Best Crockpot chicken cacciatore with jar sauce recipe ever! If you’ve never made this it literally takes 10 min. to prep and my kids love it too over rice! A really cheap slow cooker meal we make often because and only needs a few ingredients which I love when I’m in a hurry to put a meal together.
I love an easy dinner, like the easy Crockpot chicken cacciatore recipe ever. It just takes 10 minutes to prep.! Seriously, it’s so easy and even the kids gobble this one up! One of our favorite crockpot recipes. (affiliate links present)
Crock pot Chicken Cacciatore with Jar Sauce
I mean I’m all about healthy, if it still tastes amazing! This fits the bill on those requirements and is cheap too! Of course you can vary it depending on your heat level preferences too which is nice. We have made our crockpot chicken noodle soup often even if we aren’t sick but needed a new one pot meal to enjoy.
To make things easier to use a jarred sauce to make this shredded chicken. If you wanted to make yours homemade instead we have an option for that too. Beyond that you just need the protein and vegetables which is primarily onions and bell peppers.
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Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….
- This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
- I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.
Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉
3 Ingredient Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
It is an inexpensive crockpot meal and quite healthy too incorporating chicken and veggies that cook down and get nice and soft in the process. Perfect over Ninja Foodi white rice. I bet all of you will love this meal too.
Well my mom used to when I was younger, but from scratch. Ok, so I don’t have time to do the from scratch thing usually during the week.
But, I came up with a semi-homemade way using the same ingredients but in a much simpler form. It’s one of the best crockpot chicken recipes.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Cacciatore
Literally this is all you need. Maybe some rice if you want to serve it over that when it’s done. That is what we do. It doesn’t matter what brand spaghetti sauce you use. Choose whatever type of sauce you want(I’m all about what is on sale). Just stay away from meat flavor since that is ground beef based.
I tend to choose garlic or mushroom, and prefer a thicker version but like I said I usually buy what’s on sale. 2 large chicken breasts will do and will feed the 5 of us. I also add mushrooms but I don’t like them mushy so I wait until the last hour to add those (you can omit those if you prefer).
Chicken thighs would work as well, but I usually save those to make my Crockpot jerk chicken instead. Red pepper flakes could be added for a bit of heat if you wanted to but typically I keep it mild. If you cannot find boneless you can use pieces with rib meat. This is Hunter style which means with a red sauce.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs really if that is what you have on hand
- Spaghetti sauce – buy whatever jar is on sale really
- You could make your own homemade spaghetti sauce beforehand if you want with crushed tomatoes etc..
- Onion
- Bell peppers & mushrooms
- any bell pepper colors, you can use a few different colors too
- Rice you would make on the side and serve with this
- Olives – some people like to add them, we usually don’t
- Water or use chicken broth instead for more flavor
Here are a few questions you might have before you get started:
Chicken served and cooked with onions, herbs, tomatoes, bell peppers and sometimes red wine (which we omitted).
Cooked together the meat really soaks up all those wonderful juices and gives it tons of flavor. Cacciatore means hunter so some call it this as well.
Red potatoes or white rice are the perfect side we think. Of course you could just add more mixed vegetables. For a low carb dish you could serve with spaghetti squash.
Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
I just think those add a lot of work at the end when you’re exhausted and just want to sit and eat. Place chicken breasts (not frozen) on bottom of crockpot. Pour jar of spaghetti sauce on top. Pour about 3/4 c. water into jar and swish around to get rest of sauce out of jar and pour that into crockpot as well.
- Slice bell pepper, dice onion, and put into crockpot.
- Add minced garlic, salt and pepper if you wish.
- Stir just a bit but keep chicken on bottom and covered with sauce.
Cover and cook for 5 hrs cooking time on low. Add mushrooms that have been rinsed and quartered into crockpot, stir slightly cook for an additional hour on low. (or longer depending on how thick they are, cook until meat falls apart) Can double if you’d like. Serve over rice.
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
If you are busy like we are these quick crockpot meals are lifesavers! I use mine at least once a week if not more and have several sizes. I use my large crockpot for this. Many of our other crockpot recipes are here and below.
- Easy homemade crockpot split pea soup is low in saturated fat and super nutritious.
- Crockpot lemon pepper chicken is healthy, my family loved this recipe the other night
- Try this crockpot cream cheese chicken with breasts or bone in chicken thighs this week.
Almost all of the above and on our site you just throw all together in the morning and it will be ready when you return from your busy day in the afternoon. No stirring or paying attention to it along the way, or that would defeat the purpose of easy.
How long can you keep cooked chicken in the fridge?
About 4 days sealed inside airtight containers or bags is the general rule. If you know you won’t use it within that time you should freeze it instead. Then it will last a few months without issue. I’ve also made it in just a few minutes with my Instant Pot chicken cacciatore recipe.
How do you revive leftover chicken?
Since this will be saved in a thick tomato sauce it should stay pretty moist. Make sure it has cooled before storing in a sealed container and in the fridge for up to 3 days max. If it is by itself it may dry out and you would want to add a bit of broth or olive oil to the top when reheating in the oven or microwave.
I wouldn’t recommend cooking on high, I never do. Low and slow is always best for meat so it becomes fork tender. Remove chicken when done and shred or serve whole on plates. Shouldn’t even need a knife to cut.
Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 bell pepper
- 1/2 onion
- 1 container mushrooms
- 1.5 c uncooked rice , + 3 c. water – serve over – optional
- 3/4 c water
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts (not frozen) on bottom of crockpot.
- Pour jar of spaghetti sauce on top.
- Pour about 3/4 c. water into jar and swish around to get rest of sauce out of jar and pour that into crockpot as well.
- Slice bell pepper, dice onion, and put into crockpot.
- Add minced garlic if you wish. Stir just a bit but keep chicken on bottom and covered with sauce.
- Cook for 5 hrs on low.
- Add mushrooms that have been rinsed and quartered into crockpot, stir slightly cook for an additional hour on low. Can double if you’d like. Serve over rice.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m going to try this and add zucchini for more veggies in the meal.
Making this for the second time. I serve it over some pasta
I’ve made this a few times, and each time with either rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. Each time delicious, makes no difference😊
Glad it was a hit
Is the rice cooked in the crock pot or separate and if it’s cooked together when do I put it in the Crock-Pot. Thank you
Separate.
What size pressure cooker.
Have made this several times – excellent! Two things: Recipe says 5 hrs 10 minute cook time but directions say 5 hrs, add mushrooms, and cook a other hour. 2nd, (fyi) on pinterest this recipe now leads to spam. Again thanks for a fast and delicious recipe.
This is a family favorite! I don’t use the mushrooms because we have a couple that don’t like them but it’s still so good! Thank you!
Beautiful shot.
This looks so delicious! I love how easy it is!
It turns out great!