Easy recipe for 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Craving a cozy meal? This Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is a simple, savory crockpot dinner your whole family will love. Try the recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat
- 1 large yellow onion sliced
- 2 bell peppers (any color) cored and sliced
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
- 24 oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil for searing
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. You may need to do this in batches. Transfer the seared chicken to the bottom of your slow cooker.
- To the same skillet, add the sliced onion and bell peppers. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
- Pour the sautéed vegetables over the chicken in the slow cooker. Pour the entire jar of marinara sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Gently stir to ensure everything is coated.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Once cooked, gently shred the chicken with two forks if desired, or leave the thighs whole. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot over pasta, polenta, rice, or zucchini noodles.
Notes
Serving Suggestions: This chicken cacciatore is delicious served over creamy polenta, egg noodles, rice, or with a side of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors will meld and be even better the next day!
Variations: Feel free to add 1/2 cup of dry red wine to the skillet with the vegetables and let it reduce before adding to the slow cooker. A handful of Kalamata olives or capers added in the last 30 minutes of cooking can also add a nice briny flavor.
