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Enjoy a dinner with rich Italian flavors without all the work with this Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore. After 15 minutes of preparation and a little pre-cooking, the slow cooker takes over, and you have a high-protein meal without tons of effort.
Quick Summary: Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
- Why Make This Recipe: A rich tomato sauce packed with veggies and tender chicken, slow-cooked for a healthy, protein-packed meal.
- Nutrition: 301 calories, 30 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber
- Diet: Low-calorie, High-protein, Dairy-free, Gluten-free (when served with gf pasta)
- Time: 15 minutes of prep time and 1 ½ – 5 hours in the crockpot
- Method: Crockpot, pan-searing
- Best for: A dinner at the end of a busy day or for meal prep for the week without spending a lot of time standing at the stove.
- Tip: Tenderize your chicken and pound it out so it stays moist and cooks evenly.
This healthy crockpot chicken cacciatore tastes like a decadent Italian-style meal, but it only contains 301 calories and is packed with 30 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber!
It’s made with a few simple ingredients, like bell peppers, mushrooms, and canned tomatoes. You’ll love sitting down to enjoy this warm meal at the end of a long day. You can also freeze it so you always have a healthy dinner option on standby.
If you like Italian-inspired crockpot recipes, you will love my healthy ragu and this low-carb lasagna recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy, Mostly Hands-off Dinner: Aside from 15 minutes of pounding and searing chicken breasts and sautéing onions and garlic, this is a crockpot meal. You can start the crockpot and come back after a few hours to a delicious dinner.
- Packed with Veggies and Protein: This cacciatore has 30 grams of protein from the chicken breasts, and it’s full of vegetables like mushrooms, peppers, and onions.
- Great for Meal Prep and Freezing: Divide your healthy chicken cacciatore into lunch portions for the week or freeze it for dinner on a busy night when you don’t have time to cook.
- Calorie Conscious: This chicken cacciatore recipe has 300 calories making it more calorie conscious than traditional chicken cacciatore recipes.
Table of Contents
- Quick Summary: Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Variations & Dietary Modifications
- How to Make Chicken Cacciatore in the Crockpot
- Expert Tips
- Storage Directions
- Serving Suggestions
- Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe FAQs
- More Delicious High-Protein Crockpot Recipes
- Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are best for this dish because they are lean. You could use chicken thighs, but they are naturally fattier and will change the nutritional value.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Use a can of low-sodium, no-sugar-added crushed tomatoes for this dish. This meal has 995 mg of sodium, so avoid adding more.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Give this dish a bit of tangy acidity and natural sweetness by using balsamic vinegar.
- Mushrooms: Not only do mushrooms add umami flavor to this cacciatore, but they are also packed with fiber and antioxidants.
- Green Bell Pepper: Give your pasta a little bite with these zesty and slightly bitter peppers. You could also use red or orange bell peppers, though they have a sweeter flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Add More Veggies: You can never have too many vegetables for dinner, and cacciatore is a great sauce to add more veggies to. Try this dish with carrots, celery, zucchini, or spinach! Just add them in the last 30-60 minutes of cook time so they don’t turn mushy.
- Spice It Up: Make a spicy cacciatore by using a bit of crushed red pepper in your sauce. You could also sub your regular crushed tomatoes for fire-roasted tomatoes for a smoky and spicy kick, like in my healthy pasta fagioli recipe.
- Low-Carb: Enjoy slow cooker chicken cacciatore over spaghetti squash noodles or zoodles, similar to how I serve these turkey vegetable meatballs.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore in the Crockpot
This easy crockpot cacciatore with chicken breasts is very easy to make, so don’t let the prep work scare you! You’ll need to spray your slow cooker with cooking spray, pound out the chicken breasts until they are 1” thick, and season both sides with salt and pepper to start.
- Step 1: Sear the Chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the breasts in the hot skillet. Sear them for 3-4 minutes, then flip them over and sear the other side. Remove the seared breasts and place them in the crockpot.
- Step 2: Sauté the Onions. Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add the onions. Sauté for about 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Then, add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant and the vinegar is reduced.
- Step 3: Add Onions to the Crockpot. Transfer the onions, garlic, and pan drippings over the chicken in the crockpot.
- Step 4: Add More Veggies. Add the tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, green bell pepper, and Italian seasoning to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 ½ – 2 ½ hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Check the temperature of the chicken, and once it reaches 165°F, remove it from the slow cooker and set it aside.
