Chicken cacciatore is one of those dishes that need time to be good. And when preparing food with a slow cooker, there is plenty of time for this great dish to develop its unique flavor. Cacciatore actually means “hunter” in Italian and describes a style of preparing food with tomatoes, peppers, onions and mushrooms. I like to use chicken thighs here because they usually contain some more fat and the sauce tastes better with them. Also the meat easily comes off the bone and tastes absolutely delicious. Nevertheless you can still use chicken breast or even chicken wings if you prefer – any part is fine.
This dish is best served over hot pasta with a little parmesan sprinkled on top. If you have a few leftover tomatoes, fresh herbs or other types of bell peppers you can throw them in as well. This recipe really is the right dish for cold days or Sunday dinners at home with your family – enjoy!
- 4 chicken thighs (or boneless chicken breasts)
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 large can crushed tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 green pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbs italian herbs
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- salt
- pepper
- Clean the chicken thighs and remove any feather traces from the skin.
- Chop the onion and the garlic. Cut the green pepper into bite sized pieces.
- Add meat, mushrooms and vegetables to the slow cooker.
- In a medium sized bowl combine the crushed tomatoes with the spices. Pour over the contents of your slow cooker. The liquid should be at the same level as the vegetables and the chicken.
- Cook on LOW for about 6-8 hours until the meat is tender.
Serve the chicken cacciatore with parmesan cheese, pasta and a few olives.
