Do you need a healthy family dinner that will cook itself?
This weekend, my Mother-in-Law invited us to a fun indoor garden exhibit. This would leave me away from the kitchen for most of the day, so I thought this would be the perfect time to try out a new Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore recipe I had been working on.
When we arrived home, the house smelled amazing! The girls and I couldn’t wait to try this yummy meal. (What about poor Darryl? Don’t worry. I made a vegetarian version for my hubby using his Morningstar Chikin Strips)
We all really loved this one, and I immediately filed it under Family Favorites. The girls kept referring to this meal as the best spaghetti and meatballs.
Big D: “This is delish spaghetti and meatballs Mom!”
Me: ” It’s called Chicken Cacciatore.”
Big D: ” What a great name for REALLY GOOD spaghetti and meatballs.”
(NOTE: The second time I made this, I only had chicken breasts on hand and that also tasted great! The vegetarian Morningstar Chikin Strips worked great for vegetarian option)
How to make Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
- Start by seasoning chicken well with salt and pepper.
- Add the rest of ingredients EXCEPT for the pasta. Stir well to combine.
- Cover and set crockpot on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Serve over a bed of your favorite pasta. I hope you enjoy this Healthy Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore!
TOOLS USED FOR THIS CROCKPOT CHICKEN CACCIATORE RECIPE:
Slow Cooker: Here is one of my favorite crockpots!
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How to make Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 package of your favorite pasta prepared as directed on box
Instructions
- Start by seasoning chicken well with salt and pepper. Add the rest of ingredients EXCEPT for the pasta. Stir well to combine.
- Cover and set crockpot on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Video
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Want even MORE crockpot ideas? Make sure to check out my 30 EASY CROCKPOT MEALS!
Post updated April 4, 2020
Laura @MOMables says
wow! this dish looks amazing!!! i already pinned it and will make it soon! thank you!!
Corey says
Thanks! It is soooo good. The girls and I are eating it now for lunch 🙂 Nom Nom Nom
korianne says
I’m going to try this today, my husband Daryl (funny we’re Kori and Daryl also) has been craving a chicken and pasta dinner!!
Corey says
Hahaha! That is too funny Kori! Love it 🙂 Hope you both love the Chicken Cacciatore 🙂 XO
Kathy says
I’m actually making this today…. looks so good. I’m cooking it for 4 hrs… the only thing I’m concerned with is the chicken…. put it in with other ingredients uncooked?
Corey says
Yep! I hope you love it 🙂
lor zema says
Can I double this recipe? Serving 12.
Corey says
Yes you can 🙂 Just make sure you are using a 6 qt crockpot.
Kathryn @ Mamacado says
I love that this is allergy-friendly for our family. Looking forward to making it soon!
Corey says
Sweet! I hope you love it Kathryn! XO
Brittany says
I’m making this tonight! I’m so excited, it looks great!
Corey says
I can’t wait to hear how you like it Brittany! XO
Clea says
This looks great! Put it in the crock this morning. I am a vegetarian and my family is not. How do you prep this dish for both? Do you just spoon some over the morning star strips or use a tiny crock? Just curious. Thanks.
Corey says
I actually have 2 crockpots just for this purpose…..so I can cook both at the same time. If you don’t have 2, I like your idea of spoon some of the sauce over the strips. If possible, you want to try to cook the strips in the sauce for a bit. So you could also put some in a small pot and simmer, covered for 15 minutes to get some of the flavor infused into the veggie meat.
Nico says
I made this for tonight’s dinner and it was delicious. I did change it a bit. I didn’t have bell peppers so I put some zucchini 20 min. before serving. I also skipped the basil since I didn’t have any of that either. The pasta seemed to not be able to absorb all that great juice, so I actually made some polenta to go with it. It was fantastic. Thanks for the recipe!
