Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Peppers and Mushrooms

The skillet gets crowded fast when you try to brown all the chicken at once, and the pieces steam instead of picking up color. I brown the thighs in batches,…

By Willow • October 25, 2026 • Reading time: 8 min

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The skillet gets crowded fast when you try to brown all the chicken at once, and the pieces steam instead of picking up color. I brown the thighs in batches, then use that same skillet to build the tomato sauce for this slow cooker chicken cacciatore with peppers and mushrooms. It adds one small pan to the process, but those browned bits are worth keeping.

Bone-in thighs are a good match for a long, gentle cook: they stay tender while the onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms soften around them. The sauce starts thick, and the vegetables release moisture as they cook, so there’s no need to add extra liquid. By the time it’s ready, the chicken is tender and the tomato sauce has settled into all those vegetables.

Why This Cacciatore Doesn’t Need a Pour of Broth

A slow cooker traps steam, and the vegetables in this dish bring their own moisture to the pot. The onion and bell peppers soften as they cook, while the mushrooms release liquid into the sauce. That’s why the ingredient list doesn’t include broth or water. Adding extra liquid at the start can leave you with a thinner, less concentrated tomato sauce at the end.

The crushed tomatoes provide the main body, while the wine is used in the skillet before the tomatoes go in. The sauce may look especially thick when you pour it over the chicken, but it loosens as the vegetables cook. Keep the lid on during the cooking time; lifting it repeatedly lets heat and steam escape, which can slow the cook. You’re aiming for a sauce that clings to the chicken and vegetables, not a pot of soup.

The Thighs, Tomato Base, and Vegetables Each Have a Job

• Bone-in chicken thighs — The bones help the thighs hold their shape through the long cook, and the dark meat stays succulent in the tomato sauce. Skinless thighs keep the finished sauce from picking up excess fat from the skin. Pat the chicken dry before seasoning if its surface is wet; a dry surface browns more readily in the skillet.
• Onion, bell peppers, and cremini mushrooms — These form the vegetable layer underneath the chicken and soften into the sauce. Quarter the mushrooms rather than mincing them so they keep some substance after several hours. The recipe uses sliced onion and peppers, which soften evenly around the chicken.
• Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes — Tomato paste brings concentrated tomato flavor, while crushed tomatoes make the full sauce. Stirring the paste with garlic in the skillet gives it brief contact with the hot pan before the liquid goes in. Canned crushed tomatoes are convenient here because their texture is already suited to a slow-cooked sauce.
• Dry red wine and dried herbs — The wine loosens the browned bits in the skillet and adds a savory, slightly tart note. A basic dry red wine is all you need; there’s no reason to use a special bottle. Dried oregano and thyme suit the long cook, and the bay leaf adds a quiet herbal note that’s easiest to remove before serving.

How to Brown the Chicken and Build the Slow-Cooker Sauce

Brown the thighs in manageable batches

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper, then brown it in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Give the pieces room in the skillet; if they’re crowded together, they won’t brown as well. Set the browned thighs aside while you prepare the vegetables and sauce.

Make a vegetable bed in the slow cooker

Put the sliced onion, sliced bell peppers, and quartered mushrooms in the 6-quart slow cooker. Arrange the browned chicken on top of the vegetables rather than burying it underneath them. This keeps the vegetables at the bottom and the thighs together in the cooker. The chicken doesn’t need to be completely covered by the vegetables.

Turn the skillet drippings into tomato sauce

Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to the skillet and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the dry red wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom as the liquid loosens them. Let it simmer for 2 minutes, then stir in the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, and dried thyme. Keep the garlic moving as it cooks; it should smell fragrant, not turn dark and bitter.

Slow-cook until the thighs are tender

Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken and vegetables, then add the bay leaf and cover the cooker. Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F near the bone. If the thermometer touches bone, move it slightly and take another reading. Lift out and discard the bay leaf before serving.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Peppers and Mushrooms

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore is browned in a skillet, then simmered with peppers, mushrooms, red wine, and tomatoes until tender. Bone-in chicken thighs soak up a rich, herb-seasoned sauce for a hearty dinner.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 530

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 lb chicken thighs skinless, bone-in
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 yellow onion medium, sliced
• 2 bell peppers sliced
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.5 cup dry red wine
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Equipment

• 1 12-inch skillet
• 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method

 

1. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season the chicken thighs with the kosher salt and black pepper.
3. Brown the chicken thighs in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Place the yellow onion, bell peppers, and cremini mushrooms in a 6-quart slow cooker, then arrange the browned chicken thighs on top.
5. Add the garlic and tomato paste to the skillet and stir for 30 seconds.
6. Pour in the dry red wine, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, and dried thyme.
8. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken and vegetables, then add the bay leaf.
9. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F near the bone.
10. Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving.

Notes

For the best flavor, brown the chicken in batches without crowding the skillet. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. For an alcohol-free variation, replace the dry red wine with chicken broth.