Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken [Dairy Free]

When fall hits, and schedules get hectic, I start leaning on cozy meals that don’t take much effort. This hunter chicken recipe in the slow cooker is perfect for that; it’s a simple set-it-and-forget dinner that’s ready when you walk in the door.

As a mom of three, I love recipes like this because they use whole-food ingredients but stay incredibly easy to make, just like this Hawaiian chicken sheet pan recipe. Serve it over rice, alongside root vegetable medleys, or toss it with noodles for an extra comforting meal.

What Is Hunters Chicken?

In my experience, there are two kinds of Hunter's Chicken recipes. The traditional one focuses on using foods you’d gather or have on hand and simmering chicken in a savory wine sauce.

The more modern one references chicken smothered in BBQ sauce and topped with grated cheese.

This hunter's chicken recipe is more similar to the traditional one in the sense that it uses items you’d already have in the fridge- kinda like this crock pot beef rump roast. It’s an easy, healthy, dinner recipe that comes out comforting (just like gluten-free Salisbury steak!).

If you're looking for a rendition of the modern one, here is a tasty air fryer hunter's chicken you'll enjoy.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken Thighs: boneless, skinless chicken thighs are what I use most in this gluten-free slow cooker hunter's chicken. It keeps the meat tender, and you can't overcook it. Chicken breasts work as well, and four large breasts have the same cooking time as six chicken thighs.
• Chicken stock: I like to use bone broth powder for this chicken as you don’t need much. However, Kettle and Fire has a great pre-made one also.
• Vegetables: The recipe calls for tomatoes, leeks, garlic, and mushrooms. However, many of these can be interchanged based on what you have in the fridge.
• Tapioca starch: This helps the sauce not get too greasy as you coat the chicken in it. However, arrowroot powder does the trick as well.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Easy Variations

If you’re a bacon lover: Many hunter chicken recipes call for the chicken to be wrapped in bacon before cooking. Though this is delicious when pan-fried, I found that the bacon ended up cooked but soft in the slow cooker. If you want, coat the chicken thighs in tapioca flour and wrap each with a piece of bacon before cooking. Just don’t expect crispy bacon.

Onions: Know that red onions or green onions can work in place of leeks.

Spice: Add jalepnos or a pinch of red pepper flakes to bring out a spicier flavor just like these spicy turkey meatballs.

How To Slow Cooker Hunter's Chicken

In just four simple steps you’ll have dinner waiting for you!

1. Combine the chicken thighs and the tapioca powder in a plastic baggie and toss. Set aside.
2. Add all the ingredients into a 7-quart slow cooker and mix lightly.
3. Add in the chicken and turn each piece once so that it’s coated.
4. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Expert Tips

The best part about this slow cooker hunter's chicken is that you can’t mess it up. You can sub out almost every ingredient for what you have in the fridge.

Likewise, though it is done after cooking for 5 hours, it can be cooked on low for longer. This is because chicken thighs give off so much juice that the chicken in the slow cooker doesn’t dry out.

Store it: in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If using the hunters chicken for a salad, do not store it with extra liquid.

TIME SAVING HACK

2 Minute Bone Broth

Reap the benefits of homemade bone broth but skip the time in the kitche. Bone broth powder gives you the best of both worlds and makes healing, homemade broth in just 2 minutes.

Gluten-Free Bone Broth Powder

How To Serve It

This gluten-free, slow-cooker chicken recipe can be served over whatever you like.

Typically, we serve it with:

• A side of steamed rice or Whole30 cauliflower rice
• Overtop of gluten-free noodles because the kiddos love pasta
• On the side of roasted root vegetable medley

There’s normally enough “sauce” in the slow cooker to mix in with noodles to make a quick pasta dish.

If you are following a paleo, grain-free, or Whole30 diet know that spaghetti squash works underneath it as well.

And of course, the leftovers taste delicious the next day on top of a salad.