Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore (Rustic, Saucy and Tender)

Chicken cacciatore is hunter style chicken, braised with tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms and herbs until the meat gives up and slides off the bone. It was built for a low, slow braise, which makes it a natural for the slow cooker.

This version browns bone in chicken thighs first for color and flavor, then lets the cooker turn everything into a rich, chunky sauce over the course of an afternoon. A splash of wine, a few olives and a handful of fresh basil at the end give it the flavor of a proper Sunday dinner.

Serve it over pasta, polenta or crusty bread. It is hearty, forgiving and even better the next day.

Why this recipe works

• Bone in, skin on thighs stay moist through a long cook and give the sauce body from the bones.
• A quick sear builds browned flavor that dump and go versions miss entirely.
• Crushed tomatoes plus tomato paste give a thick sauce without the wateriness that slow cookers cause.
• Bell peppers and mushrooms go in whole enough to keep some texture after hours of cooking.
• Dry white wine deglazes the pan and adds acidity that keeps the sauce from tasting heavy.
• Olives, capers and basil stirred in at the end bring salt, brightness and freshness.

Ingredients you’ll need

Bone in, skin on chicken thighs. About 3 pounds, roughly 6 to 8 thighs. The bones add flavor and the skin protects the meat during searing. You can remove the skin after browning if you prefer a leaner sauce.

Onion, bell peppers and garlic. One large onion cut into thick slices, two bell peppers cut into 1 inch strips and five cloves of garlic. Red and yellow peppers are sweeter than green.

Mushrooms. Eight ounces of cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered. They soak up the sauce and add a meaty depth.

Tomatoes. One 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Crushed gives a thick, rustic sauce without the pulpiness of whole tomatoes.

Dry white wine. Half a cup of pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. It deglazes the skillet and brightens the sauce.

Herbs. Dried oregano, a bay leaf, a few sprigs of fresh thyme and fresh basil for the end. A pinch of red pepper flakes is optional but traditional.

To finish. A handful of pitted Kalamata olives and a tablespoon of capers. They add the briny bite that makes cacciatore taste like cacciatore.

Ingredient notes and smart substitutions

Chicken thighs

Boneless, skinless thighs work with a shorter cook. Use 2 1/2 pounds and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. Chicken breasts are not recommended for a long braise since they dry out. Whole chicken legs, drumsticks or a cut up whole chicken all work at the same weight. Whatever you choose, the chicken must be fully thawed before it goes in.

White wine

Dry red wine is equally traditional and gives a deeper, darker sauce. Use the same 1/2 cup. To skip alcohol, use 1/2 cup of chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar for acidity.

Crushed tomatoes

A 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand works and gives a chunkier sauce. Two 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes work too, but the sauce will be looser and you may want to drain one can.

Mushrooms

White button mushrooms swap one for one. Portobello caps cut into chunks hold up even better. Skip them entirely if mushrooms are not your thing and add a third bell pepper.

Olives and capers

Green olives like Castelvetrano are milder and buttery. If you dislike olives, leave them out and add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt at the end. Capers can be swapped for a tablespoon of chopped anchovies stirred into the tomato paste, which melts away and adds savory depth.

Fresh basil

Use 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley and 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil if fresh basil is not available. Add the dried basil at the start with the oregano.

How to make it

1. Season and brown the chicken

Pat the thighs dry and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high. Brown the chicken skin side down in two batches for 5 to 6 minutes per batch, until deeply golden. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to the slow cooker. Browning in batches keeps the pan hot so the skin crisps instead of steaming.

2. Soften the vegetables

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the onion and peppers to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until the paste darkens slightly.

3. Deglaze with wine

Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes until reduced by about half. Everything in that pan is flavor, so get it all.

4. Load the slow cooker

Spoon the vegetables and wine over the chicken. Add the mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, oregano, thyme sprigs, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Stir gently to combine, keeping the chicken mostly covered in sauce.

5. Cook low and slow

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the chicken registers at least 165°F and pulls easily from the bone. Do not lift the lid to check before the minimum time. Each peek adds 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Finish the sauce

Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Stir in the olives and capers. If the sauce looks thin, transfer the chicken to a platter, set the cooker to HIGH and let the sauce reduce uncovered for 20 minutes. Tear the basil and stir it in just before serving. Taste for salt.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

The sauce is watery. Peppers, mushrooms and chicken all release liquid and the slow cooker keeps every drop. Reduce uncovered on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes at the end, or stir in another tablespoon of tomato paste.

The skin is soggy. That is normal after braising. Either remove the skin after browning or, for crisp skin at the table, broil the finished thighs on a sheet pan for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.

The chicken is falling apart too much. The cook ran long or HIGH was used past 3 1/2 hours. Pull the chicken at 165°F and let it rest in the sauce on WARM.

It tastes too acidic. Some canned tomatoes are sharp. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar or a tablespoon of butter at the end to round it out.

It tastes flat. Salt, then acid, then brine. Add salt first, then a splash of wine vinegar, then a few more chopped olives. Fresh basil at the end also wakes it up.

Timing and make ahead plan

Brown the chicken and cook the vegetables the night before. Cool everything, then refrigerate the chicken and the vegetable mixture in separate containers. In the morning, load the cooker in 3 minutes.

Started on LOW at 9 a.m., dinner is ready between 2 and 3 p.m. and holds on WARM for up to 3 hours. Add the olives, capers and basil right before serving.

