The BEST Chicken Cacciatore in a rich and rustic sauce with chicken falling off the bone is simple Italian comfort food at its best!
Authentic Chicken Cacciatore is an Italian classic and makes for an incredible dinner. You’ll never get a more succulent home cooked meal than this recipe! Easy to make and loved by the entire family, Cacciatore aromas fill your entire house with comfort and warmth as it cooks itself on the stove or in the oven!
Chicken Cacciatore
Cacciatore means hunter in Italian, and alla cacciatora translates to a  ‘hunter-style’ meal with chicken (or rabbit), onions, tomatoes, herbs, vegetables, and usually wine or vinegar.
This is one of those recipes IÂ found years ago in an old, tattered Italian cookbook. Every time I’d remake it through the years, I’d adjust something in it to eventually reach a cacciatore recipe so perfect, it’s one recipe your entire family will look forward too!
HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN CACCIATORE?
This Chicken Cacciatore recipe is an easy throw-together-meal with the most delicious sauce full of incredible flavours!
Simply heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a skillet and sear chicken thighs until golden. It takes about 3-4 minutes on each side, then you’ll finish them off in the beautiful rustic cacciatore sauce.
What is cacciatore sauce made of?
Chicken Cacciatore sauce is a full-flavoured sauce using simple ingredients. Onion and garlic are sautéed in oil in the same skillet with bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms and herbs. I love using brown mushrooms in this cacciatore.
Dry red wine is then added into the skillet and gently simmered to scrape up any browned bits leftover from the chicken in the skillet. Continue cooking until the wine is reduced by at least half.
The result? The most incredible rustic tomato Cacciatore sauce simmering and soaking into juicy chicken thighs until they fall off the bone and melt in your mouth!
Wine Pairing:
- Chianti Classico
- Pinot Noir
- Lambrusco
What is a good side dish for Chicken Cacciatore
Regular sides for chicken Cacciatore:
For Low Carb:
- Cauliflower rice
- Zucchini Noodles
- Steamed vegetables
If there are any leftovers, the flavours are even better the next day! Or you can freeze it for up to three months in meal prep containers for a ready-made-meal when you need it!
More Italian-inspired recipes:
One Pan Tomato Basil Chicken & Rice
Mozzarella Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
Best Lasagna
Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
- 1 pinch salt to season
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced, or 6 cloves
- 1 small yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and sliced
- 10 ounces mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup pitted black olives
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley plus more to garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 150 ml red wine
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 7 ounces Roma tomatoes halved
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy cast iron skillet. Sear chicken on both sides until golden, about 3-4 minutes each side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to the pan. Sauté the onion until transparent, about 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the peppers, carrot, mushrooms and herbs; cook for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
- Pour in the wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until wine is reduced, about 2 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Roma tomatoes and chill flakes. Season with salt and pepper to your tastes. Return chicken pieces to the skillet and continue to cook over stove top OR in the oven following the instructions below.
FOR STOVE TOP:
- Mix all of the ingredients together; cover with lid, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer (while stirring occasionally) for 40 minutes or until the meat is falling off the bone. Add in the olives, allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
FOR THE OVEN:
- Transfer the covered skillet to a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) and cook for 50 minutes. Remove the lid, add in the olives and cook for an additional 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone, and the sauce has reduced.
Notes
TO MAKE AHEAD:
This chicken cacciatore can be made up to 1 day ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. Rewarm over low-medium heat.
TO FREEZE:
Transfer the cooled cacciatore into an air tight container and transfer to the freezer. The day of serving, thaw it out in the morning and bring to room temperature. Transfer to a skillet / pan and reheat over low-medium heat until warmed through. For the slow cooker use this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe!
Kate says
This was a fabulous recipe! Definitely goes on my rotation for our dinner. Thanks so much!
Mark Konst says
I made this last night and the flavor was incredible. I halved the recipe for 2 people and used chicken breast instead of thighs. I didn’t have the peppers or carrots, but it didn’t matter. Served with a side of Jasmin rice. Used the oven method and the chicken came out so tender. Enough leftovers to take for my work lunch.
Emma says
I adore this recipe. I cook it at least once a month and the whole family eat every last bit.
I omit the mushroom, carrot and olives though haha.
I serve it with crushed boiled baby potatoes, sprayed with oil and roasted for 20 mins in the oven.
Delish!!!!
Alphonse-Louis says
I tried your chicken cacciatore recipe last night. It was terrific! Thank you. I served on a mound of grits.
Emanuela says
I’ve made the recipe mostly as-is many, many times. Tonight, I just adapted it to include farro and sweet Italian turkey sausage (instead of chicken), and it came out great! Instead of 28 oz of crushed tomato, I added 4 cups of chicken broth (no other salt) and 1 cup of farro and simmered it all uncovered on the stove until mostly reduced, at which point I added 15 oz of tomato sauce and the mostly-cooked turkey sausage back in for 15 minutes at a gentle simmer covered. Done. So good.
Jill says
I made today but used chicken leg meat from baking 15 legs earlier in the day. Added four peeled chopped potatoes like my mom used to, cooking for seven of us. Served over rice. I save the bones for overnight crock pot chicken soup. I just figured i give my two cents for large families…
Krista Mozina says
Has anyone tried this with polenta? What are your thoughts if you did? I have guests with celiac disease and I don’t want to use pasta. I see many have used rice, but not sure if I will. Thank you!
Emmy says
Haven’t tried it with polenta, but I’m sure it’d be delicious! I’ve had it with rice, pasta, quinoa, and farro, so I imagine any neutral-ish side would go great with it.
Jennifer K. says
This was a fantastic recipe! We used leg quarters, so it took a little longer to cook, but that just gave time for the flavors to develop. I love the addition of olives and mushrooms. This will be a make-again, for sure!