Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches
Easy slow cooker Italian chicken sandwiches made with simple ingredients and packed with savory, spicy flavors. Grab your favorite jar of giardiniera, a few simple spices, and delicious toppings for a weeknight dinner or game day meal everyone will love!
Servings 8 sandwiches
Calories 509cal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces pepperoncini slices, plus ⅓ cup of their brine
- 8 ounces chopped giardiniera (mild is best), drained and rinsed
- For serving:
- 8 hoagie buns
- Provolone cheese slices
- Chopped giardiniera (mild is best)
- Pepperoncini slices
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Brown the chicken: Warm olive oil in a dutch oven or large deep skillet or braiser and place over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown and fat starts to render and the thigh easily releases from the pan when moved, 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately nestle the onions in between the chicken thighs and cook, stirring as best as you can so they soak up some of the chicken fat. Once chicken is brown on one side, turn the chicken over and cook until golden brown on the other side, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken and onions to the slow cooker.PLEASE NOTE: I've also skipped the browning of the chicken and onions before and it came out great. Browning the chicken and onions just adds a little more flavor!
- Slow cook the chicken: Sprinkle the seasonings all over the chicken and onions: italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. Next add in the chicken broth, pepperoncini peppers, ⅓ cup of pepperoncini brine and the drained giardiniera. Gently stir mixture with a wooden spoon. Cover and turn the crockpot to low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the chicken to a sheet pan and shred with two forks. Add the shredded chicken and juices back to the slow cooker and gently stir. Turn the slow cooker to warm.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Split the hoagie buns open, place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes until slightly golden on the edges. Next, add cheese to the bottom of the hoagie (the cheese will melt in the warm bun and with the hot meat mixture on top.), then fill with the shredded chicken and top with pepperoncini and extra giardiniera! Enjoy!
Notes
To keep gluten-free: simply use your favorite gluten-free buns.
To make dairy-free: omit the provolone cheese or use your favorite vegan cheese slices.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwich (with toppings) | Calories: 509cal | Carbohydrates: 46.7g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 18.3g | Saturated Fat: 7.5g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2.8g