This Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore is the ultimate easy dinner! Tender chicken thighs are slow-cooked with marinara sauce, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and a hint of red pepper flakes for the perfect balance of flavors.
Simply add the ingredients to the crock pot, let it cook, and enjoy a comforting meal with minimal effort. Great for busy days when you want a delicious, hearty dinner ready to serve!
Jump to:
- 🩵 About This Recipe
- What readers are saying...
- 🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- 🔪 Let's Make Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore!
- 💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- ❔ FAQs
- 📝 Substitutions and Variations
- 🥡 Storage and Reheating
- 🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
- 😋 More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- 📋 Recipe Card
- 💬 Reviews and Comments
🩵 About This Recipe
This incredible slow cooker Italian chicken dish is the perfect dinner when you know you won't have time to cook a meal in the evening! It comes together in minutes and results in a wholesome and filling dish that the whole family will love.
Featuring tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and convenient pepper and onion strips, this is an all-in-one dinner that cooks all day, hands off! With just a handful of simple ingredients, dinner time has never been easier.
What readers are saying...
Yum, one of my favorite dishes & now in the slow cooker. Bonus!
- Theresa
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- marinara sauce - adds a rich tomato base to the dish.
- pepper and onion strips - feel free to slice fresh produce, but I like to use a frozen medley for super quick prep.
- sliced mushrooms - for an earthy flavor and added nutrition.
- minced garlic - you can use fresh if you like but minced is super convenient!
- red pepper flakes - reduce or omit if you don't like your food too spicy.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs - the main protein of the dish, chicken thighs hold up nicely in the crock pot.
🔪 Let's Make Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Combine Ingredients
To a large mixing bowl, add marinara, mushrooms, peppers and onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Mix Well
Mix until all the veggies are evenly combined.
Arrange Chicken
Place the chicken thighs in a single layer in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Slow Cook
Pour the sauce and veggies over top of the chicken and slow cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Enjoy!
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- You can make this a dump-and-go meal by combining all of the ingredients in a plastic bag and storing in the fridge. Just pop in the crock pot when it's time to cook!
- Be sure to avoid overlapping the chicken if possible for more even cooking.
- Give the slow cooker a little spray of oil before adding everything to prevent sticking.
- For easier cleanup, use a slow cooker liner.
❔ FAQs
Yes, as long as you fully cook the chicken, it's perfectly safe! Chicken is safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
You can sear the chicken thighs if you like, but no prior cooking is needed before adding them to the slow cooker. If they're frozen, you should let them thaw first.
This is usually a result of overcooking, so check the chicken at 6 hours and only keep cooking if it's not fully cooked yet.
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- You can also use chicken breasts if you prefer! They cook a little faster than chicken thighs so be sure to keep an eye on them.
- If you prefer, you can use other vegetables like frozen sliced squash. During the last half hour of cooking, you can also stir in some spinach, broccoli, or artichoke.
- Make this dish even more filling with ingredients like chickpeas or white beans.
- Increase the flavor with some balsamic vinegar or red wine.
- Give this dish a cheesy twist by topping with some mozzarella or Parmesan.
Kristin’s Kitchen Tip
Feel free to dump the frozen veggies right into the slow cooker!
🥡 Storage and Reheating
Keep crock pot chicken cacciatore leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze for 3 months or so.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium high heat. Allow frozen leftovers to thaw before reheating.
Keep It Handy
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🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Make this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken even heartier by serving over spaghetti, penne, or fettuccine. Another option is to serve over this Lemon Dill Rice or some Slow Cooker Quinoa.
😋 More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken - This 2-ingredient recipe couldn't be easier to put together!
- Chicken Thighs in Honey Beer Sauce - You'll love the unique flavor of this tender chicken dish.
- Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken - This shredded chicken combines sweet and savory for a delicious meal any night of the week.
- Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta - Make this copycat recipe from Butter Your Biscuit instead of spending too much money at a restaurant!
