Crock Pot Chicken Marengo With Tomatoes

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/10/21
Chicken Marengo, Slow Cooker
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 7 hrs
Total: 7 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Chicken and mushrooms team up in this easy crock pot chicken Marengo. It's a French dish, named for the battle of Marengo. In the late spring—June 14—of 1800, Napoleon defeated Austrian forces in the Northern Italian village of Marengo. Napoleon purportedly asked his chef to prepare a quick meal with local foods. The original chicken Marengo was made with the ingredients he found: chicken, eggs, tomatoes, olive oil, crawfish, and eggs. He created the quick and easy saute, and there are now many variations of the dish.

This slow cooker version is made with mushrooms instead of crawfish, and there are no eggs. The dish is also similar to Hunter's chicken. It's made with boneless chicken thighs, making it flavorful and easy on the budget.

Feel free to saute about 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped onions with the mushrooms and add them to the pot. Diced bell pepper is another flavor option; add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sweet green bell pepper to the mushrooms. A 16-ounce jar of spaghetti sauce or Italian marinara sauce may be used to replace the diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce mix. 1/4 cup of sliced ripe olives may be added as well.

Serve chicken Marengo with hot cooked pasta, rice, or egg noodles.

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Ingredients

  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 8 ounces mushrooms

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 (1 1/2-ounce) envelope spaghetti sauce mix

  • 1/3 cup dry white wine

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Chopped parsley, for optional garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning to brown both sides.

  3. Arrange the chicken in the slow cooker.

  4. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the skillet; cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon them over the chicken.

  5. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, dry spaghetti seasoning mix, and the dry white wine. Stir to blend.

  6. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken thighs. Add the bay leaf to the sauce.

  7. Cover the pot and cook on low for about 5 to 7 hours—high for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours—or until the chicken is tender. 

  8. Serve with rice or pasta and garnish with some chopped parsley, if desired.

Tips

  • If boneless chicken breasts are substituted in this recipe, avoid overcooking. Check them for doneness after about 4 hours; the minimum safe temperature for poultry is 165 F. 
  • To make your own spaghetti seasoning mix, combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of dried minced onion, 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend, 2 teaspoons celery flakes, 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Mix well. Makes the equivalent of one envelope of sauce mix.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
365 Calories
23g Fat
6g Carbs
35g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 365
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 184mg 61%
Sodium 343mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 10mg 48%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 676mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)