Easiest Ever Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Do you want a delicious, easy dinner that your family will love? Then try Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore! This easy recipe requires just a few simple ingredients and a handful of minutes to prepare. All you need to do is put the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it work its magic until dinner is ready. It’s an easy and delicious weeknight meal that your family will be asking for again and again! So grab your slow cooker and get ready for a delicious dinner made easy. Enjoy!
Have you ever tried cooking a delicious dinner with minimal effort? With Crockpot Recipes, all you need to do is combine a few ingredients in the pot and let them slowly simmer away for the day. By dinner time, you have a warm, flavorful meal – with no fuss and muss! So if your daily schedule only leaves little time for dinner prep, why not throw in some hearty ingredients and let your Crockpot do all the hard work?
Ingredients Needed for this Recipe
Here’s what you need to make this easy, hearty dinner!
- Skinless Chicken Quarters– Skinless chicken quarters are a great choice for slow cooker chicken cacciatore. The small size of the pieces allows them to cook in the same time as the vegetables, and the skinless aspect makes sure that all of the flavors of the ingredients mix together perfectly. There’s nothing worse than having overcooked chicken on top of your simmering cacciatore sauce – but with skinless quarters, you don’t have to worry about that!
- Kosher Salt– Kosher salt is ideal for slow cooker chicken cacciatore! Its coarse texture and mild salty flavor make it perfect for adding an extra layer of seasoning, creating a nourishing yet delicious meal.
- Ground Pepper– Ground pepper is the perfect addition to add a special kick of flavour to slow cooker chicken cacciatore. As the chicken cooks and the sauce simmers, the ground pepper blends in with the other spices and brings out the flavours that make this culinary classic great.
- Large Onion– Slow cooker chicken cacciatore is a hearty and rustic dish, and the use of large onions in it is essential for creating a robust flavor! Large onions have more layers than smaller onions, so when cooked for long periods of time, their pleasant sweetness intensifies.
- Sliced Carrots– Carrots are a great addition to slow cooker chicken cacciatore because they add flavor, texture, and color. Adding sliced carrots during the cooking process gives the dish an extra boost of sweetness. Not only do carrots bring a warm hint of honey-like flavor but they also hold their shape in the cooking process which adds an inviting crunch while eating.
- Mushrooms– Mushrooms are an excellent addition to chicken cacciatore dishes. Not only do they have a distinct and delicious earthy flavor that pairs well with the slow-cooked, savory goodness of the chicken and sauce, but they also help thicken up the sauce – making it nice and creamy.
- Red Bell Pepper– Red bell pepper adds a unique flavor and brilliant color to the classic slow cooker chicken cacciatore. Its sweet, fresh flavor and snappy texture compliment the bold flavors of tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs in the sauce.
- Diced Tomatoes– Diced tomatoes are the perfect addition to slow cooker chicken cacciatore. Not only do they help thicken up the sauce, but they also bring a burst of rich, savory flavor. The slow cooking process allows all of the flavors to softly meld together creating a complex and tasty dish-in-a-pot.
- Tomato Paste– Tomato paste is a great ingredient to include when making Chicken Cacciatore in a slow cooker. It adds an incredible depth of flavor and helps to bind the sauce together. Plus, it’s a great way to create a rich and creamy texture in the sauce.
- Garlic Cloves– Garlic cloves are essential for a classic slow cooker chicken cacciatore for two reasons. The first reason is that it adds a pleasantly pungent flavor to the dish, which can be balanced out by a variety of different herbs.
- Dried Parsley– Dried parsley is a great addition to slow cooker chicken cacciatore as it adds just the right amount of freshness and earthy flavor. It rounds out the sauce nicely, bringing balance to this savory dish. The dried parsley has a more concentrated taste than fresh parsley, so a little goes a long way.
Cooking Essentials from Amazon
Crock-pot 2137020 MyTime Technology, 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, Stainless SteelCrockpot Portable 7 Quart Slow Cooker with Locking Lid and Auto Adjust Cook Time Technology, Stainless SteelOXO Good Grips 5-Quart Mixing BowlMora Ceramic Large Serving Bowls- Set of 2 Oval Platters for Entertaining. Modern Kitchen Dishes for Dinner, Fruit, Salad, Turkey, etc. Oven, Dishwasher Safe, 55 / 35 oz, 13.5Mora Ceramic Set of 2 Baking Dishes For Casserole, Banana Bread, Brownies, Broiling, Roasting, and Baking. 7×11 in and Loaf Pans – Porcelain Serving Bakeware from Oven to Table. Freezer Safe – WhiteOXO Good Grips 3-Piece Wooden Spoon Set
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Can You Put Frozen Chicken in a Slow Cooker?
