Chicken Cacciatore Recipe (2024)

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posted by Amy Johnsonon January 4, 2021 (updated Sep 14, 2021) 41 comments »

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Thiseasy classic Chicken Cacciatore Recipe made with chicken, onions, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, tomato and herbs with a bit of wine is perfect for any night of the week.

Chicken Cacciatore is a classic Italian dish that will quickly become one of your favorite go-to meals for feeding a crowd or when you’re craving comfort food. This dish sounds so much fancier than it really is. Cacciatore, which means “hunter” in Italian, is basically a savory rustic one pot stew made with vegetables and meat. While basic in the technique, the ingredients come together to create a flavorful meal. This dishreally elevates a stew to something so much more. This cacciatore is an excellent example of how you can take basic ingredients and turn them into a fabulous meal. There is nothing much more gratifying than that.

The preparation of this one pot dish reminds me so much of how Coq au Vin comes together and equally as satisfying. If you’ve never prepared a cacciatore dish, once you make it a time or two it will easily become second nature and be part of your regular menu repertoire. A little browning of the chicken and sautéing of other ingredients is about as technical as this Chicken Cacciatore recipe gets. Once everything is combined, all of the ingredients are left to meld together into one savory, and oh so satisfying meal. This is perfect comfort food for sure!

How to Make Chicken Cacciatore

  • Begin by seasoning chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
  • Warm a large dutch oven or braising pan over medium heat. Once heated, add olive oil to the pan and heat oil until rippling.
  • Working in batches, brown chicken pieces about 3 minutes on each side. Then remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
  • After removing chicken from the pan, add diced onion and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes. Next, add mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 3 minutes. Push all of the vegetables to one side of pan, then add grated garlic, capers, oregano and rosemary. Stir constantly for 1 minute.
  • Stir in red wine to deglaze the pan. Cook for 3 minutes scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan.
  • Add diced tomatoes (along with the liquid), chicken broth and a bay leaf and bring to a low boil. Take a moment to salt and pepper to taste.
  • Finish by tucking the browned chicken into the sauce, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for a minimum of 45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
  • If you’d like garnish with fresh chopped parsley and/or grated parmesan.
  • Serve warm over mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, pasta or rice.

Chicken Cacciatore is perfect for making ahead of time by a day or so. It reheats very well and is great served as leftovers. Serve this dish warm with roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, pasta or rice for a hearty meal. Or, for a lighter option, serve as a stew with a tossed salad.

More favorite Italian comfort food recipes you’ll enjoy:

  • Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
  • Chicken Marsala Recipe
  • Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe (4)

Chicken Cacciatore

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

An easy classic Chicken Cacciatore Recipe made with chicken, onions, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, tomato and herbs with a bit of wine. The perfect comfort food!

Ingredients

  • 4-4 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, trimmed
  • salt and black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced/grated
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup diced red and/or yellow bell pepper (about 2 bell peppers)
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a dutch oven or large braising pan over medium heat. Add olive oil to the pan and heat until rippling. Working in batches, brown chicken pieces about 3 minutes each side. Remove chicken from pan; set aside.
  3. Add diced onion and pepper to pan and saute for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute for another 3 minutes. Push all vegetables to one side of pan. Add grated garlic, capers, oregano and rosemary; stir constantly for 1 minute.
  4. Stir in wine, cook for 3 minutes scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan.
  5. Add diced tomatoes (with liquid), chicken broth and bay leaf; bring to a low boil. Salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Tuck browned chicken into sauce, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low; cover and cook for a minimum of 45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
  7. Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley; grated parmesan.
  8. Serving suggestions: serve warm over mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, pasta or rice.

Notes

Fresh herbs may be substituted. If substituting fresh herbs, triple the amounts called for in recipe for dried version. Easy prep a 1-2 days ahead of time: chop vegetables, cover and refrigerate; measure herbs and cover.

Did you make this recipe?

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Originally published September 16, 2016.

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originally published on January 4, 2021 (last updated Sep 14, 2021)

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Chicken Cacciatore Recipe (8)

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41 comments on “Chicken Cacciatore Recipe”

  1. richie murphyReply

    Cooked it tonight for the first time. Did the recipe × 4. Noting left. My large family made short work of it. I will be making it a regular at my house.

  2. VanessaReply

    I have made this exactly as instructed a few times. I absolutely love this recipe! Any chance to use my Dutch oven I’m in!! My parents came to visit from out of state & I made this for them. Once they got back home my mom asked me for the recipe. It’s easy & delicious!

  3. Mike SrReply

    Great recipe for the Instant Pot!

  4. LisaReply

    That looks delicious!

  5. kelleyReply

    I loved this recipe! So simple, but so gourmet! Does anyone have recommendations to thicken the sauce slightly so it can cling better to the pasta noodles?

    • Earl Spangler

      You can thicken with cornstarch, butter n flour or even just bread, which I recommend.

  6. Big HoagsReply

    What could I used instead of mushrooms? Neither of us likes mushrooms but I’m sure they are included for part of the flavor in end result.

