My 3-quart slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe is ready in under 3 hours because I use a pre-cooked chicken and a jarred sauce to make this recipe lightning fast in the slow cooker world. This is my favorite way to make chicken cacciatore and it always comes out perfect.
Looking for more slow cooker recipe ideas? Check out more great recipes for a small slow cooker or a tasty Moroccan stew.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes, substitutions, and variations
¼ onion,chopped
½ green pepper, sliced thin
1 carrot, sliced
1 (14-ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 ounce red wine
2 precooked chicken quarters
2 tablespoons olives
¼ cup mushrooms,sliced
- Marinara Sauce: Using a jar marinara makes this recipe extra easy, Classico makes a small jar of tomato basil sauce that's perfect size for two. If you want to make your own marinara check out my slow cooker marinara sauce recipe.
- Chicken: I almost always use a precooked chicken because my local grocer makes a really good one. Honestly, the beauty of this recipe is the precooked chicken and jarred marinara. If you have some extra time and want to cook your own, go ahead and season and brown the chicken and increase the slow cooker time to 6 hours to ensure the chicken is cooked properly.
- Vegetables: Onions,green peppers, and carrots are used for this recipe. You can also add baby red potatoes.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but you can use a garlic paste with no noticeable difference. I like the chunky garlic version from Gourmet Garden.
- Red Wine: I use whatever I have open or plan on drinking with the meal. You can omit the wine and substitute chicken broth.
- Olives: Black ripe olives or a Greek Kalamata.
- Mushrooms: I use fresh mushrooms when handy but a good quality canned or jar mushroom works just as well.
Recipe Directions
Start by preheating the slow cooker on the low setting while you prepare the ingredients.
Add the green peppers, onions, and carrots to the bottom of a 3-quart slow cooker.
Add the marinara and wine.
Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, microwave the precooked chicken to heat and place on top of the cacciatore sauce. Add the mushrooms and olives. Cover and cook on high for another hour. You can also remove the skin and bones from the fully cooked chicken and cut into large chunks stirring them into the sauce.
Serve over rice, pasta, or noodles. That's it!
If you like this recipe then also check out the web story for my 3-quart slow cooker chicken cacciatore for two.
Equipment
This basic 3-quart crockpot or this slightly larger programmable model from Cusinart is perfect for the smaller household and cooking up recipes for two.
Storage
If you have any leftovers, store the cacciatore in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Top tip
You can also use cornstarch to thicken sauces. Use 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon warm water, mix into a paste. remove the chicken and stir the cornstarch paste into the Cacciatore sauce before adding the chicken.
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- ¼ onion chopped
- ½ green pepper sliced thin
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 14-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 1 ounce red wine
- 2 precooked chicken quarters
- 2 tablespoons olives
- ¼ cup mushrooms sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the slow cooker on the high setting while you are preparing the ingredients.
- Add the green peppers, onions, and carrots to the bottom of a 3-quart slow cooker.
- Add the marinara sauce and wine. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, heat the chicken in the microwave and remove the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into large chunks. Mix the chicken into the sauce.
- Add the mushrooms and olives. Cover and cook on hgh for an additional hour.
Notes
Nutrition
How is Chicken Cacciatore different from Chicken Parmesan?
- Chicken Cacciatore is more similar to a stew with vegetable and bone-in chicken.
- Chicken Parmesan recipes usually use a boneless chicken and breaded chicken.
What to Served with Chicken Cacciatore?
Pasta or Egg noodles are what I typically serve with this dish. Rice is also great because the sauce coats the rice for really tasty rice. Or, you can keep it on the lighter side and serve it with a simple salad.
Slow Cooker Food safety tips
See these slow cooker safety tips from USDA.gov and these tips from the University of Minnesota.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think or share a tip.