I know, this is a food blog called Big Apple Curry, so why a homemade Chicken Cacciatore recipe? Well, what I love about cooking is that it’s universal. Like most people, I love Italian food. Plus, I lived in Italy twice, and more often than not, I end up making Indian, Italian, Thai, and Mexican food at home. Like Indian home cooking, there is something deeply satisfying about homemade Italian dishes. For me and Sean, hearty dishes like chicken cacciatore are reminiscent of robust dishes like chicken curry. Starting with a similar base of fresh onion and garlic cloves and then slow braising chicken in tomatoes, herbs, and spices, makes for more similarities than differences. In fact, my friend Gina, whose father Gino prefers his own homemade Italian cooking to anything else, actually liked my father Satya’s homemade chicken curry — Gino likened it to his own homemade chicken cacciatore, which gave me the idea for this post.

Classic Italian Pollo alla Cacciatore (Hunter Chicken) is reminiscent of hearty Indian chicken dishes. Photo source: Wikipedia

As you may know, cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian, so any dish described as “alla cacciatora” refers to a preparation that is “hunter-style” with onions, herbs, usually tomatoes, often bell peppers, and sometimes wine. In North America, cacciatore is most often made with braised chicken (pollo alla cacciatora) but in Italy, also with rabbit (coniglio alla cacciatora). Many readers will know about my love for the slow cooker and my quest for easy, homemade dinner solutions for busy weeknights. This Chicken Cacciatore works beautifully in any home slow cooker, I’ve made it countless times. It’s on the healthier side too, calling for skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Whether you serve this ‘chicken alla cacciatora’ over fettucini egg noodles or wild rice, put this on before you leave for work and you will return home to a perfect supper on a cold evening.

You can put this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore together in 20 minutes the night before…

Before I went to bed last night, I put this cacciatore together in a matter of minutes. I used short cuts like buying a pre-cut mix of onions, carrots, and celery, a package of sliced mushrooms, and a small container of grilled eggplant. Things like these are big time savers and make weeknight cooking easier.

While Sean put our 3-year old into the bath, I quickly sautéed the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and seared off the chicken thighs in a wide skillet.

I chopped up the bell peppers and eggplant, and pulled out the herbs and spices from the cupboard. By this time, Liam was ready for bed and I went to read him “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” (three times) and sing him a couple of songs…

…once Liam was down for the night, I returned to the kitchen, added all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker insert and mixed them together well. I covered it tightly with the lid, and stuck it in the fridge.

Before I left for work this morning, I pulled it out, set the slow cooker on the counter and turned it on LOW for 8 hours.

When I walked in the door this evening, I was greeted by the aromas of rosemary, basil, and thyme. I couldn’t wait for that moment — running out of the office, jumping on a bus up Madison Avenue, rushing to daycare, and then getting home in time for dinner. I opened the slow cooker and beheld a richly stewed chicken cacciatore robed in a thick tomato garlic sauce brimming with mushrooms, green pepper, and eggplant. I grated a big piece of aged parmigiano-reggiano and we tucked in for homemade chicken cacciatore over egg noodles. Big Apple Curry style.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 – 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Cooking spray
• 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced (about 1.5 – 2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chilli pepper
• 26 oz jarred tomato basil pasta sauce
• 4 – 8 oz grilled Italian eggplant slices, roughly chopped (optional)
• Finely chopped fresh parsley, for serving
• Grated parmigiano-reggiano, for serving

Preparation

1. Spray slow cooker insert generously with cooking spray.
2. On the stovetop, heat butter olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high flame. Add onions, carrots, celery, and chopped garlic. Sauté until golden and glassy; transfer to slow cooker insert.
3. To the same skillet, add chicken thighs and increase the heat so you get a good sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Turn each piece and sear another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker insert.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients except fresh parsley and parmigiano-reggiano. Turn slow cooker on HIGH for 4 hours OR on LOW for 8 hours.
5. Serve over hot egg noodles or wild rice and top with fresh parsley and grated parmigiano-reggiano before serving.