove required because it’s all done in your slow cooker!
Included in this recipe is the option to browning the chicken first. Personally, I love searing any meat before adding it into the slow cooker, for added flavour. But you don’t have too! Especially if preparing this before work and rushing out the door 20 minutes late with one shoe in hand…..never mind. If you loved the slow cooker experience and want to utilize it more try our Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs
Once it’s all done, serve over pasta, steamed vegetables, spaghetti squash OR rice.
More Slow Cooker Suggestions:
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore With Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on or off
- 1 pinch salt to season
- 1 pinch pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons olive oil more if needed
- 2 pounds baby potatoes quartered
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced, or 8 cloves
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 1 small yellow pepper deseeded and diced
- 1 small red pepper deseeded and diced
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes canned
- 14 oz tomato passata tomato sauce or puree for US readers
- 150 ml red wine optional – substitute with beef broth if desired
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons freshly parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 beef bouillon cube crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to your taste
- 1 pinch pepper adjust to your taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup pitted black olives
Instructions
- Optional step: Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan or skillet. Sear skin-side down (if using skin on thighs) first for 3 minutes, until deep golden brown. Rotate and sear the other side for a further 3 minutes.
- Arrange the potatoes in a 6qt slow cooker bowl in single layer. Place the chicken over the potatoes and add the rest of the ingredients over the chicken (except olives and mushrooms).
- Stir to combine; cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours, until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
- Add in the mushrooms and olives in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Season with extra salt, to your tastes and serve.
- Serve over rice, pasta or spaghetti squash.
Notes
Nutrition
Jennifer says
Other than adding capers I I made the recipe exactly as written and it turned out great. I cooked with skin on for flavor then pulled it off before serving.
Mike says
This was a very good recipe. The only thing I did differently was use boneless thighs. If it’s to be fall off the bone tender, I left them out from the start. I also hate flabby chicken skin, so was nice to not have to deal w that. Nice mix of seasonings (though I added a needed bay leaf & t. of Rosemary) and wine and it was delicious made w kalmata olives! I felt the sauce was a bit thin, so next time I’ll use a whole can 6oz of tomato paste to thicken it up more. Also only had 1.5lbs baby potatoes. W a bit thicker sauce and additional potatoes, you wouldn’t need the extra carbs of pasta.
Gertrude says
I made a version of this recipe and it was great! I didn’t serve it with rice but I will with the leftovers. I didn’t brown the chicken, used drumsticks, forgot the carrots, added peas, no olives as my husband doesn’t like them. I wish I had used double the chicken. Next time I will.
Kyle says
Excellent recipe! I used Boneless skinless chicken breast (seasoned and seared them a little first) instead of thighs and it was still super tender! I can’t imagine it being any better. Will definitely be making again!
jo says
I made this tonight, and my husband and guests loved it. Searing the skin-one, bone-in thighs before putting them in the crockpot added lots of flavor, but the skin did not stay crispy in the slow cooker.