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Chicken Cacciatore

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Last updated on April 24th, 2019 at 07:03 pm

This easy Chicken Cacciatore recipe is a rustic, hearty chicken dish, and a classic Italian comfort food made in one pot. It’s bursting with bright colors and fresh flavor.

a bowl full of noodles topped with chicken, olives, parsley, and with a fork

I have a comforting recipe for you today that’s perfect for this time of year. It’s filling, full of awesome flavor, and loaded with veggies. This is one of those recipes that you can use up pretty much any of the leftover veggies that are hanging around in your fridge. Did I mention it’s also all done in one pot? Score!

What Is Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is a classic Italian dish. Cacciatore actually translates to hunter in Italian. Alla cacciatora refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style” with tomatoes, onions, lots of herbs, bell peppers and wine. So there you have it, Chicken Cacciatore, hunter-style chicken.

process shots for making chicken cacciatore

How to Make Chicken Cacciatore

You can use any part of the chicken you wish here, I chose some chicken wings and drumsticks, but breasts or thighs would work just as well too.

You’ll start by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper and searing the meat in the butter and oil until the chicken is nice and golden. But don’t worry about the chicken being cooked through because we are going to be braising this whole dish later in the oven. That’s the beauty of this dish, the chicken will cook with the veggies and everything else in the oven until the chicken literally falls off the bone. It’s so good!

Once the chicken has a nice sear, remove it from the pot. Add the onions and garlic and coon for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until they soften and shrink. Now you can add those beautiful peppers and cook them down for a few minutes until they soften.

Now you can dump the rest of the ingredients into the pot and stir well to combine. Add the chicken back and disperse each piece evenly. Cover your pot, and bake for 45 minutes.

Garnish this work of art with some Kalamata olives and parsley, and there you have it! Chicken cacciatore.

overhead of a braiser full of of chicken cacciatore with lots of olives

What Type of Wine Should I Use for Chicken Cacciatore

There is a lot of flavor that comes from the red wine in this dish. I like to use drier wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, or Zinfandel. White wine would also work, again I would go with a dry wine here like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Chardonnay.

But wait, I don’t want to use any wine! Well, that’s totally okay. Use a cup of chicken broth with a tablespoon of vinegar. Any type of vinegar will work, however I prefer to use a red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar.

What Can I Serve With Chicken Cacciatore

This chicken cacciatore is actually perfect over noodles/pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or even some nice creamy polenta.

Looking for a low carb option? Try it over zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or mashed cauliflower.

How to Store Chicken Cacciatore

Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you plan on freezing this dish, I would suggest that you freeze it in individual servings. This is such a great way to have lunch or dinner prepped! Pop it in the microwave, and it will taste just as good as it was fresh out of the oven. Leftovers will last in the freezer for 3 months.

a braiser full of chicken cacciatore and lots of olives

Did You Love This Recipe? Try These!

Chicken Cacciatore

This Chicken Cacciatore is a rustic, hearty chicken dish, a classic Italian comfort food made easy. It's bursting with bright colors and fresh flavor.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: chicken, chicken cacciatore, italian food, italian recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 354kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 lb chicken wings and drumsticks
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 lb white mushrooms cleaned and chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp oregano dried
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 14.5 oz diced tomatoes (1 can)
  • 3/4 cup Kalamata olives pitted
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
US Customary - Metric
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
  • Add the olive oil and butter to a large oven-safe skillet with a lid, and heat until butter has melted. 
  • Add the chicken to the skillet and season generously with salt and pepper. Fry the chicken on both sides until golden, about 4 min per side. The chicken doesn't have to be cooked through, as it will continue cooking while in the oven. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  • Add the garlic and onions to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes until the onion is translucent and the garlic becomes aromatic. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 5 min until the mushrooms cook down then add the peppers. I like to cook my mushrooms first, but you could add the mushrooms and peppers all at once. Stir and cook for a couple more minutes until the peppers soften a bit.
  • Add the turmeric, oregano, bay leaves, red wine, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Stir well and bring to a boil. 
  • Add the chicken back to the pot, cover with a lid and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.
  • Top with whole Kalamata olives and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
  • Serve over noodles, rice or polenta.

Watch How To Make It

Notes

I used drumsticks and wings in this recipe, but you can use whichever part of the chicken you prefer.
You can use any type of wine that you like - white or red.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 711mg | Potassium: 860mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 23.6% | Vitamin C: 108.6% | Calcium: 6.5% | Iron: 14.6%
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Originally shared Sept 17, 2013.

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Comments

  1. Benny says

    June 21, 2019 at 11:47 pm

    This made an incredible meal. I deglazed the pan with a splash of whiskey before adding the mushrooms and peps. I didn’t have wine so I used a cup of water with a splash of vinegar. It came out of the oven watery (duuuuh, oops), so I whipped up a roux, tossed in a splash of the pasta water, then the penne itself, along with red pepper flakes, onion powder, adobo spice mix, and fresh cracked black pepper. As it cooled it all came together; I topped it with some parmesan and it was very well received. Thank you for the guidance and the recipe, I’ll be coming back to it for sure.

    Reply

  3. Lorrie Rung says

    February 25, 2019 at 11:26 am

    Great recipe. I’m making mine with boneless chicken thighs. I’ll use San Marzano roasted tomatoes and more garlic. Top with kalamata olives and parmesan cheese..maybe scallions for color. Yum

    Reply

  5. Tonya says

    February 17, 2017 at 8:10 pm

    I made this and then asked my husband if he liked it. I then kicked myself because he always says yes whether he likes it or not. I was impatient. If I really want to know if he likes something I have to wait for the unsolicited feedback or the trip for seconds. Well halfway through the bowl he said, “This is really good.” Cue the fireworks?
    So I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, a 28oz can of tomatoes and a fennel bulb I needed to use up, and only one teaspoon of oregano? I also put mine over some leftover spaghetti squash (regular pasta for my hubs)
    Great recipe! Thanks for another keeper!

    Reply

  7. Becky says

    February 15, 2017 at 9:14 pm

    This is the second recipe (first was pesto asparagus shrimp pasta) I have used from you this week and my husband and I have been extremely satisfied again! I used leftover fried chicken from the night before and it worked perfectly. Also, I was low on mushrooms and bell peppers but I added some French cut string beans and broccoli and they were a great addition to add more veggies to the dish!

    Reply

  8. Michelle says

    February 15, 2017 at 8:03 pm

    I am going to make a substitute low sodium tomato sauce and no salt diced tomatoes. That will cut some of the salt as I have to watch sodium. Thank you for posting the nutrition on the recipe. It really helps me with substitutions.

    Reply

    • Fenne Kieken says

      February 15, 2017 at 10:56 am

      Sure you can. Would turn out great. Changing up chicken pieces for what you like is always an option. Hope you try this and know you will enjoy it!

      Reply

  12. Judy says

    October 5, 2013 at 12:03 am

    Question. If I want to roast a chicken tomorrow with frozen veggies – green runners and broccoli could I put balsamic over the veggies when roasting?

    Reply

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