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Step 7 Chicken is fully cooked before being removed and the sauce reducing
Bradley Pittman

Chicken Cacciatore – Slow Cooker

Bone-in chicken is browned then slow-cooked with onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper, mushrooms and olives in a balsamic-tomato sauce.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2¼ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided (1½ tbsp for browning chicken, ¾ tbsp for sautéing onion mix)
  • 900 g bone in, skin on Chicken Maryland
  • 1½ teaspoons sea salt
  • ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1½ medium onion, chopped
  • 4–5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ tablespoons plus ¾ teaspoon balsamic vinegar divided; 1½ tbsp used in sauce base, ¾ tsp stirred in before serving
  • 900 g crushed tomatoes
  • 1½ cups chicken broth
  • 1½ medium green bell pepper, diced
  • 210 g sliced mushrooms
  • 75 g black olive, sliced
  • 1½ teaspoons oregano
  • 3 teaspoons plus ¾ teaspoon basil, sliced divided; 3 tsp added to slow cooker, ¾ tsp used as garnish

Method
 

  1. Heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, 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 so that it gets a nice sear. Then turn the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  2. In the same skillet add ¾ tbsp of oil over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and oregano cooking until fragrant.
  3. Add 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute until the vinegar has reduced.
  4. Heat the slow cooker on a low setting.
  5. Add the onion mix and chicken to the slow cooker. Then top the chicken with the tomatoes, chicken broth, green bell pepper, mushrooms, olives and 3 teaspoons basil. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Cover and cook on low for approximately 3 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Remove the chicken and set aside.
  7. Uncover the slow cooker and let cook on high for 30min to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavour to further develop. Just before serving, stir in the remaining ¾ teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Taste and season the sauce with additional salt and pepper as desired. Return the chicken pieces to the slow cooker and gently coat with the sauce. Serve hot with your choice of pasta, rice or creamy polenta. Spoon over the remaining sauce and garnish with the remaining ¾ teaspoon fresh basil.

Notes

If you do not have time and need the sauce quickly whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon of your sauce. Then, stir this mixture into the slow cooker and let simmer until thickened.
Total time: 3 hours 30 min.