Italian Chicken Stew is a simple and delicious recipe, reminiscent of classic Chicken Cacciatore but made in a crock pot!
I’ve been in a squash and spaghetti sauce kind of mood lately, so when we visited my in-laws and had a tasty Chicken Cacciatore for dinner, it inspired me to make this Italian Chicken Stew when we came home.
It’s a simple meal to make but hearty and flavorful. You’re not sure whether to eat with a fork or a spoon (as it should be with stews), and it goes great with crusty bread or over a bowl of zucchini pasta. This was even a winner with the kiddos!
Italian Chicken Stew
Italian Chicken Stew {Slow Cooker}
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Italian Chicken Stew Ingredients
- Yellow squash – also called summer squash, sliced or cubed
- Zucchini – sliced or cubed
- Eggplant – cubed
- Green bell pepper – small diced
- Yellow onion – small diced
- White mushrooms – sliced
- Garlic – minced
- Chicken breasts – whole
- Spaghetti sauce – your favorite brand (or try our blender spaghetti sauce or slow cooker pasta sauce)
- Diced tomatoes – canned, drained
How Do You Make Italian Chicken Stew (Step-by-step)
⭐ First, add all ingredients to the slow cooker (I use my 7 quart slow cooker). Give a quick stir, making sure the chicken breasts are fully submerged.
⭐ Then, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
⭐ Finally, remove chicken and slice or shred, then stir chicken back into stew and serve!
My Italian grandmother always called spaghetti sauce gravy, so it confused me at Thanksgiving when we would make a completely different kind of gravy. I suppose it’s kind of like talking to someone who’s native language is Spanish and not understanding that salsa to them is every kind of sauce, not just, you know, salsa.
I don’t know what made me think of that. I suppose because this recipe calls for red sauce (which it what I call it). I’m curious though, what do you call the stuff you pour over spaghetti and use in lasagna?
This simple Italian stew recipe is wonderful because not only is it easy to make, but it’s incredibly healthy, it’s kid-friendly (my kids love love love it!), but you can make a huge batch and freeze it for later. If your kids aren’t super into the soups and stews thing, make a quick pot of spaghetti and pour it over top.
Serve with some easy garlic bread or an antipasto salad and you’re in Italian dinner heaven!
The other great thing is you can easily adjust the recipe to your family’s tastes. Add some crushed red pepper if you like it spicy, or Italian sausage instead of chicken. Skip the eggplant and double the garlic. Do what works best for you!
More Italian Inspired Recipes
- Italian Chicken Sandwiches
- Sausage and Peppers Flatbread
- One Pot Lasagna
- Pizza with Bisquick Crust
- Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
- See all our Italian recipes!
More Chicken Recipes
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Peanut Butter Chicken
- Perfect Baked Chicken
- See all our chicken recipes!
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Crock Pot Ham
- Easy Italian Beef
- BBQ Pulled Pork
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Potato Soup
- See all our slow cooker recipes
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How to Make Italian Chicken Stew
Italian Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 3 cups yellow squash sliced or cubed
- 3 cups zucchini sliced or cubed
- 3 cups eggplant cubed
- 1 cup green bell pepper small diced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion small diced
- 8 ounces white mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 4 - 5 chicken breasts whole
- 48 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes drained (14 ounce can)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker (I use my 7 quart slow cooker) and give a quick stir, making sure the chicken breasts are fully submerged.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Remove chicken and slice or shred, then reincorporate chicken and serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
5/2012
Katie says
April this sounds awesome! I love Chicken Cacciatore so I'll definitely be giving this a try soon!
łóżka do sypialni says
fajne
Live n Learn Teacher says
Argh! Everything is in but the chicken. Now I'm wondering if you meant half a chicken breast or a whole chicken breasts. I'm using thighs and can't decide whether to use a pound of thighs or two pounds.
Anonymous says
I'm actually going to make two versions of this for a local meeting since some of the people are vegetarians so I will make one with chicken and one without, I'm hoping the one without turns out as good…
Courtney Lopez says
Love that this stew is filled with veggies – such a great complete meal for the whole family. Plus no heating up the house, total win! 🙂
Manila Spoon says
I love using the slow cooker for summer as I don’t like turning my oven on when it’s so hot so this is just perfect for the season!
lonnie says
Tasted great, thanks!
Materace Alvare says
whole family enjoyed, thanks!