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Slow Cooker Italian Chicken
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📋 Recipe Card
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (1 jar)
- 20 ounces frozen bell pepper and onion strips
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (fresh)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use more if you like spicy food)
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts, if you prefer)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the marinara, frozen peppers and onions, mushrooms, garlic, and red pepper flakes.24 ounces marinara sauce, 20 ounces frozen bell pepper and onion strips, 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Lightly spray the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the crock pot.2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Pour the marinara mixture over the chicken, cover, and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Notes
Prep Tips:
- There's no need to thaw the frozen bell pepper and onion strips before using them in the marinara mixture.
- Make it a dump-and-go meal by combining all ingredients in a zip-top bag or large bowl ahead of time and storing in the refrigerator, then dump into the crock pot when ready to cook.
Variation Suggestions:
- Use different frozen vegetables if desired. You can even mix and match smaller packages of different veggies. I use to use 1 small bag of peppers and onions and 1 small bag of squash sliced (however, now I cannot find frozen squash slices anywhere so I just use the peppers and onions).
- Add canned, drained white beans or chickpeas to make it heartier.
- Stir in zucchini, spinach, or artichoke hearts in the last 30 minutes of cooking to boost the veggies.
- Mix in a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar for extra depth of flavor.
- Top with shredded mozzarella or Parmesan just before serving for a cheesy twist.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve over spaghetti, penne, or fettuccine for an Italian-inspired dish.
- Or serve over steamed rice or quinoa.
- Pair with toasted Italian bread or garlic bread for dipping into the sauce.
- Try with zucchini noodles (zoodles) or cauliflower rice for a low-carb alternative.
- Shred the chicken and serve on a toasted hoagie roll for a saucy, messy sandwich.
Storage Info For Leftovers:
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Cool leftover cacciatore completely and freeze in portions for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or microwave in one-minute intervals until heated through.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in January 2016, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in March 2025.
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Karly says
This is a great recipe and I love your veggie tips! Thanks for linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!
Donna @ Soul Survival says
This looks delicious! And what could be easier than cooking it in the crock pot!
Kimberly says
Yum! I’m drooling right now! Pinned and tweeted! Thank you so much for sharing this with us at our linky party. We hope to see you next Monday @ 7 because we can’t wait to see your new creations! Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
Audrey says
My store has a clearance produce sections and I got a few pounds of mushrooms there. Just sliced them up, sauteed in a little oil and froze. Now I have them when I want to make delcious dishes like this. Thanks for sharing on the Creative K Kids Linky Party this week. I hope you will join us again next week.
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
I haven't had Chicken Cacciatore in so long, this totally reminded me to add it to my rotation! I can't wait to try this out!
GiGi Eats says
I love that you use ingredients already prepped and ready to go! 😉
creativejewishmom/sara says
Looks like a great recipe, gotta try it! i totally forgot that I actually used to make chicken cacciatore all the time before I changed over my cooking style to suit my husband's Moroccan tastes, but maybe it is time for something new, and eve if I'm home love the idea of the crock pot as i tend to burn things while cooking and being on the blog at the same time! Thanks for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says
I am always looking for a good slow cooker meal at this time of year and this looks fabulous!!! I am pinning it & will give it a try. Please feel free to link it up with my Savory Sundays Link at http://www.marathonsandmotivation.com
Bernadette Janis says
Hi Kristin,
I just spent some time visiting your gallery. Your photographs are beautiful. I want to eat everything! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful creations with us. I want to make the cacciatore. You are so right, frozen vegatables rock!
Kristin King says
Thanks, Bernadette! My goal is to make the food look delicious, so I am so happy to hear you say that. Thanks so much for stopping by! Only 3 weeks until dinner theater, I think this one is going to be especially fun! TTYS 🙂
Carlee says
Yummy! I loved chicken cacciatore growing up, but I haven't made it in a long time. I need to give this a go!