Slow Cooked Chicken Italian

Updated 22 December 2023 Published 19 November 2018 160 Comments

Slow Cooked Chicken Italian aka Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, is a fabulously delicious recipe which is perfect for days when you don’t have time to cook. You just dump the ingredients and go!

Slow Cooked Chicken Italian in a crock pot.

Today I’m sharing my updated and improved Slow Cooked Chicken Italian that I first shared back in July 2014.

Having made this so often since I posted it, I thought I’d take some better photographs and add the olives I mentioned before but weren’t officially part of the recipe!

Slow Cooked Chicken Italian, pulled and served with rice on a plate.

Not only is this recipe so easy, just dump and go but it’s also low in fat so great for those following a Weight Watchers or Slimming World diet.

So back to the original post and note that where I say my daughter’s view of chicken thighs is a work in progress, she’s now a vegetarian (the writing was on the wall really)!

All the Slow Cooked Chicken Italian ingredients in a slow cooker.

The longer you own a piece of equipment the better your understanding of it grows and that is very true of my slow cooker.

For a long time, I took it as gospel that I had to follow the manufacturer’s instructions about only ever putting hot liquids and foods in my slow cooker. Then, as I started to read other blogs on the internet I realised that this was not a fact set in stone!

Indeed all the preparation I was doing heating everything up beforehand was really taking away the whole idea of it being a labour-saving gadget.

So last week I threw away my slow cooker instruction manual and decided to go cold turkey, well cold chicken to be precise!

I had to seriously stop myself from browning the chicken thighs and the thought of the added washing up was enough to stop me in my tracks.

“It’ll be fine” I told myself, “everyone else is doing this, you’re just a bit slow to realise”, And with that thought I merrily chucked, I mean placed carefully, all my ingredients in the slow cooker and switched it on.

Six hours later my family asked what the lovely smell was, to which I replied “Slow Cooked Chicken Italian”!

I would say that if you don’t have any of the particular vegetables that I used improvise with a suitable alternative eg courgettes, aubergine, green olives etc you could even add a different coloured bell pepper.

I have to say that we all really enjoyed this dump-and-go meal (with the exception of my daughter who doesn’t do chicken thighs – a work in progress) and I think it’s one you can play around with to ring the changes (thinking chillies now)!

Everyone reading this is probably having a good old laugh that I’ve been such a stickler for my instruction manual.

However, I realised that the manufacturers probably didn’t want to be responsible for giving anyone food poisoning so played it ultra-safe; so safe that it was taking the fun out of slow cooking if you ask me!

Dump-and-go recipes are the way to go!

More Dump and Go Slow Cooker Recipes

Here are some more easy dump and go recipes:

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Curry with basmati rice, naan bread and mango chutney in serving bowls. — Easy Slow Cooker Beef Curry

If you’re looking for a really simple chicken thigh dish for the oven then do try my Easy Greek Chicken and Potatoes recipe!

Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.

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