Absolutely! In fact, frozen chicken is one of the easiest things to cook in a slow cooker—it’s almost as good as having your own personal chef. With a slow cooker, you can simply add all of your ingredients directly into the device, set it to your desired temperature, and let the cooker work its magic without any extra effort on your part.
Although it may take longer than cooking it with traditional methods, you’ll end up with delicious, juicy chicken that tastes like it was cooked by a master chef. So go ahead and start using your slow cooker to make some amazing dishes—even if they start out frozen!
What Goes Best with Chicken Cacciatore?
Chicken cacciatore is a classic Italian dish that is sure to please your taste buds! Whatever you choose to serve with it should accentuate the flavors of the dish. Some of the best sides include zesty salads like spinach salad with cherry tomatoes and orange wedges, or roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions for a nice balance of sweet and savory.
Another delicious option is farro risotto, adding a bit of heartiness while pairing nicely with the chicken’s herbs. And finally, no Italian dish would be complete without garlic bread – its buttery garlic goodness goes perfectly with chicken cacciatore. Enjoy!
How Can You Thicken Cacciatore Sauce?
If you’re making a traditional cacciatore sauce and want to thicken it up, there are several ways you can do this. The most common methods include adding a flour-based roux, tomato paste, cornstarch mixed with water, or releasing some of the liquid through cooking it down. All of these methods are fairly simple and easy to do, without detracting from the flavor of your cacciatore sauce.
However you choose to thicken your sauce, be sure to add any ingredients gradually and then taste as you go so that the final flavor is what you wanted. With this simple method in mind, your cacciatore sauce will come out perfectly thick every time!
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More Crockpot Recipes You’ll Love
- Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
- Apple Butter Pork Chops in the Crockpot
- Crockpot Beef Tips and Noodles
- Green Bean Casserole in the Slow Cooker
Try These Other Chicken Recipes!
- Easy Chicken Divan Casserole
- Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
- How to Make Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
- Easy Moroccan Chicken Recipe with Rice
Easiest Ever Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
This chicken cacciatore recipe is easy and delicious. Just dump all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and let it cook for a few hours.
Ingredients
- 4 Large or 6 Small Skinless Chicken Thighs or 8 Chicken Legs (or a mixture of each)
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
- 1/2 Large Onion, sliced into half moons
- 3/4 Cup Sliced Carrots, 1/4 inch thick
- 4 Ounces Mushrooms, quartered
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 (14 1/2 Ounce) Can Diced or Crushed Tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 Garlic Cloves, grated (I used jarred minced garlic)
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley
Instructions
- Roughly chop the mushrooms, carrots and onions and add to the bottom of your crockpot.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper liberally and place on top of the veggies in the slow cooker.
- In a bowl combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, and parsley.
- Pour over top the chicken and coat evenly.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 4 hours.
- Serve over rice or with your favorite pasta.
Notes
- If you want to reduce the liquid once the chicken is done cooking, remove the chicken from the crockpot and pour the veggies and sauce into a large saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, or until it is thickened.
That looks just delicious. Cannot wait to try this out. I am always looking for something yummy for the crockpot. Come over and visit us today. We have a wonderful pimento cheese recipe to share.
looks so YUMMY and easy! thanks for sharing…popping over from the Tip Junkie!
When I see “crock pot” I’m like, YES!
i LOVE crock pot meals! I will have to try this!
I would love it if you would share this and/or any other projects you have been up to at Tuesday Talent Show at Chef In Training! Plus there is a fun giveaway too! Thanks so much and I hope to see you there!
-Nikki
http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com
Mmmm Love chicken cacciatore and love it more now that I can make it in the crock pot! Great recipe.
I think you will really like this. It was very yummy and smelled amazing while it was cooking.
Thanks so much for sharing my recipe and my book with your readers, Crystal! Your pictures are great. 🙂
Hugs,
Amy
That looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try it!
Marie
mylilpinkpocket.blogspot.com
Thanks for linking up to last week’s Tuesday Confessional on Confessions of a SAHM. You’ve been featured, so stop by and grab a brag button!
http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2011/09/features-from-last-weeks-tuesday.html
~Macy
Looks delicious, I love a good crock-pot meal!
This looks so yummy! I’m going to have to print it out and try it, thanks!
This looks so tasty! Thanks for linking it up in my #mushroom Happy Friday link up today! Have a great weekend, susie
ps-I gave it a big, fat & juicy pin on Pinterest 🙂
Looks so yummy!