Chicken Cacciatore
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Tender chicken simmered in a rich red wine and tomato sauce with plenty of vegetables—this chicken cacciatore recipe is just the thing for a cozy dinner.
Chicken cacciatore, or “hunter’s chicken,” is a rustic Italian dish of chicken braised with tomatoes, wine, vegetables, and herbs. Traditionally, it’s made with a whole chicken cut into pieces, but for my chicken cacciatore recipe, I use only bone-in thighs. They’re inexpensive, cook evenly, and stay incredibly tender as they simmer in the rich red wine and tomato sauce.
Mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic, and fresh herbs round out the sauce, and the whole dish is even better after the flavors have had some time to mingle. Serve it over creamy polenta, Parmesan smashed potatoes, or pasta to catch every bit of the sauce. It’s old-fashioned Italian comfort food at its best.
“Followed the recipe exactly as written and served over polenta. Outstanding!!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Cacciatore
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: Ideal for a long braise because they stay juicy and tender. The skin helps flavor the sauce as the chicken cooks; you’ll remove it before serving.
- Flour: A light coating helps the chicken brown nicely and also gives the sauce a bit of body.
- Onion, garlic, mushrooms & red bell peppers: Form the vegetable base of the cacciatore. The mushrooms add savory depth, while the peppers bring sweetness and color.
- Dry red wine: Adds depth and acidity to the sauce. Use an inexpensive wine that’s still good enough to drink, such as Pinot Noir, Chianti, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon, and avoid cooking wine.
- Chicken broth, diced tomatoes & tomato paste: Create the rich, savory braising sauce. Fire-roasted or regular diced tomatoes both work well.
- Sage, rosemary & oregano: Give the sauce its woodsy, Italian flavor. Fresh sage and rosemary are especially nice in a long-simmered dish like this.
- Honey: Just a tablespoon rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes and wine without making the sauce taste sweet.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To make Chicken Cacciatore
Prep and brown the chicken: Pat the chicken dry, season it, and lightly dredge it in flour. Brown the thighs in batches until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate and pour off all but a couple tablespoons of the rendered fat. Don’t rush the browning—it builds the foundation of flavor for the sauce.
Once it’s browned, move it to a plate and set it aside while you build the sauce.
Cook the vegetables: Add the onions and cook until softened and just beginning to brown, then add the garlic and cook briefly without letting it brown. Add the mushrooms and bell peppers and continue cooking until they begin to soften.
Add and reduce the wine: Pour in the red wine and bring it to a boil, scraping up all the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine cook down until it has mostly evaporated; reducing it concentrates the flavor and cooks off its raw edge.
Build the sauce and braise the chicken: Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, honey, and remaining salt, and let the sauce simmer briefly so the flavors begin to come together. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot, spoon some of the sauce over the top, then cover and gently simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Finish the sauce: Transfer the chicken to a plate and simmer the sauce uncovered until it thickens to your liking. Remove and discard the chicken skin, then return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot and spoon the thickened sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley, if you like, and serve.
Serve: Spoon the chicken and plenty of sauce over creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley, if you like, and serve hot.
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 lbs/1.8 kg), trimmed of excess skin (see note)
- 2½ teaspoons salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into ¼-in (6-mm) strips
- ¾ cup dry red wine (see note)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-oz) can fire-roasted or regular diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Blot the chicken with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Season the chicken all over with 1½ teaspoons salt and the pepper. Place the flour on a large plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, coating all over.
- