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Crock Pot Mediterranean Chicken

Crock Pot Mediterranean Chicken is an easy dinner that combines chicken, spicy sausage, kalamata olives, and marinated artichoke hearts for a delicious, flavorful meal. Simmered over a low heat in a sauce of delicious Italian tomato sauce, and served over a bed of quinoa and brown rice; this is a nutritious all in one recipe.

Chicken dinners are wonderful for a sustaining, high protein meal that will keep you satisfied for hours. Spicy chicken sausage brings healthy fats and loads of flavor, while the healthy grains add energy giving carbohydrates. The flavors of the Mediterranean diet are bold and interesting, making them the perfect seasoning for chicken recipes like this crock pot mediterranean chicken.

Crock Pot Meditarranean Chicken
Crock Pot Mediterranean Chicken

Should you sear chicken before cooking it in the crock pot?

While it isn’t an absolutely necessary step, searing your chicken before cooking it in your crock pot will yield wonderful flavor and help to prevent the lean meat from drying out. Searing chicken adds a crispy, flavorful crust while locking in the natural juices of the chicken.

Simply coat your chicken in a light dusting of salt and pepper, and sear it in a well oiled pan until each side is browned. Then transfer it to your crock pot to finish cooking. We share our tips for how to sear chicken perfectly if you are looking for some extra help.

What makes chicken rubbery in the crock pot?

Because chicken, especially the breast meat of poultry, is so lean it is easy to overcook the meat resulting in tough, rubbery, even dry pieces of chicken. Here are some important techniques to use when preparing chicken to avoid this common problem.

  • It’s important to know your crock pot. Some cook hotter than others which will affect the cook time, as well as how quickly any liquid will evaporate. If you aren’t sure, always cook on low for the minimal amount of time called for in the recipe and adjust if necessary.
  • Using the right size crock pot is important. If you are cooking a recipe that is much smaller than the crock pot you are using, the extra surface area will absolutely affect how quickly the meal cooks. Using the appropriate sized crock pot for your mediterranean crock pot chicken will make all the difference in how the chicken cooks.
  • Make sure you have enough liquid in the crock pot. When slow cooking food liquid is important to avoid drying out and burning. This is very important for lean cuts of meat that don’t have much fat to cook in. Using plenty of seasoned water or broths will yield a softer, more tender chicken.
Mediterranean

What kind of flavor is Mediterranean?

The Mediterranean diet has bold flavor and aromatic spices like lemon, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. Common ingredients used in this regional way of eating include olives, fresh greens, tomatoes, fish, and poultry.

Our Crock pot mediterranean chicken has marinated artichoke hearts, rich kalamata olives, and a silky tomato sauce for a wonderful Mediterranean profile.

Crock Pot Mediterranean Chicken Recipe Notes

This easy meal has a lot of flavor and nutrition. The quinoa rice blend makes a perfect partner for this dinner. Not only is it a healthy grain blend; the taste and texture of these grains compliment the rest of the meal wonderfully. The addition of spicy sausage is optional, but if you’re like us you will appreciate the depth of flavor that it brings.

Slicing Chicken Sausage

How to make Crock Pot Mediterranean Chicken

  • Oil the crock pot with avocado or refined coconut oil
  • Sear your chicken before adding it to the crock pot if you desire
  • Mix all ingredients, except olive and artichoke hearts, and add to the crockpot
  • Cover and set crock pot on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until chicken and sausage are cooked thoroughly

    In the final 30 minutes of cook time

  • Stir artichoke hearts and olives into the crock pot mixture
  • Boil the rice and quinoa in the chicken broth, in a 4 quart pot
  • Reduce heat and simmer until done (about 20 minutes)
  • Serve the Mediterranean chicken over the cooked quinoa/rice blend
  • Garnish with pepper strips and fresh cilantro

Here are more of our favorite dinners for you to explore

Click on any of the pictures below to open the full recipe. We also love our Thai noodle dinner, Mediterranean instant pot chicken, and mozzarella cheesy bread for a wonderful side that would pair beautifully with this crock pot mediterranean chicken.

Crock Pot Mediterranean Chicken
Yield: 8 servings

Crock Pot Mediterranean Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 50 minutes

This easy crock pot dinner delights the palate with flavorful chicken, sausage, kalamata olives and artichokes simmered over a low heat in a sauce of delicious Italian tomato sauce. A well balanced meal all in one pot!

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 Cup red and green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 12 oz. spicy chicken sausage cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 2 14 oz. cans Italian stewed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste, rinse the can with water and add it into the pot.
  • 1 14 oz. can kalamata olives, drained
  • 1 14 oz. can artichoke heart quarters, drained
  • (for the rice quinoa blend)
  • 4 cups Chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups rice

Instructions

  1. Oil crock pot. Mix all ingredients, except olive, artichoke hearts, chicken broth and rice in crock pot.
  2. Cover and set crock pot on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until chicken and sausage are cooked thoroughly.

30 minutes before crock pot is done:

  1. Stir in artichoke hearts and olives into the crock pot mixture and let sit.
  2. In a 4 quart pot boil the rice and quinoa in the chicken broth
  3. Reduce heat and simmer until done (about 20 minutes)
  4. Serve the Mediterranean chicken over the cooked quinoa/rice blend
  5. Garnish with pepper strips and fresh cilantro

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 532Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 126mgSodium 1520mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 8gSugar 10gProtein 48g

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This recipe is featured on MSN Food and Drink

Sybil

Monday 9th of March 2015

Question. - Is the 4 c. chicken broth part of the chicken recipe or part of the quinoa- rice recipe?

homemadefoodjunkie

Monday 9th of March 2015

Hi Sybil, Thank you for your question! I have re-read the recipe and updated it so the instructions are clearer. The answer is; the chicken broth is for cooking the rice quinoa blend. I also added to rinse the tomato paste can with water and add that to the crock pot. Thanks for letting me know it needed clearing up. Enjoy!

Jennifer Johnson

Monday 16th of February 2015

What incredible flavors for the crock pot!!

Nicky

Monday 16th of February 2015

This is so colorful and vibrant. How could anyone not love this chicken dish?

homemadefoodjunkie

Monday 10th of August 2015

Thank you Nicky!

Katerina

Friday 13th of February 2015

I just bought a new slow cooker and I will definitely try this! Looks awesome!

homemadefoodjunkie

Monday 16th of February 2015

I hope you love it Katerina. Our family really enjoyed this recipe!

KC the Kitchen Chopper

Friday 13th of February 2015

I love everything about this dish from the Chicken to the Quinoa. Can't wait to try your CROCK POT MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN!

homemadefoodjunkie

Friday 13th of February 2015

I hope you love it KC!

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