This Slow Cooker Espresso Pulled Pork is an easy, savory recipe full of juicy meat…
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!
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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:
- Pesto Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
- Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes and Peas
- Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken
- Creamy Lemon Chicken, Olives and Artichokes
Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. avocado or olive oil, plus more if necessary
- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, such as button, baby bella or cremini
- 1.5 tsp 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 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried sage or oregano
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2-2.5 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 1/2 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
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I can see how you feel about the meat + tomato sauce combo. I do love certain dishes like that but also picture those super braised stringy pieces of meat with tomato sauce and just shudder. ick. This on the other hand, looks awesome and fresh. Thanks for sharing your idiosyncrasies!
Yes! That’s exactly it – that description of the texture is exactly what icks me, too.
I love all of the ingredients and flavors in this dish!
Thank you!
Really love your idea of adding more and more veggies. I am sold on that straight.
I mean, why have 1 when you can have 4? 😊
Love slow cooker meals! They look so good!
Me too! They make life SO much easier.
This looks so good! I’m going to try it in the Instant Pot.
Great! It’s super speedy that way.
I love a good chicken stew! Anything with tomatoes and olives in it is my kind of dish – looks great!
Good call – they’re so perfect together. Thanks!
I am so ready to get to the real meal! This stew is magnificent and I can already imagine how nice it is during this weather! Can’t wait to make it at home ASAP!
Thanks! Let me know if you do!
Great flavor combo and detail on your post!
Why thank you! I try to provide as much info as possible. 🙂
Sounds like comfort food to me!
I agree!
I love a hearty slow cooker meal! I like that you served it over a butternut squash puree! Yum!
comfort food…in a hands off fashion! What flavors! And atop butternut puree…I’m all over that!
Yes! I could have that purée with everyyyyythiiiiing 😋
What a great winter recipe. Can’t wait to try!
Exactly! Although I’ll probably make this year-round 😉
Yum – I bet this is SO comforting! Love a good chicken stew and this one has all the ingredients I love.
Oh good! Me too. 😉
This stew looks fantastic! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yay! Let me know if you do!
Slow cooker chicken is what I need right now! So comforting and nutritious!
Exactly why I love it!