Easy and delicious, chicken cacciatore is a one-pot classic everyone will love.
This is a rustic chicken recipe with chicken thighs, peppers, onions, and mushrooms in a rich and savory tomato sauce.
Holly’s Highlights For Chicken Cacciatore
This chicken cacciatore recipe turns basic ingredients into a hearty meal in just one pot.
- Flavor: This rustic dish has a rich tomato sauce full of bold flavor as it’s been slow-cooked with wine, herbs, and vegetables.
- Difficulty: Although it takes time, this recipe is relatively easy to make—many people forget to add the capers before serving, so measure them and set them out near the serving spot!
- Preference: I prefer dark meat chicken pieces—they’re easier to cook and have lots of flavor.
- Technique: This recipe braises the chicken, which means it is browned over dry heat and then cooked in a little liquid. It makes it very juicy.
- Stretch it further: It’s a budget-friendly favorite, serve it over pasta with bread and salad to stretch it even further.
Ingredient Tips & Swaps For Chicken Cacciatore
While this recipe is made with chicken, Italian chicken cacciatore (hunter-style) was often made using rabbit or lamb.
- Chicken: Use bone-in chicken such as thighs or drumsticks. I prefer dark meat for cacciatore as it is more forgiving and easier to cook, but split chicken breasts (bone-in/skin-on) can also be used.
- Vegetables: Onions, peppers, and mushrooms are cooked in the sauce, adding flavor to this meal.
- Wine: Any bold red wine works in this recipe—merlot or cabernet are good choices. It can be replaced with beef broth.
- Sauce: The sauce is made with diced tomatoes and tomato sauce—the juices from the chicken add flavor.
- Seasoning: I add a variety of dried herbs—you can replace them with Italian seasoning if you’d like.
- Capers: Capers add a pop of briny, salty flavor. Swap them for kalamata or manzanilla olives.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore (overview)
- Brown the skin of the chicken. (full recipe below)
- Soften peppers, onion, and mushrooms, then add sauce ingredients.
- Add the chicken and simmer until the sauce is thickened.
- Remove bay leaf, stir in capers, and serve over spaghetti.
Storage and Leftovers
- Store leftover chicken cacciatore in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat chicken and sauce on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven until heated.
- Freeze chicken cacciatore with veggies and sauce in freezer bags for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What To Serve With Chicken Cacciatore
My favorite sides to serve with this chicken cacciatore recipe are a fresh salad and some bread for sopping up the sauce.
Did you enjoy this Chicken Cacciatore? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken cacciatore is a hearty Italian dish with tender chicken simmered in a rich tomato sauce with fresh vegetables and herbs.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry red wine or beef broth
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juices
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons capers drained, or chopped kalamata olives
- shredded Parmesan cheese for serving, optional
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- In a deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the diced bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Add the red wine and let simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato sauce, bay leaf, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add the browned chicken, skin side up on top of the sauce. Cover and gently simmer for an additional 40 minutes.
- Remove the lid and if the sauce is not thick enough, let it simmer uncovered for a few minutes until it thickens.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf, stir in the capers, and serve the chicken cacciatore with pasta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
To Oven Bake:
- Prepare the recipe up to step 4.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake covered for one hour.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 632 | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 878mg | Potassium: 1296mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1761IU | Vitamin C: 89mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I thought my chicken cacciatore was great, but yours is better! Easy with a a more complex flavor. Thank you so much!
So glad you loved it Rachel!
My husband can be a real snob with cacciatore, I’m not going to lie! I made this the other night and he said “please do not lose this recipe!” He has made several comments on it since, thank you for making me look good! I love your simplistic recipes yet the complex flavors they produce!