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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.
Made this yesterday and it came out really good…one thing is I couldn’t find capers so I left those out, but the dish was fantastic and I have plenty of leftovers
can you use vegetable oil or butter instead of the olive oil? :
Yes Rachel, you can use vegetable oil or butter in place of olive oil to brown the meat and veggies. Let us know how it turns out for you!
This recipe is excellent, and I did tweak it a bit to finish off some leftover carrots, celery, chicken breasts and a jar of sliced kalamata olives. While I made some changes, I tried to stay very close to the original recipe, and I have made enough SWP recipes to wholeheartedly recommend this recipe. The only minor adjustment I might suggest is that you may need to reduce the liquid from the diced tomatoes, if you prefer a thicker sauce. Or as suggested in the recipe you can simmer the dish uncovered to reduce the mixture. Total keeper!!!
Thank you for the tip, Paul! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Que recetas más estupendas, gracias por compartir
Thank you, Holly! I followed this recipe to the letter (except for the capers as I didn’t have any). The result was wonderful! Hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and found that, using 1 pound of farfalle for the pasta, it made enough for us for 4 whole meals. Again, thank you for sharing (love this website!)
So happy to hear that, Cher! Glad you enjoyed it.
OMG! This was outstanding! I don’t normally like anything made with diced tomatoes but I couldn’t get enough of this. Definitely a keeper!
I’m wanting to try the recipe but have a question. Can I use boneless thighs? I truly do not like trying to eat a bone in chicken piece with all of the sauce.
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried it but I think it should work just fine. Brown them for a couple of minutes however the cook time should be reduced (I’d estimate about 15-20 minutes instead of 40). Let us know how it goes!
Susan, the bone is easy to remove before cooking. That way you still have the skin to get a crispy bake on it.
I loved this recipe so much!!!! so delicious!!! I added extra garlic cloves, extra oregano and wine, it was and is one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever had, and the sauce is ridiculously good!!!!
I want to try this sauce with pork, I think it will be delicious, just like the chicken!!!!!
Followed the recipe. Chicken didn’t get done. Had to finish it in microwave. A lot of work for fair result.
JudyJ, This reply is being done on behalf of everyone else and the author who are too polite to address you. OMG, did you just do a Karen because you don’t understand the simple concept of cooking a dish till it’s done? Different cooktops will cook differently. Put your big girl panties on and consider cooking the food till it’s done, even if it means you have to open the lid and check for doneness! If computers had slap-o-vision I would have mine reach out and backhand you for being a whiney Karen. Don’t post evidence of your ineptitude at cooking. Aside from the Karen issue that JudyJ has, the recipe is delicious and thanks to Holly for sharing it!
Dale no need to be so rude. Perhaps she is new to cooking. Please show some grace instead of persecution.
I made this recipe for the first time tonight, Sunday, November 27th, 2022. I bought bone-in, skinless drumsticks and followed the recipe precisely. It was a little time-consuming, but worth every minute of prep and cook time. The flavours were full and the seasoning of the dish was delicious! I would rate this a 9/10 for future and this will be my go-to recipe for Chicken Cacciatore going forward.
DO YOU DRAIN THE DICED TOMATOES OR NO?
The tomatoes are not drained, I’ve updated the recipe to include this information.
can this be incorporated into an instant pot
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Laura. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
At what point do I add the rosemary and oregano.
Ps I love your recipes
Thanks, Troy! Glad you are enjoying them. As listed in the instructions we stir in the rosemary and oregano in step 4.
We were very happy with this recipe. We cooked on top of the stove. If you choose to cook in the oven, I would use a meat thermometer and test for doneness after 40 minutes. One hour seems long to me. Make sure they are at 180. My goofy husband forgot to add the capers and it still was tasty. No problem, we will add the capers to the leftovers for another meal this week. We served over rice and had steamed broccoli on the side. You might want to add a smidge of salt to the recipe. Dried herbs worked in this dish, just cut the amount in half. We would make this again.
Your recipes look wonderful and I can hardly wait to try them.
Thanks, Debi! We hope you enjoy them.
This chicken cacciatore recipe is fabulous! Didn’t and wouldn’t change a thing!
Glad you enjoyed it, Margie!
I’m glad we stayed in tonight because of the snowstorm & a sick dog. But it was well worth making this chicken cacciatore even though it took awhile. I put in a bit more rosemary due to the fact I had just opened a fresh bottle. The spicy richness & combination of vegetables & spices made this an excellent meal in a snowy evening! Also I have leftovers for tomorrow’s supper!
Loved this, only thing i changed was little less wine and i threw in a small can of sliced black olives
I didn’t have thighs so I used legs. I followed the instructions and it was wonderful and easy.
I plan on trying this recipe soon. It looks delicious but I do not like dark meat. Can chicken breats be used? Also, what kind of pasta do you recommend? Thank you in advance for your help.
Yes, they can. Chicken breasts can dry out easier so you’ll want to ensure they aren’t overcooked but they will work just fine in this recipe. I usually use spaghetti, but any pasta will work!
JudyJ, OMG!! I will tell you something that others won’t say out of politeness. When cooking you need to take some responsibility and understand that different cooktops work differently. If you see that your chicken is not done yet put your big girl panties on and step up to the plate and cook it a bit longer! Aside from that crap, recipe was delicious, thanks Holly!