Of course, eating this plain in a bowl with a big piece of warm bread and butter is ideal however this shredded-style chicken in tomato sauce is terrific served in several other ways.
This chicken can be served over pasta, rice, and potatoes, it's so versatile and can be a new version every time you make it.
The best part of this dinner is we usually use leftover boneless chicken from another meal or even rotisserie chicken so it makes this quick and easy.
If you're in a hurry just get some store-bought sides or throw some baked potatoes in the microwave to serve with this dish for those crazy weeknights when you're too tired to cook with a busy schedule because this can be made in a slow cooker.
Check out all our suggestions below for serving ideas.
We have a printable recipe below and to avoid any ads you can just hit print for this recipe.
Easy Quick Steps for Slow Cooker Cacciatore
- take the meat off the bone and cube it using boneless pork, chicken, or beef
- brown whatever meat you're using with seasoning(except if using meatballs frozen)
- dump everything in the slow cooker
- place it on high for 6 to 8 hours
- around 15 minutes before completing cooking thicken with flour or cornstarch
Shop for These Items see the full recipe below in the printable card
- cooked boneless chicken any parts Ideally, dark meat
- salt and pepper, to taste
- onion in thin slices
- finely minced garlic
- bell peppers diced any colors
- large carrot cleaned and sliced
- sliced mushrooms
- black crinkles pitted olives
- fresh thyme or a few sprigs of fresh
- fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- freshly chopped basil
- crushed tomatoes
- tomato paste (small)
- water (from both cans to rinse out the tomatoes)
- Merlot wine
Other Cooking Methods
- Slow Cooker: Dump everything into the slow cooker. Place on low 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours
- Instant Pot: set to the pressure cooker mode, dump in all the ingredients and make sure you have at least 2 cups of liquid. Cook for 30 minutes
- Oven: Place all the ingredients in a Dutch oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook for 40 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. Add more liquid if this is too thick
What to Serve With Shredded Chicken Cacciatore
- cooked pasta
- white fluffy rice
- hard-crusted bread
- roasted garlic mashed potatoes
- polenta
- boiled cauliflower or riced
- zucchini noodles
- steamed vegetables
Side Dishes or Additions:
- mushrooms sliced, peas
- corn on the cob
- any kind of potatoes
- roasted vegetables
- pasta with butter
- rice white or brown
- Caprese salad
- baked artichoke hearts
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Weeknight Quick and Easy Meals
If you need a quick meal for busy weeknights that tastes home-cooked, a slow cooker is a way to go for this deliciously easy meal.
The chicken is tender and moist no matter which method of cooking your choose and the serving ideas can even be made the night before.
If you were looking for the easiest version for Chicken Cacciatore, this is it, easy, delicious and always a great choice for an Italian American meal.
Shredded Chicken Cacciatore
Yield: 8
Prep time: 14 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 59 Min
This is an easy shredded Italian-style chicken cacciatore perfect over hard-crusted bread, potatoes or rice.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups of cooked boneless chicken any parts Ideally, dark meat (rotisserie chicken works great!)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion in thin slices
- 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 large carrot cleaned and sliced
- 1 8-ounce package of sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup black crinkles pitted olives
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or a few sprigs of fresh
- 2 tablespoons of fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
- 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes chopped
- 1 can of tomato paste (small)
- 1 can of water (from both cans to rinse out the tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup Merlot wine
- Optional: for those who like rosemary and oregano add 1/2 teaspoon of dried
- For those who love a little heat add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- On the stovetop, mix all the ingredients into a Dutch oven cast iron pot.
- Simmer on low heat until the mixture thickens and the carrots are soft around 45 minutes to an hour.
- Add more water if it gets too thick.
- Serve over hard-crusted bread, cooked pasta of choice, mashed potato, cooked fluffy white rice, or another grain you prefer.
- See under notes for other cooking methods and serving ideas.
Notes
Other Cooking Methods
- Slow Cooker: Dump everything into the slow cooker. Place on low 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours
- Instant Pot: set to the pressure cooker mode, dump in all the ingredients and make sure you have at least 2 cups of liquid. Cook for 30 minutes
- Oven: Place all the ingredients in a Dutch oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook for 40 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. Add more liquid if this is too thick
What to Serve With Shredded Chicken Cacciatore
- cooked pasta
- white fluffy rice
- hard-crusted bread
- roasted garlic mashed potatoes
- polenta
- boiled cauliflower or riced
- zucchini noodles
- steamed vegetables
Side Dishes or Additions:
- mushrooms sliced, peas
- corn on the cob
- any kind of potatoes
- roasted vegetables
- pasta with butter
- rice white or brown
- Caprese salad
- baked artichoke hearts
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Baked Taste Like Fried Lemon Chicken Cutlets
Bundt Pan Roasted Chicken