    Thanks,

    • Amy Johnson

      They do add to the flavor, but if you don’t like them, leave them out. You could add in a bit more onions or extra bell pepper if you’d like.

  7. Lisa LaulettaReply

    Delicious! Added oregano, basil, parsley, thyme and a little pepper flakes. My husband liked it as well but he is not a fan of chicken with bones but this is what I am familiar with as most restaurants prepare with bones in chicken. Thank you!

Leave a comment »

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken cacciatore sauce made of? ›

Aside from the chicken, the basic ingredients in chicken cacciatore are: onions, herbs, tomatoes and sometimes mushrooms. Some variations will call for carrots and celery, while others call for bell peppers or other vegetables. Some even flavor the tomato sauce with anchovies, which I haven't tried yet.

What is usually served with chicken cacciatore? ›

Chicken Cacciatore is often served with a rustic bread, pasta, rice, my Easy Roasted Parmesan Potatoes are great wth it too or even some creamy polenta. It is one of those chicken dishes that go with just about anything.

How to thicken chicken cacciatore sauce? ›

You could also add a cornstarch slurry to thicken your sauce. Remove your chicken, and whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon of your sauce. Then, stir this mixture into the slow cooker and let simmer until thickened.

Does Ina Garten have a chicken cacciatore recipe? ›

Ina Garten's Chicken Cacciatore Recipe is chicken cooked in a sauce made from mushrooms, onions, red and yellow peppers, and other vegetables. The sauce is well seasoned with dried herbs, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper.

What is the best wine to use in chicken cacciatore? ›

Chicken Cacciatore is basically braised chicken cooked in onions, garlic, peppers, red wine and tomatoes. Some recipes call for white wine, but I love the combination of red wine with tomato sauce. I had Chianti on hand, but Merlot or Zinfandel would be nice, too.

Is chicken cacciatore better the next day? ›

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing instructions. To Make Ahead: Chicken Cacciatore can be prepared a day ahead, as the taste and flavors get stronger, and taste even better. We prepared it on Saturday afternoon, refrigerate overnight and reheated it to share on Sunday for lunch.

How do you eat cacciatore? ›

These miniature salami are an interesting addition to any table and can be used for cold platters, pizza toppings, hot rolls, and savoury biscuit toppings or added to spaghetti sauces or rice dishes for a truly authentic touch.

Why is it called chicken cacciatore? ›

The secret of how it came to be actually comes from its name; in Italian, cacciatore roughly translates to “hunter”, meaning that those who prepared this meal usually hunted the chicken themselves. In their travels, they found other ingredients to pick up along the way that eventually evolved into staples of the dish.

What is Calabrese cacciatore? ›

Cacciatore Calabrese is a versatile, dry aged salami that can be served thinly sliced for sandwiches or toppings, or served as an appetiser with cheese and a dry white wine.

What does tomato paste do for spaghetti sauce? ›

Add depth to pasta sauce

Tomato paste is great to have on hand when making a tomato-based pasta sauce, since it can intensify the umami tomato flavors already present. It's a key ingredient in this simple marinara sauce, which you can make entirely from canned tomatoes.

Does tomato paste thicken sauce? ›

One of the best ways to make use of tomato paste is to treat it as a natural thickening agent for tomato-based sauces, says Arturo. In addition to helping to alter the consistency of your sauce, this pantry staple will also help to further enhance the rich, savory flavors of tomato sauce.

What can I use instead of tomato paste to thicken? ›

For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste needed, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce. Add the puree or sauce in place of the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the puree or sauce has reduced and thickened. You'll have a similar deep, savory flavor.

What does cacciatore mean in Italian? ›

Translation of cacciatore – Italian–English dictionary

hunter [noun] a person who hunts. huntsman [noun] a hunter.

What is pollo alla cacciatora made of? ›

The pollo alla cacciatora is a simple and traditional dish prepared with some little differences in almost all the regions of Italy. The chicken is jointed into pieces and quickly pan-fried, then slowly stewed in a tasty tomato sauce. Rosemary, garlic and wine are essential to donate a characteristic flavour.

Why is it called cacciatore? ›

The secret of how it came to be actually comes from its name; in Italian, cacciatore roughly translates to “hunter”, meaning that those who prepared this meal usually hunted the chicken themselves. In their travels, they found other ingredients to pick up along the way that eventually evolved into staples of the dish.

Which leading sauce is a sauce suprême prepared from? ›

According the Larousse Gastronomique, a seminal work of French haute cuisine, first published in 1938, suprême sauce is made from the mother sauce velouté (white stock thickened with a white roux—in the case of suprême sauce, chicken stock is usually preferred), reduced with heavy cream or crème fraîche, and then ...

What is Italian pink sauce made of? ›

Italian pink sauce is made of just a handful of ingredients. Tomato puree: get a good one from the grocery store, or make it yourself from some peeled plum tomatoes. Alternatively, if you have some leftover tomato paste, you can use it with a couple teaspoons of water. Cooking cream: go with your favorite brand.

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