Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken Stew

This Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken Stew has a lot going for it: lean protein, a ton of veggies, umami from olives and mushrooms, and best of all, it’s delicious!

This simple chicken stew recipe is the perfect dish to make ahead of time. Getting it on the table for dinner will be a breeze. Plus it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, keto and Whole30-friendly!

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I’ll automatically receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken Stew

You might see the photos and the name of this recipe and think, Why didn’t he just call it Chicken Cacciatore?

And that is indeed how this recipe started. But then I wanted more veggies. And then more.

I used cherry tomatoes for their bursts of sweetness (I also add them at the end of cooking because for some reason I don’t like meat cooked in tomato sauce unless it’s with pasta – go figure).

I wanted olives because I love those little salt bombs.

So I realized I was getting so far away from that beloved traditional Italian dish that I had to come up with another name.

So Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken Stew it is.

What you need for Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil, plus more if necessary
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, such as button, baby bella or cremini
• 1.5 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided, plus more if necessary
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 bell peppers, color of your choice
• 6 oz. jar pitted Kalamata olives (or olives of your choice), drained
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried sage or oregano
• finely ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2-2.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 6 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved

Equipment:

• a cutting board
• a chef’s knife
• a large (5-6 qt.) slow cooker
• a large skillet
• measuring spoons
• a measuring glass
• a wooden spoon or spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
• two forks for shredding the chicken

How to make chicken stew in a slow cooker

This really couldn’t be easier:

• sauté the veggies and garlic
• add olives, herbs, chicken and broth
• cook low for 4 hours
• add cherry tomatoes

That’s it!

Substitution ideas

• You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Add them when the recipe says to add the chicken breasts. Set your crockpot on low for 5 hours and proceed accordingly. If you use breasts or thighs with the skin, remove the skin before adding them to the pot.
• You can use any mushrooms you want. Some will release more water than others when you sauté them, so just be sure to cook them until most of the water has evaporated or you’ll have a watery stew.
• If you’d rather use canned cherry tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes, pour them over the chicken before you start the crockpot.

Meal ideas

There’s a ton of ways to eat this:

• Pile these slow cooker chicken and vegetables on top of mashed potatoes or any kind of mashed veggies: cauliflower, parsnips (learn how to here), butternut squash (learn how to here), etc.
• Scoop it on top of a halved baked potato.
• Mix in roasted potatoes or add cubed, seasoned potatoes on top of the chicken so they steam with the stew and then you can mix them right in.
• It’s great over veggie noodles or veggie rice (learn how to make veggie rice here). Use a low carb veggie like cauliflower to keep it keto.
• Maybe add a pile of chopped greens like spinach or kale on top of the stew when it’s done cooking. Put the lid back on, let them steam and soften for about 10-20 minutes, season with salt and stir into the stew.

I mean, if you want to get really Italian, you could make this with rabbit instead of chicken, as that’s one way it was originally made (“alla Cacciatore” translates as “hunter style,” after all). While I’m sure it’s delicious, I can’t say I’ve tried it yet.

I’m already the rule-breaking rebel using olives (/sarcasm). Let’s not get too crazy here.

 

Other recipes you might like:

1. Pesto Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
2. Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes and Peas
3. Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken
4. Creamy Lemon Chicken, Olives and Artichokes

For more recipes, inspiration and just good stuff, join me on:

Instagram,

Facebook,

TikTok

and Pinterest!