Nobody believes me when I tell them there is no browning in this recipe. Martha Stewart’s Chicken Cacciatore with Cremini Mushrooms is a slow cooker chicken cacciatore made with a whole cut-up chicken, cremini mushrooms, plum tomatoes, white wine, and rosemary. You stir everything into the slow cooker, set it on high for 4 hours, and walk away.
I make this every winter when I want something warm without spending the afternoon in the kitchen. This slow cooker chicken recipe takes 15 minutes of actual work and the result tastes like it cooked all day, which I guess it did.
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Why You Will Love This Chicken Cacciatore:
- No browning, no fuss: Most cacciatore recipes make you sear the chicken first. This one skips that step entirely. I was nervous the first time because I thought the chicken would taste bland without the sear, but the tomatoes and wine do all the work.
- The mushrooms hold up: Cremini mushrooms are sturdier than white button mushrooms. After 4 hours in the slow cooker they are soft but not mushy. They soak up the tomato sauce and taste like they belong there.
- Set it and forget it: Martha says do not lift the cover while it cooks. I listen. You put it on at lunch and dinner is ready by the time everyone is hungry. No stirring, no checking, nothing.
Chicken Cacciatore Cremini Mushrooms Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces, skin removed (except from wings)
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled plum tomatoes in juice, drained, and broken up
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken Cacciatore Cremini Mushrooms
- Prep the ingredients: Cut the chicken into 10 pieces and take the skin off everything except the wings. Quarter the mushrooms. Drain the canned tomatoes and break them up by hand. Thinly slice the celery and onion.
- Load the slow cooker: Put the chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, flour, wine, celery, onion, rosemary, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper into a 5-quart slow cooker. Stir everything together so the flour coats the chicken and mixes into the liquid.
- Cook on high: Cover the slow cooker and cook on the high setting until the meat is tender, about 4 hours. Do not lift the cover while it cooks.
- Serve: Take out and throw away the rosemary sprig. Spoon the chicken and sauce into bowls.
Recipe Tips
- Break up the tomatoes by hand: Do not use a knife. Squeeze them in your fist right over the slow cooker. You get uneven chunks that melt down at different rates and give the sauce more texture. I learned this the messy way but it works.
- Do not skip the flour: It seems odd to add flour to a slow cooker dish but it thickens the sauce as the chicken cooks. Without it, the sauce ends up thin and watery.
- Leave the wing skin on: Martha keeps the skin on the wings for a reason. It adds a little fat to the sauce which gives it more body. I tried removing all the skin once and the sauce tasted lighter than I wanted.
- Use fresh rosemary if you can: Dried works in a pinch but a fresh sprig gives the sauce a cleaner flavour. Just make sure you fish it out before serving.
What I Changed After Making This A Few Times
- I toss in a handful of pitted olives halfway through. They do not need the full 4 hours and they add a salty bite that cuts through the tomato.
- Bone-in thighs work if you do not want to deal with cutting up a whole chicken. Same cook time, same result.
- A pinch of red pepper flakes in the beginning gives the sauce a little heat without making it spicy.
What Goes Well With This Chicken Cacciatore
Martha says this goes well with thick-cut bread or brown rice and I agree. I usually make buttermilk biscuits on the side because they are perfect for soaking up the sauce at the bottom of the bowl.
If I want something green on the plate I keep it simple with green beans or scalloped potatoes. The potatoes are rich but so is a cold winter night, so I do not hold back.
How To Store Leftovers
This actually gets better overnight. The sauce thickens in the fridge and the chicken absorbs more of the tomato and rosemary flavour. Keep it in a sealed container for up to 3 days. I would not freeze it with the mushrooms still in because they get rubbery when thawed.
To reheat, I warm it slowly on the stove with a splash of water so the sauce loosens up. The microwave works but the stove is better for keeping the chicken tender. I have eaten this cold over bread before and it is not bad, like an Italian chicken sandwich filling.
FAQs
- Can I use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken? Yes. Bone-in, skin-on thighs work great and you do not have to deal with cutting up a whole bird. I usually use about 2 pounds. Keep the cook time the same.
- Can I cook this on low instead of high? Martha says high for 4 hours. I have done it on low for about 7 to 8 hours and it worked fine, the chicken just falls apart more. Either way, do not open the lid while it cooks.
- Can I skip the wine? You can replace it with chicken broth. The wine adds a sharpness that balances the tomatoes, but broth will still give you a good sauce. I would add a splash of vinegar at the end if you skip the wine.
- Why do I need to remove the skin? Chicken skin in a slow cooker gets soft and flabby, not crispy. Martha removes it from everything except the wings because the wing skin is small and adds a little fat to the sauce without making the texture weird.
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Nutrition Facts
(1 serving, serves 4)
- Calories: 380
- Total Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Cholesterol: 130mg
- Sodium: 980mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 18g
- Protein: 42g
Martha Stewart Chicken Cacciatore Cremini Mushrooms Recipe
Description
Nobody believes me when I tell them there is no browning in this recipe. Martha Stewart’s Chicken Cacciatore with Cremini Mushrooms is a slow cooker chicken cacciatore made with a whole cut-up chicken, cremini mushrooms, plum tomatoes, white wine, and rosemary. You stir everything into the slow cooker, set it on high for 4 hours, and walk away.
I make this every winter when I want something warm without spending the afternoon in the kitchen. This slow cooker chicken recipe takes 15 minutes of actual work and the result tastes like it cooked all day, which I guess it did.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: Cut the chicken into 10 pieces and take the skin off everything except the wings. Quarter the mushrooms. Drain the canned tomatoes and break them up by hand. Thinly slice the celery and onion.
- Load the slow cooker: Put the chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, flour, wine, celery, onion, rosemary, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper into a 5-quart slow cooker. Stir everything together so the flour coats the chicken and mixes into the liquid.
- Cook on high: Cover the slow cooker and cook on the high setting until the meat is tender, about 4 hours. Do not lift the cover while it cooks.
- Serve: Take out and throw away the rosemary sprig. Spoon the chicken and sauce into bowls.
Notes
- Break up the tomatoes by hand: Squeeze them over the slow cooker for uneven chunks that give the sauce more texture.
- Do not skip the flour: It thickens the sauce as the chicken cooks. Without it the sauce ends up thin and watery.
- Leave the wing skin on: It adds fat to the sauce which gives it more body.
- Use fresh rosemary if you can: Dried works but a fresh sprig gives the sauce a cleaner flavour. Fish it out before serving.