This slow cooker chicken cacciatore is a rich, flavourful Italian dish with tender chicken, tomatoes, olives, and herbs. Perfect for a fuss-free family dinner!
It's a delicious dish to serve at family dinners, as a hearty winter meal, or for casual entertaining.
We love Italian comfort food and this is perfect to come home to on a chilly evening, with its tender chicken and rich, tomatoey sauce filling the house with mouthwatering aromas!
Tips
- Vegetarian option – replace the chicken with chickpeas, tofu or a mix of hearty vegetables like aubergine and courgette.
- Leftovers – turn any leftovers into a quick pasta bake by mixing with cooked pasta, topping with cheese, and baking until bubbly.
- This slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for 2 people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes - chicken breasts work well, but they may cook faster and could become dry.
Browning adds a deeper flavour, but it’s optional. If you’re short on time, you can skip this step, but may want to remove the skin.
Absolutely - replace the wine with chicken stock or extra tinned tomatoes for a non-alcoholic version.
Serve with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Yes - cool the leftovers completely, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently before serving.
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HOW TO MAKE THIS SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE
Ingredients
- 8 skin on bone in chicken thighs
- 300ml red wine
- 6 sprigs of thyme and oregano and 4 sprigs of rosemary, tied together with cooking string
- 8 bay leaves
- 8 cloves garlic, finely sliced (separated into 1 sliced and 7 sliced)
- 2 tbsp flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
- 200g fresh tomatoes, diced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 200g mixed olives
Instructions
- Put the chicken, red wine, tied bunch of herbs, bay leaves and 1 sliced clove of garlic in a large bowl. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible.
- Drain the chicken from the marinating liquid (reserving it for cooking). Dust the chicken in the flour and season well. Add the oil to a large pan and fry the chicken on a medium high heat, skin side down, for 5 minutes until golden. Remove from the pan onto a plate.
- Put the onion, anchovies and remaining garlic into the frying pan and cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat, until golden. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Stir through all the tomatoes, the tomato paste, reserved marinade and olives. Add the browned chicken thighs skin side up and cook for 3 hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the tied bunch of herbs and 8 bay leaves, check the seasoning and add more, to taste, if needed. Serve straight from the slow cooker or transfer to a serving dish.
- Enjoy with your choice of pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the rich sauce, along with some extra vegetables on the side, if you like.
Serving Suggestions
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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 8 skin on bone in chicken thighs
- 300 ml (1 ⅓ cups) red wine
- 6 sprigs of thyme and oregano and 4 sprigs of rosemary tied together with cooking string
- 8 bay leaves
- 8 cloves garlic finely sliced (separated into 1 sliced and 7 sliced)
- 2 tbsp flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely sliced
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 2 x 400 g (4.4 oz) tins plum tomatoes
- 200 g (7.1 oz) fresh tomatoes diced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 200 g (7.1 oz) mixed olives
Instructions
- Put the chicken, red wine, tied bunch of herbs, bay leaves and 1 sliced clove of garlic in a large bowl. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible.
- Drain the chicken from the marinating liquid (reserving it for cooking). Dust the chicken in the flour and season well. Add the oil to a large pan and fry the chicken on a medium high heat, skin side down, for 5 minutes until golden. Remove from the pan onto a plate.
- Put the onion, anchovies and remaining garlic into the frying pan and cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat, until golden. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Stir through all the tomatoes, the tomato paste, reserved marinade and olives. Add the browned chicken thighs skin side up and cook for 3 hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the tied bunch of herbs and 8 bay leaves, check the seasoning and add more, to taste, if needed. Serve straight from the slow cooker or transfer to a serving dish.
- Enjoy with your choice of pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the rich sauce, along with some extra vegetables on the side, if you like.
Notes
- Vegetarian option – replace the chicken with chickpeas, tofu or a mix of hearty vegetables like aubergine and courgette.
- Leftovers – turn any leftovers into a quick pasta bake by mixing with cooked pasta, topping with cheese, and baking until bubbly.
- This slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for 2 people.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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