Chicken Cacciatore

A hearty weeknight meal is easy with this timeless Italian classic. This one-pan Chicken Cacciatore is filled with rich Mediterranean flavours. Serve it over rice or pasta for an even heartier dish.

One of my favourite parts about cooking in the winter is filling my home with warm, comforting foods and smells! This one-pan Chicken Cacciatore is guaranteed to do just that as it simmers on your stovetop. It will have everyone at home slowly making their way to the kitchen – no need for a dinner bell! I find that sometimes you don’t have to stray too far from the classics to find a truly comforting dish, and this recipe is proof. It’s an easy, rich and rustic hearty meal that is so simple to pull together.

What is Cacciatore?

In Italian, cacciatore means “hunter” and a meal prepared “alla cacciatora” refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style.” Simply put, this is a dish of braised chicken in an herbaceous sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and sometimes wine. Although I used wine, feel free to substitute for vegetable or chicken stock in this recipe.

How to Serve Chicken Cacciatore

This easy-to-throw-together meal can be enjoyed by itself or with whatever you have on hand. It pairs nicely on top of pasta, rice, or with a fresh green salad or Italian dinner roll on the side. The best part of this recipe is that the flavours are even BETTER the next day. This is a great meal for dinner or lunch the following day.

Note that chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 F minimum for food safety before serving. I highly recommend investing in an instant read thermometer.

If you adore Italian flavours like me, give some more dishes a try like this Italian Peasant Soup, or my Caprese Spaghetti Squash!

Ciao!

Chicken Cacciatore

5 from 1 vote

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Chicken Cacciatore

This braised chicken dish is filled with Mediterranean flavours and can be served on its own or on top of pasta or rice for a heartier meal.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Chicken, Italian, Vegetables

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Fraiche

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs, bone in skin on
• 1 medium yellow onion diced (2 cups diced)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 8 oz sliced white or brown mushrooms (3 cups)
• 1 yellow or orange pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup red wine (or vegetable or chicken stock)
• 796 ml can diced tomatoes
• 156 ml can tomato paste
• 5 sprigs thyme (extra for garnish)
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped flat leaf parsley / extra thyme for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan or Dutch oven (with a lid) over medium heat, place the chicken skin-side down and browned on each side, about 4 minutes per side.  Remove from the pan and set aside. 

2. In the same pan over medium heat, add the onion and cook until soft and transparent, 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft, 3-5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and oregano and wine or stock and cook until the stock or wine has reduced by half.   

3. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, olives and browned chicken, gently stir to combine, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for around 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with chopped parsley or extra sprigs of thyme and serve on its own or with pasta or rice.