Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken Stew (keto, Whole30)

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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!

crockpot Italian chicken stew in the white bowls with cauliflower rice next to a red and white striped towel and cherry tomatoes, all on a wooden table

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Why this recipe works

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

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
1½ 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
2-2½ 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

Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Step 2: Add the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and saute for another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are deeply browned. If the mushrooms start to release water, continue cooking them until most of the water has evaporated, about 3-4. (Depending on the type of mushroom, they might not release much or any water.)

Step 3: As the mushrooms are cooking, peel and chop the onions and core and chop the peppers. Once the mushrooms are ready, stir in the onions and peppers to the skillet, plus 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.

Step 4: Transfer the veggie mixture to your slow cooker insert. Stir in the drained olives and dried herbs and pour in the broth. Nestle the chicken into the stew – it won’t be totally submerged and that’s okay. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Step 5: Set the slow cooker to low for 4 hours. When it’s done, use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks (if your slow cooker has a nonstick insert, you might want to pour the stew into a bowl to do this so the forks don’t scrape the nonstick coating), or move them to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized chunks.

Step 6: Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the veggies and stir everything together. Stir the chicken back in and taste for seasoning, adjusting as necessary.

Note: See recipe below for Instant Pot directions.

crockpot Italian chicken stew in the crockpot insert next to a red and white striped towel and cherry tomatoes, all on a wooden table

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I make substitutions?

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.

Can I make Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Stew ahead of time?

Yep. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat or in a slow cooker on the low setting.

Can I freeze Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Stew?

Yep. Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat or in a slow cooker on the low setting.

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:

Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken Stew

Don Baiocchi

This chicken stew is a hearty mix of protein and veggies, plus it includes stovetop and Instant Pot instructions. It’s great to add to your weekly meal prep and have it ready to eat all week.

5 from 14 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Slow cooker time 4

Total Time 4 40

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings servings

Calories 333 kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil, plus more if necessary
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, such as button, baby bella or cremini
1½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, plus more as necessary
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion
2 bell peppers, color of your choice
6 oz. jar pitted kalamata olives (or your favorite olives), drained
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage or oregano
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups chicken broth
2-2½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
6 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and saute for another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are deeply browned. If the mushrooms start to release water, continue cooking them until most of the water has evaporated, about 3-4. (Depending on the type of mushroom, they might not release much or any water.)
As the mushrooms are cooking, peel and chop the onions and core and chop the peppers. Once the mushrooms are ready, stir in the onions and peppers to the skillet, plus 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.
Transfer the veggie mixture to your slow cooker insert. Stir in the drained olives and dried herbs and pour in the broth. Nestle the chicken into the stew – it won't be totally submerged and that's okay. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Set the slow cooker to low for 4 hours. When it's done, use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks (if your slow cooker has a nonstick insert, you might want to pour the stew into a bowl to do this so the forks don't scrape the nonstick coating), or move them to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized chunks.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the veggies and stir everything together. Stir the chicken back in and taste for seasoning, adjusting as necessary. Serve warm, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

If using boneless, skinless chicken thighs, set the slow cooker to low for 5 hours.

See the post for ways to serving/meal ideas.

Does it seem weird to cook all those veggies first thing in the morning so the stew is ready for dinner? Cook all the veggies the night before. Pour everything into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Then add it your slow-cooker, add the broth and chicken and proceed with the recipe. Check the chicken to make sure it’s cooked through; if not, add another 30 minutes to the cooking time (it might need that extra 30 minutes since everything went into the crockpot fridge-cold).

If you’d rather cook this on the stove, make sure to use a skillet large and deep enough to accommodate all the ingredients. Once you add the chicken, cover and cook over medium heat, 25-30 minutes for breasts and 35-45 minutes for thighs. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

For the Instant Pot: hit the Saute button and heat the oil in the insert. Proceed with the recipe and after you add the chicken, put the lid on and secure it, making sure the seal on top is set correctly. Press Cancel/Keep Warm, then pressure cook 7 minutes for breasts and 10 minutes for thighs. Release the steam as soon as the time is up and proceed with the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 42gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 1800mgPotassium: 1100mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1922IUVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 4mg

Keyword chicken, crockpot, Instant Pot, italian, slow-cooker, stew

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