Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 6, 2012
Time
4 hours on low
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken thighs (about 2 pieces), bone-in, trimmedSalt and pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered1 onion, chopped fine4 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons dried oregano ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ cup tomato paste 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained½ cup red wine ¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry3 pounds chicken breasts (about 4 pieces), bone-in, skin removed¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- BROWN THIGHS Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown thighs about 5 minutes per side, then transfer to plate. Let cool 5 minutes, then discard skin and transfer thighs to slow cooker.
- COOK AROMATICS Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Cook cremini mushrooms, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to slow cooker.
- PROCESS TOMATOES Add tomato paste and half of diced tomatoes to empty pan and cook until deep red and dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine and porcini and simmer until liquid is thickened and porcini are softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer tomato mixture to food processor and pulse until nearly smooth. Transfer 1/3 cup tomato mixture to slow cooker.
- PREPARE BREASTS Place chicken breasts on one side of large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spoon remaining tomato mixture over chicken, then fold foil over chicken to form packet that will fit in slow cooker, crimp edges to seal. Place packet in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 4 hours.
- FINISH Carefully remove packet from slow cooker. Transfer breasts and thigh to serving platter and pour and accumulated juices from packet back into the slow cooker. Stir remaining tomatoes, basil, and vinegar into sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.
Time
4 hours on lowYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
2 pounds chicken thighs (about 2 pieces), bone-in, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup red wine
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry
3 pounds chicken breasts (about 4 pieces), bone-in, skin removed
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken thighs (about 2 pieces), bone-in, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup red wine
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry
3 pounds chicken breasts (about 4 pieces), bone-in, skin removed
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken thighs (about 2 pieces), bone-in, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup red wine
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry
3 pounds chicken breasts (about 4 pieces), bone-in, skin removed
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For our Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, we omitted the chicken broth commonly used in many stove-top recipes because it made the sauce too watery. We sautéed half of the canned, diced tomatoes for the same reason. Mushrooms were essential to our Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore. We used cremini mushrooms in combination with dried porcini mushrooms (which we cooked with the tomatoes for added body). We drained the sautéed tomatoes and whirred them in the food processor for a thick, full-bodied sauce. We chose dried herbs because they hold up better than fresh in long cooking. We used both chicken thighs and breasts. However, after browning the chicken parts and adding them to the slow cooker, we found the thighs were moist and tender, but the delicate breasts had dried out. To solve this, we browned only the thighs, wrapping the raw breasts in foil to insulate them from the heat and slow their cooking.
Instructions
- BROWN THIGHS Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown thighs about 5 minutes per side, then transfer to plate. Let cool 5 minutes, then discard skin and transfer thighs to slow cooker.
- COOK AROMATICS Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Cook cremini mushrooms, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to slow cooker.
- PROCESS TOMATOES Add tomato paste and half of diced tomatoes to empty pan and cook until deep red and dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine and porcini and simmer until liquid is thickened and porcini are softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer tomato mixture to food processor and pulse until nearly smooth. Transfer 1/3 cup tomato mixture to slow cooker.
- PREPARE BREASTS Place chicken breasts on one side of large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spoon remaining tomato mixture over chicken, then fold foil over chicken to form packet that will fit in slow cooker, crimp edges to seal. Place packet in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 4 hours.
- FINISH Carefully remove packet from slow cooker. Transfer breasts and thigh to serving platter and pour and accumulated juices from packet back into the slow cooker. Stir remaining tomatoes, basil, and vinegar into sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.
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