- Step 5: Reduce the Sauce: Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Then cook the sauce for another 30 minutes, uncovered, so the sauce thickens.
- Step 6: Add the Chicken Back: Once the sauce is reduced, place the chicken breasts back into the sauce. Let them warm for another 5-10 minutes, then serve the cacciatore over your favorite pasta and top with grated parmesan and parsley.
Expert Tips
- Pounding Out Chicken: Using a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin to pound out your chicken helps the meat stay juicy and easy to chew. You’ll need to place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap to ensure you don’t splatter raw chicken juice everywhere. Then just pound this chicken until each breast is consistently 1-inch thick.
- Benefits of Searing: While crockpot meals usually skip using the stove to keep them easy, you should absolutely sear the chicken! It helps lock in the moisture and keeps the chicken from drying out while also enhancing the flavor.
- Don’t Overcook the Chicken: Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Use a meat thermometer and start checking the temperature of the chicken breasts about an hour before the cook time is complete to ensure you don’t overcook it.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cacciatore without the pasta for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover cacciatore on the stove over medium heat with a splash of broth for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. You can also microwave leftovers in 60-second increments until it reaches the correct temp. Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers for 24 hours in the refrigerator before reheating them.
- Make Ahead: This slow cooker chicken cacciatore is the perfect make-ahead meal for the week or a freezer meal to keep on hand. Just be sure to store any pasta or rice separately from the chicken and cacciatore sauce because it will turn mushy after freezing.
Serving Suggestions
This easy slow cooker chicken cacciatore is a satisfying meal at the end of a long day. It tastes more indulgent than it actually is, and the fiber and protein will help keep you full. You can eat this dish on its own or serve it with your favorite pasta or a side salad.
- Serve this healthy cacciatore over your favorite whole grain or gluten-free pasta. You could also use a chickpea or lentil pasta for another boost of protein. If you want a more low-carb dish, try it over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.
- The cacciatore sauce is so good, you’re going to want a slice of bread to soak up all the extra sauce on your plate! My healthy cauliflower bread is low-carb, gluten-free, and savory, so it’s perfect for dipping in tomato sauce.
- You can’t beat Italian-style dishes with a salad on the side! Make a healthy copycat Olive Garden salad with homemade healthy Italian salad dressing to enjoy with your dinner.
Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe FAQs
The cacciatore sauce thickens by cooking uncovered for 30 minutes at the end. This allows the moisture to evaporate and cook off, which thickens the sauce. If it doesn’t thicken enough, you can also combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water to make a slurry. Slowly stir it into the sauce to help thicken it faster.
Chicken breasts are very lean, so they can turn incredibly dry if they’re overcooked. Be sure to check the temperature of the chicken regularly to avoid cooking it too long. Tenderizing the chicken will also help you avoid dry chicken breasts.
You don’t have to sear the chicken, but searing it does enrich the flavor of the chicken. Plus, adding the drippings from the skillet also adds a lot of flavor to the sauce itself.
More Delicious High-Protein Crockpot Recipes
If you tried this Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes, no salt or sugar added
- 1 cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 8 ounces Mushrooms, sliced and drained if using from a can
- 2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
- Toppings Grated Parmesan and Chopped Parsley
For Serving
- Whole Grain Pasta, High Protein Pasta, Chickpea Pasta, Rice or Zucchini Noodles
Instructions
- Lightly spray a large slow cooker with nonstick spray. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Pound the chicken breasts to no more than 1" inch thickness. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken in a single layer.
- Cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned, moving the chicken as little as possible until it has a light sear. Flip and brown on the other side, 2 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
- Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant and the vinegar has reduced. Transfer the veggies the slow cooker, along with any pan drippings over the chicken breasts.
- Next add the crushed tomatoes, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or low for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside.
- Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar in the slow cooker. Cook for another 30 minutes to let the sauce thicken then return the chicken breast to the slow cooker to warm 5-10 minutes. Serve the chicken over pasta, rice or zucchini noodles with a generous amount of sauce. Top with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
Notes
- Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1-inch thick to help ensure they cook evenly and don’t turn out dry and tough.
- Searing the chicken helps seal in the moisture and enriches the flavor. It only takes a few minutes of hands-on cooking, but it is a game-changer for how the dish tastes.
- Crockpots cook at various temperatures, so it’s important to check on your chicken often after the first hour to ensure it doesn’t overcook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a great dish! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!