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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore with tender chicken simmered in a thick tomato sauce with bell peppers, mushrooms, and Italian herbs. The long, hands-off cook creates deep savory flavor for serving over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt
  • 1 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
yellow onion
  • 1 medium yellow onion sliced
red bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
green bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced
cremini mushrooms
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
low-sodium chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
dried basil
  • 0.5 tsp dried basil
crushed red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and black pepper, then sear for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly browned.
Build the cacciatore in the slow cooker
  1. Add sliced yellow onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, cremini mushrooms, and minced garlic to the slow cooker. Lay the browned chicken over the vegetables.
Simmer in tomato sauce
  1. Whisk crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper flakes, then pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is fork tender and reaches 165°F internally.
Finish and serve
  1. Gently shred the chicken into large pieces or leave whole, then stir everything together until coated in the rich tomato sauce. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve over cooked pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Notes

For deeper flavor, don’t skip the sear—browning the chicken helps the sauce taste richer. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3–4 days; freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lower-carb option, serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles instead of pasta.