This is the kind of supper I love for a busy day: hearty, simple, full of flavor, and mostly hands-off. Chicken cooks low and slow in a rich tomato sauce with peppers, onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning until it’s tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
Serve it over pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, or even with a thick slice of crusty bread to soak up all that sauce.
Ingredients
- 2½–3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar, optional, to balance the tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
Directions
- Add the sliced onion, peppers, and mushrooms to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Place the chicken over the vegetables.
- In a bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar.
- Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Add the bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Remove the bay leaf. Leave the chicken pieces whole for a more traditional supper, or gently break them into large pieces and stir them into the sauce.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper before serving.
Farm Wife Tip
If you know the next day is going to be just as busy, make a little extra. Chicken cacciatore is one of those meals that tastes even better after the flavors have had overnight to come together.
Make It Stretch
For a bigger family, serve the chicken and plenty of sauce over a pound of cooked pasta. Add a simple salad, green beans, or garlic bread and you have a filling meal without needing more meat.
Freezer-Friendly
Combine everything except the mushrooms in a freezer bag, press out the extra air, and freeze flat. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, dump it into the crockpot, add fresh mushrooms if using, and cook as directed.
Serves: 6–8
Easy serving ideas: spaghetti or penne, mashed potatoes, rice, buttered egg noodles, or crusty bread.
And a pretty white icing colored crockpot? It’s one of my favorites for my farmhouse kitchen. 🤍
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❤️
🌿 From my kitchen table to yours,
Kelley ~ Farm Wife Favorites 🤍
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