Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Slow-cooked bone-in, skinless chicken thighs create the luxe flavor in this savory Italian chicken dinner that pairs perfectly with pasta for an incredibly easy weeknight or weekend meal.
Ingredients
- 10 bone-in skinless chicken thighs about 5 ounces each, trimmed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cooking spray or extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves finely chopped or pressed
- ½ large yellow onion chopped
- 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ½ medium green bell pepper chopped
- ½ medium red bell pepper chopped
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Generously season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil and then add the chicken. Cook until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a slow cooker.
- Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and coat with more cooking spray or another drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, thyme and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- Discard the bay leaf and transfer the chicken to a large plate or cutting board. Pull the chicken meat from the bones (discard the bones), shred the meat and return it to the sauce. Stir in the parsley. Serve with pasta, polenta or spaghetti squash topped with Parmesan cheese.