Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore is the perfect dinner on these cold, dark nights! The chicken falls off the bone and explodes with flavor!

Chicken cacciatore is a rustic Italian stew.  Cacciatore translates from Italian as "hunter", so this stew is prepared "hunter-style" and includes onions, herbs, chunks of potatoes, and bell peppers.  I love making this dish in the slow cooker, because the meat on the chicken thighs gets incredibly tender and practically falls off of the bones.  I also love how the flavors blend using this slow cooking process.  It really can't be beat!

Slow cooker dinners are also the best to cook when you are busy, because they can be thrown together quickly in the morning.  When you get home later, dinner is all ready!  Cleanup is also a breeze because you typically only use one pot!

How to Make the Best Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

While the full recipe details are available below, here are some tips to make the best rustic Italian stew!

• Chicken: you should use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. This is important because the bone and skin add extra flavor while cooking.  You can always remove the skin and bones before serving.  The chicken is so tender, it falls right off of the bone anyways!
• Veggies: one great thing about this recipe is that it is so flexible!  Cacciatore is a rustic-style stew.  You can chop the potatoes and vegetables a little larger, and swap for the specific vegetables you prefer.  The key vegetables that must be included are potatoes, onions, carrots, red bell peppers, and canned tomatoes.  Beyond this, you can get creative!
• Spices: dried oregano, and red pepper flakes are the key spices in this dish.  These are important because it gives your stew its Italian flavor.  Other spices that you can experiment with in this dish includes dried rosemary, dried thyme, or an Italian season blend!

While cacciatore is delicious on its own, you can also serve it over rice, pasta, or another carb of your choice!

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