If you need it faster, HIGH for 3 hours gives you the same result with slightly firmer peppers.

The finished dish keeps 4 days and tastes even better on day two. Make it on Sunday and reheat it on a busy Tuesday. It pairs well with a Sunday cooking session that also produces a pan of classic lasagna for later in the week.

Tips for the best chicken cacciatore

Take the time to brown the chicken well. The color you build in the skillet becomes the deep flavor of the sauce.

Cut the peppers into wide strips rather than dice so they keep some texture after the long cook. The same rule applies to the onion, which is why it is sliced thick instead of chopped.

Do not skip the tomato paste. It thickens the sauce and gives the cooked down tomato flavor a slow cooker cannot produce on its own.

Add the olives and capers at the very end. Cooked too long they turn dull and make the whole pot taste briny rather than bright.

Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and a grating of parmesan at the table. Both add richness that pulls everything together.

Let the finished dish rest for 10 minutes with the lid off before serving. The sauce settles and thickens slightly, and the chicken is easier to lift out in one piece.

Variations

Red wine cacciatore. Use dry red wine in place of white and add 2 anchovy fillets with the tomato paste. The sauce turns darker and richer, closer to what you would get with our red wine braised short ribs.

Spicy cacciatore. Add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and half a pound of sliced hot Italian sausage browned with the chicken.

Cacciatore with white beans. Stir in a drained 15 ounce can of cannellini beans during the last 30 minutes. It stretches the dish to serve eight.

Boneless weeknight version. Use boneless, skinless thighs, skip the browning, and cook on LOW for 4 hours. It loses a little depth but takes 10 minutes of prep.

Equipment that makes this easier

A 6 quart slow cooker fits 6 to 8 thighs in a single layer with the vegetables on top. A 7 or 8 quart oval cooker is even better for bone in chicken.

A 12 inch heavy skillet, cast iron or stainless, for browning. A large surface lets you brown more thighs at once without crowding.

Tongs for flipping chicken without tearing the skin, and an instant read thermometer to confirm 165°F. A fat separator is handy if you want a leaner sauce.

Scaling up or down

To halve the recipe, use 4 thighs in a 4 quart cooker with half of every other ingredient. Keep the timing the same.

To double, you need an 8 quart cooker, and the chicken will sit in two layers. Add about 1 hour on LOW and check the thighs in the center of the pot for 165°F. Brown the chicken in three or four batches rather than crowding the skillet.

Six thighs serve six as a main with pasta or polenta. Eight thighs stretch to eight, or feed six with generous leftovers.

What to serve with it

Creamy polenta is the classic pairing and soaks up the sauce beautifully. Wide pasta like pappardelle or rigatoni is nearly as good, and crusty bread works for a lighter meal.

A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts the richness. For a bigger Italian spread, start with a cup of Italian wedding soup.

Our fall side dishes roundup includes garlic roasted broccoli and a parmesan polenta that both belong on this table.

How to store, freeze and reheat

Refrigerator. Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Store the chicken in its sauce so it stays moist.

Freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Pull the meat off the bones first for compact storage and easier reheating. Peppers soften more after freezing, but the sauce holds up well.

Reheating. Warm in a covered skillet or saucepan over medium low until the chicken reaches 165°F, about 15 minutes for bone in pieces. Add a splash of water or broth if the sauce has tightened. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the fridge first.

Leftover ideas

Pull the meat from the bones, shred it into the sauce and toss with cooked pasta and a handful of parmesan for a quick ragu.

Pile shredded cacciatore onto toasted ciabatta with melted provolone for a hot sandwich.

Spoon the sauce and meat over a baked potato or a bowl of creamy polenta and top with a fried egg for a second dinner that feels new.

Chop everything, stir in a can of white beans and thin with broth for a rustic chicken and tomato soup.

Nutrition notes

One thigh with a generous cup of sauce and vegetables, skin on, lands roughly in the 380 to 450 calorie range with 30 to 34 grams of protein, 22 to 28 grams of fat and 14 to 18 grams of carbohydrates. Removing the skin after browning saves about 60 to 80 calories per serving. These are estimates and vary with the size of the thighs, how much fat you pour off and your canned tomato brand.

Pasta or polenta adds around 200 calories per cup. The dish is naturally gluten free if served over polenta or rice.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to brown the chicken before putting it in the slow cooker?

Not strictly, but it makes a big difference. Browning builds flavor and color that the slow cooker cannot create on its own. If you skip it, remove the skin so the sauce does not turn greasy.

Can I use chicken breasts for slow cooker cacciatore?

Thighs are much better for a long braise. If you must use breasts, use bone in breasts and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, pulling them as soon as they reach 165°F.

Why is my chicken cacciatore watery?

The vegetables and chicken release liquid and slow cookers do not evaporate it. Remove the chicken and cook the sauce uncovered on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, or stir in an extra tablespoon of tomato paste.

What does cacciatore mean?

Cacciatore means hunter style in Italian. It refers to a rustic braise with tomatoes, onions, peppers, herbs and often mushrooms and wine, traditionally made with chicken or rabbit.

Can I put frozen chicken in the slow cooker?

No. Frozen chicken spends too long at unsafe temperatures in a slow cooker. Thaw the thighs completely in the fridge first, then brown and cook to at least 165°F.