Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
A delicious and easy meal made in the slow cooker, perfect for a busy weeknight.
A delicious and easy meal made in the slow cooker, perfect for a busy weeknight.
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- salt & pepper
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- hot cooked rice
- 6 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms halved or quartered
- 1 large sweet onion chopped
- 2 cans italian-style diced tomatoes
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano crushed
- Carbohydrate 34.9210068332474 g
- Cholesterol 68.44 mg
- Fat 2.22787183331967 g
- Fiber 3.68914999775743 g
- Protein 32.5482464999853 g
- Saturated Fat 0.495642899996453 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (545g)
- Sodium 660.411483333313 mg
- Sugar 31.23185683549 g
- Trans Fat 0.696802366664413 g
- Calories 304 calories
Step-by-step
- Place broth, wine, mushroom, onion, green pepper, undrained tomatoes, garlic and oregano in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Stir to combine.
- Rinse chicken breasts in cold water and trim fat, pat dry with paper towel.
- Season well on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place chicken on top of tomato mixture.
- Cook on low 7 hours or until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve over hot cooked rice.
Dry red wine anchors this braise by supplying tartaric and malic acids that break down tough muscle fibers in poultry over a seven-hour simmer. Tomatoes provide natural glutamates, which merge with the savory compounds in chicken broth to generate depth without heavy fats. Aromatics like sweet onions and green peppers release water as cellular walls rupture under prolonged heat, concentrating natural sugars into the braising liquid.
Managing Moisture and Texture
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts lack the intermuscular fat of thighs, making them prone to dryness if cooked past internal temperatures of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Patting the meat dry before seasoning removes surface moisture that would otherwise dilute the surrounding sauce. Mushrooms shrink significantly as cellular water evaporates during the first three hours of the cook cycle, releasing umami-rich liquids directly into the wine and tomato base.
- Adjusting volume requires scaling liquids proportionally; reduce total broth and wine by twenty-five percent if shrinking the batch for fewer servings.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking in airtight containers for up to four days.
- Thicken watery sauces post-cook by simmering the liquid in a separate skillet over medium-high heat for ten minutes to evaporate excess moisture.