Corey says
Sounds yummy Nico! Thanks for sharing 🙂
maura says
I substituted white wine for water. Hope it comes out as good as yours looks
Patricia says
Made this tonight. Very good! I would have liked the sauce a little thicker. Should I have used fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Sandra says
I made this for dinner last night. I got a late start, so I cooked it on high for about four hours. My house smelled amazing!!! While my pasta was cooking, I removed the lid from the pot so it could thicken a bit (not sure if that made a difference). It was really good and so easy. The one thing I did different is that I used no-salt added tomatoes. If using regular canned tomatoes, I can’t see adding any additional salt, it would have been too salty for us. My son wasn’t a fan of the veggie chunks, so next time I will use petite diced tomatoes and finely chopped bell peppers and onions.
Laura says
Is it ok to use frozen chicken…. I’m a crockpot newbie!
Corey says
Yes you can Laura, but will need to add on some cooking time. 🙂
Lorraine says
Girl…I got this going on for tomorrow morning. I had assembled it and put the crock in the refrigerator — and i’ll takeout the crock and put it on before I leave for work. There is a cold front coming through tomrrow by dinner time…and if i have to drive in the cold rain …the bestthing to do is to come home to this.
In another smaller crock, my adult son put together crock pot BBQ chicken for himself.
This weekend will be deliciously warm.
Corey says
Love it Lorraine! Enjoy 🙂
bec says
Hi – is it 2 x 8oz of diced tomatoes?
or is it 28 oz of diced tomatoes?
Please clarify – thanks!
Corey says
28oz can 🙂
lindsay says
Hi making this tomorrow do you drain the diced tomatoes thanks
Corey says
No, do not drain
marianne says
Hi. Well, I am smelling this recipe as I type this and I can’t wait to taste it. It was so easy to put together and now I just have to
wait…and wait…and wait…and when it is done I as sure it will be yummy.
Kaitlin says
Hi I am planning on making this tonight but only eat chicken breast would you rexcomends using thing or full chicken breast and also how much . Thank you!!’
Kaitlin says
Thin or full breast** sorry for all the typos !
Corey says
Full breast Kaitlin 🙂
Nancy @ Little Homestead in Boise says
I was kind of surprised to see no mushrooms? Usually it’s loaded and gives it that amazing flavor….
Darlene says
I do not have oregano, will this make or break the recipe?
Corey says
Do you have any Italian type seasoning? I don’t think the oregano will break the recipe, but I would add in some other spice 🙂
Steve says
Hi, am making this Sunday. Sounds delish! Maybe a silly question but I am a man.. lol.. I will be using previously frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts. Do you think it is safe to freeze the leftovers? In other words, re-freeze the cooked chicken that was previously frozen.
Thanks
Corey says
I think that should be fine Steve. The chicken will now be cooked, and it will be ok to freeze. The problems come when you defrost raw chicken and then refreeze the raw chicken. After it is cooked, you are all good. I hope that helps!
Harriet says
If I double the recipe and want to add mushrooms, how much longer should I cook it for?
Jamie says
This recipie looks to die for! Can’t wait to try this out this weekend!!!
samk says
I’ll be making this on Sunday! Looks great and can’t wait to eat it!
Corey says
I hope you love it!
Eric Marshall says
Just made this for my wife and 3 little tykes. It’s fabulous. Trust me if i can succeed at this; anyone can. Thank you for sharing
Daniel says
I just started cooking on my own at college a few months ago, and I have to say this is my FAVORITE recipe! I’ve already made it a few times, and I keep some in my freezer when I don’t have time to cook. I like to throw in mushrooms and zucchini as well for some extra veggies, and I added an extra 6 oz of tomato paste to thicken the sauce too. Please never stop posting recipes!!!
Justgotacrockpot says
This recipie sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it and share with my roommates, but do I leave the chicken in large pieces or dice them up? I also only have a 4quart crock pot but I think I know how to make it the right proportions
shannon says
So for the recipe you need to cook the chicken first or put chicken in crockpot frozen?
Summer says
I just put mine in frozen and it turned out great!
Jen says
Can I just use an Italian Seasoning mix if that’s all I have on hand? I need to make 3 lbs of chicken. Should I just double the entire recipe or will that be too much liquid?
Thanks!!!
