RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
February Pick: Crockpot Meals

Chicken Cacciatore

Browned bone-in chicken thighs slow-cooked with tomatoes, sweet peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary, finished with olives and capers.

Why you'll love Chicken Cacciatore

Cacciatore means hunter's style in Italian, and it is the kind of rustic braise Italian home cooks make all winter: chicken simmered slowly with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and herbs until it falls off the bone into a thick, savory sauce. It is exactly what you want to come home to on a cold February evening, and the slow cooker does nearly all of it while you are out.

Ten minutes at the stove first is what gives it depth. Browning the chicken skin renders some of its fat and gives the braise a roasted flavor, and the mushrooms brown in that same fat, which the slow cooker cannot do on its own. Cooking the tomato paste until it turns brick red sweetens it and takes away its raw, tinny taste, and a splash of broth lifts every browned bit off the skillet and into the sauce.

The olives and capers go in at the end. Added after the long cook, they stay firm and briny and give the sauce a bright, salty finish against the sweet peppers and tomatoes.

Quick overview: This Chicken Cacciatore takes 25 min of hands-on time and about 5 hr 25 min in all and makes 4 servings, each 2 thighs with vegetables and sauce. You'll need a slow cooker and a skillet.

Jump to recipe

Chicken cacciatore with peppers, mushrooms and olives
Prep 25 minCook 5 hrTotal 5 hr 25 minServes 4Serving 2 thighs with vegetables and sauceYou'll need Slow cooker, Skillet

Ingredients

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lb)
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 5 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth Label: chicken, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt, with no sugar, natural flavors, or oil
  • 2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata or black olives, halved Label: olives, water, salt, and vinegar
  • 1 tbsp capers, rinsed Label: capers, water, vinegar, and salt
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • a few fresh basil leaves, torn

Instructions

  1. Brown the chicken: Pat the thighs dry and season them with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the thighs skin side down for 6 to 8 minutes, until deep golden, then turn them and brown the other side for 2 minutes. Move them to a plate.
  2. Brown the mushrooms and onion: Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the mushrooms and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring now and then, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and started to brown.
  3. Toast the tomato paste: Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute, until the paste darkens to brick red. Pour in the broth and scrape up every browned bit from the bottom of the skillet, then scrape everything into the slow cooker.
  4. Build the sauce: Add the peppers, crushed tomatoes, oregano, rosemary, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the slow cooker and stir. Nestle the chicken into the sauce skin side up, leaving the skin above the liquid so it stays as crisp as it can.
  5. Cook: Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and pulls from the bone, and reads at least 165°F (74°C) near the bone.
  6. Finish: Lift out the rosemary stem and bay leaves. Tilt the insert and spoon off the fat that has risen to the surface, then stir the olives and capers into the sauce around the chicken and taste for salt.
  7. Serve: Serve the chicken with the vegetables and plenty of sauce, scattered with parsley and basil.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container within 2 hours of cooking, for up to 4 days. Like most braises, it tastes even better the next day.

Reheat gently in a covered skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until the chicken is hot all the way through. It freezes for up to 3 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Variations

  • Boneless: Use 2 lb of boneless, skinless thighs, skip the browning, and cook on low for 4 hours.
  • With artichokes: Stir a cup of quartered artichoke hearts into the sauce with the olives.
  • Zucchini: Add 2 sliced zucchini for the last hour so they turn tender and keep their shape.
  • Rabbit: Use a rabbit cut into pieces, the way cacciatore is often made in central Italy, and cook it on low for 5 to 6 hours, to 160°F (71°C).

Notes and tips

  • Check the tomato labels: Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste should read tomatoes, and salt at most. Some brands add sugar or citric acid and calcium chloride.
  • Keep the skin on top: Skin that sits above the sauce stays browned. Skin under the liquid turns soft, so pull it off and discard it if that happens.
  • Skim the fat: Bone-in thighs give off fat as they cook. Spooning it off before serving keeps the sauce rich instead of greasy.
  • Serve it with greens: Spoon it over sautéed zucchini ribbons, steamed green beans, or a pile of garlicky spinach to catch the sauce.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Chicken thighs bring protein and enough fat to stay juicy through hours in the slow cooker.
  • Tomatoes carry lycopene, the red pigment that gives them their color, and cooking them slowly in fat makes more of it available to your body.
  • Red bell peppers are one of the richest vegetable sources of vitamin C, and mushrooms bring B vitamins and a savory depth to the sauce.
  • Olives bring real fat and a briny bite, and capers add brightness in a single spoonful.
  • As you eat, notice the tender chicken and the sweet peppers against the salty olives, and pay attention to how a warm braise like this settles you on a cold evening and keeps you comfortably full for 3 to 4 hours, with no pull toward a late snack.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Chicken Cacciatore? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

What is cacciatore?

Cacciatore means hunter's style in Italian. It is a rustic braise of chicken or rabbit with tomatoes, herbs, and vegetables, made differently from region to region and from family to family.

Can I skip browning the chicken?

You can, but the skin will be pale and soft and the sauce will taste milder. The ten minutes of browning is where most of the flavor comes from.

Why do the olives and capers go in at the end?

Hours in the slow cooker would turn them soft and spread their salt through the sauce. Added at the end, they stay firm and briny.

What can I serve with it?

Sautéed spinach, steamed green beans, or a green salad. Cauliflower mash is good for soaking up the sauce.

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Tags: February Pick, Crockpot Meals, Italian, Dairy-Free