Description
A hearty slow cooker recipe for Italian chicken cacciatore, featuring tender chicken in a savory sauce of tomatoes, peppers, and olives, finished with a creamy herb ricotta swirl.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 1 large (200g / 7 oz) yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium (300g / 10.5 oz) bell peppers (one red, one yellow), deseeded and chopped
- 250 g (8.8 oz) cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 800 g (28 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 240 ml (1 cup) vegetable broth
- 100 g (3.5 oz) pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- 10 ml (2 tsp) dried oregano
- 5 ml (1 tsp) dried basil
- 2 bay leaves
- 2.5 ml (0.5 tsp) red pepper flakes (optional)
- 7.5 ml (1.5 tsp) sea salt
- 2.5 ml (0.5 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
- For the Creamy Herb Ricotta Swirl: 250 g (1 cup) full-fat ricotta cheese
- 15 g fresh parsley, chopped
- 15 g fresh basil, chopped
- 2.5 ml (0.5 tsp) lemon zest
- 1.25 ml (0.25 tsp) garlic powder
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken and Sear for Flavor: Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels, then season generously with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the chicken in batches, starting skin-side down, until golden brown on all sides (3-5 minutes per side). Transfer the seared chicken directly into the slow cooker insert.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Add the chopped onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the same skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Combine and Slow Cook: Transfer the sautéed vegetables to the slow cooker with the chicken. Add the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, Kalamata olives, dried oregano, dried basil, bay leaves, remaining salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir gently to combine everything. Cover the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for 6-8 hours or on the HIGH setting for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is fork-tender.
- Prepare Creamy Ricotta Swirl: In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, finely chopped fresh parsley, finely chopped fresh basil, lemon zest, garlic powder, and a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper; mix gently until just combined.
- Finish and Serve: Once cooked, carefully remove and discard the bay leaves from the slow cooker. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Ladle the hot chicken cacciatore into warm bowls, spoon generous dollops of the creamy herb ricotta swirl over each serving, and garnish with additional freshly chopped parsley and basil.
Notes
To reduce the sauce if too liquidy, remove chicken and simmer uncovered on high for 30 minutes. Be sure to remove bay leaves before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 420 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 375 g)
- Calories: 480 calories
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg