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Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Browned chicken thighs simmer gently with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, wine, and olives for a slow-cooker take on the Italian hunter's stew.
Tender chicken thighs in tomato, pepper, mushroom, and olive sauce over creamy polenta.

Chicken cacciatore gets its depth from a browned start and a tomato sauce built with sweet peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and dry red wine. The slow cooker makes the thighs tender while the sauce gathers their savory juices.

Olives join near the end so they keep their briny bite. Serve the chicken and sauce over creamy polenta, or choose the pasta branch for a familiar bowl.

Start with a real sear

Bone-in, skinless thighs give the slow braise plenty of flavor without leaving soft skin on the finished plate. Pat them dry and brown in batches, then cook the onion, peppers, and mushrooms in the same skillet so the vegetables pick up the browned bits.

Garlic and tomato paste go in late, where their aromas can bloom without scorching. Red wine loosens the fond and adds a rounded acidity before the tomatoes and broth move the sauce into the slow cooker.

Let the covered cooker stay steady

The chicken should sit among the sauce rather than be buried under it. Keeping the lid closed holds the cooker at a steady temperature, and an easy fork pull plus a thermometer reading beside the bone confirms the thighs are ready.

Lift the chicken out before finishing the sauce. This gives you room to remove the bay leaves and warm the olives gently while the meat rests.

Browned chicken thighs rest beneath tomato sauce with peppers and mushrooms in a slow cooker.
Browned thighs sit in the slow cooker beneath the red tomato, pepper, and mushroom sauce before the covered braise.

Keep olives lively

Olives cooked for the entire braise would lose their shape and their sharper briny edge. Adding them after the chicken is tender warms them through while leaving their savory bite noticeable in the finished sauce.

Taste the sauce after the olives have warmed, since their saltiness contributes to the final balance. The measured seasoning is for the chicken and chosen base, so avoid adding extra salt before tasting.

Polenta or pasta both fit

The default base is coarse polenta, whisked into salted water and stirred until tender, then finished with butter for a soft, creamy texture. If you choose pasta, use the measured dried pasta and pasta-water salt instead; cook it just to al dente and drain it before serving.

The Parmesan and parsley finish works for either branch. Keep the butter with the polenta so the pasta option stays light enough to carry the rich tomato sauce.

Fork-tender chicken with glossy tomato sauce, Kalamata olive, mushroom, and creamy polenta.
Tender chicken, glossy tomato sauce, and warm Kalamata olives are finished with Parmesan and parsley over creamy polenta.

Spoon the sauce generously

Arrange a thigh over each bowl of polenta or pasta and ladle over enough sauce to reach the base. Share the mushrooms, peppers, and olives among the servings so every bowl gets both tender chicken and the softened vegetables.

Finish with Parmesan and parsley just before carrying the bowls to the table. The cheese adds a savory edge, while the fresh herbs lift the slow-cooked tomato sauce.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

6 servings
395 minutes total

Ingredients

  • •  3 lb bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
  • •  1 1/2 tsp kosher salt for seasoning the chicken
  • •  1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • •  2 tbsp olive oil
  • •  1 large yellow onion, diced
  • •  1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • •  1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
  • •  8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • •  4 garlic cloves, minced
  • •  1 tbsp tomato paste
  • •  1/2 cup dry red wine
  • •  1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • •  1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • •  1 tsp dried oregano
  • •  1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • •  2 bay leaves
  • •  1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
  • •  2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • •  1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, for serving
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Method

  1. Season the chicken

    Pat the chicken thighs dry, then season all sides with the kosher salt and black pepper so the meat browns rather than steams.

    Look for: The thighs feel dry and show an even coating of salt and pepper.

  2. Brown the thighs

    Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the thighs in uncrowded batches, turning once the first side releases easily and develops a deep golden crust.

    Look for: The browned surfaces have dark edges and release from the skillet without tearing.

  3. Soften the vegetables

    Add the onion, red and green bell peppers, and mushrooms to the skillet; cook until the onion softens and mushroom moisture cooks away, then stir in garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes for the final minute.

    Look for: The mushrooms have browned at their edges and the garlic smells fragrant without scorching.

  4. Build the tomato sauce

    Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits; simmer until the sharp wine smell fades, then stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and bay leaves and transfer everything to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

    Look for: The tomato mixture is loose enough to spoon around the chicken and the skillet fond is dissolved.

  5. Slow-cook until tender

    Nestle the browned thighs into the tomato mixture, cover, and cook on low for 5 1/2 hours without lifting the lid, until the meat is tender and the thickest thigh reaches 175 F away from the bone.

    Look for: A fork enters the thighs easily and the thickest piece registers 175 F beside, not against, the bone.

  6. Warm the olives in the sauce

    Lift the chicken onto a warm platter and discard the bay leaves; stir the Kalamata olives into the sauce, cover, and keep the slow cooker on low for 10 minutes so they warm through but retain a savory bite.

    Look for: The olives are warm and plump, while their shape and briny bite remain distinct.

  7. Prepare the serving base

    For the polenta branch, bring the water and polenta salt to a boil, whisk in the polenta gradually, then lower the heat and stir for 25 minutes until creamy; for the pasta branch, boil the pasta in ample water with its measured salt, cook to just al dente, and drain.

    Look for: Polenta is tender and spoonable with no dry center, or the pasta is just al dente and drained.

  8. Finish and serve

    Stir the butter into the polenta branch only; spoon either chosen base into shallow bowls, top with chicken and plenty of tomato-olive sauce, and finish with Parmesan and parsley.

    Look for: The base is hot, the sauce coats the chicken, and parsley and Parmesan remain fresh on top.