Summer says
This was a good slow cooker recipe … I did add extra herbs because that’s what I do but it was delicious … Thanx
Corey says
I am so happy to hear you loved it Summer 🙂
Cherie says
Hi – I will be trying this recipe for the first time as it sounds delicious and I know the kids will love it. If I am using frozen chicken thighs – how long should I cook it for on low?
Thanks!
Corey says
Hey Cherie! I have not used frozen for this recipe, But would shoot for 7.5 to 8 hours. I would recommend defrosting your chicken first if possible though.
Always Shortcut says
With recipes like this, I always use frozen meat because I leave the house at 7am and I get home at 5pm. that adds a little extra moisture and i cook it on low for 8 hrs. then my crockpot switches to warm until we get home. When it was done, we shredded the chicken in the sauce and added garlic salt to boost the flavor. Loved this recipe. there are not as many with thighs that don’t go asian with soysauce or teriyaki. thank you!
Andrea says
This is such a wonderful recipe. I’ve made it twice for my husband with chicken breasts and now I want to make it with faux chicken for me. I don’t change a thing. The recipe is perfect.
Kathy J says
I was looking at the chicken cacciatore and wondered if I could double the recipe. I have 6 adults in the house. Thanks
Michelle Lockhart says
Getting mine started… Browning my chicken, onion, garlic, and peppers first since my crockpot insert can be used stovetop! Also… substituting red wine for water! Can’t wait to walk through the door later and smell this!
Thanks!
Ana Thibault says
Hi! I am definitely going to try this. Looks great! Just wondering what the nutrition facts are? Mostly how many calories per serving.
Stephanie says
Can I use whole chicken breast for this recipe it has a bonenin it
Corey says
Yes you can 🙂
Tom says
Add some capers to this recipe to liven it up and bring some Italian heritage to it. 😉 You’ll thank me later.
Sandi says
Made this a couple of days ago…added red, orange and yellow peppers along with 3 small onions and we put it on a bed of rice…so very flavourful…will look to your page again soon for more crockpot recipes…thank you very much!
Carol Dwyer says
Delicious recipe. Your seasonings were just right. I added some mushrooms, and used a 28oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, which I broke up. I cooked the chicken for 3hrs on high and switched to low for about 1 & 1/2 hrs because my crockpot seems to run a little hot on high. The chicken was perfect and the sauce very flavorful! The aroma was amazing …could hardly wait to dig in! Thanks for this great recipe!
Julie Mohajir says
Looks awesome – have you ever thought to add quinoa and make it a one-pot meal? I’m wondering how much extra liquid I should add. Any thoughts/suggestions? Or just thought this would be great served over spaghetti squash. Can’t wait to try.
LL says
Can’t go wrong! Good over quinoa too!
Haley says
We made this tonight, and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Miss moo says
Don’t want to be mean, but this recipe was not my cup of tea. Followed the recipe exactly and it lacked something for us.
I did my best to make it into something we could eat , so I added chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Spicy, chicken chili 🙂
Thank you anyways 🙂
Everyone is different right 🙂
Amar says
SO yummy! Added fresh basil and orgeno instead of dried and also added capers and Kalmata olives
– amazing! Hubby devoured it! Good additions with fresh spices, capers, and Kalmata olives.
Amar says
*oregano*
Cara says
How long should I cook this on high if I double it?
Corey says
It should be same with about the same time. Maybe add on 30-60 mins if your crockpot runs cool.
Leah says
Making this tonight! Putting it over rice for the kiddos and riced cauliflower for me and the hubs since we’re watching our carbs. Thanks for sharing!
Estelle says
Hi! I’m Estelle from France. I think your website is really great, and it makes me want to try your recipes… !
I don’t own a crockpot, but I have Moulinex Companion (a culinary robot) with a slow cook function.
But I have to select a temperature…
What would you recommend as a cooking temperatures when you say “set crockpot on LOW for 7 hours” or “on HIGH for 4 hours” ?
Thank you so much!
Xoxo
Estelle
Susan Jones says
I have this in the crockpot right now! Can’t wait to try it!
Jace says
Is it possible to make this in the Instant Pot using the slow cooker settings?
Corey says
I believe the slow cooking setting does turn your instant pot into a slow cooker, so that should work. I hope that helps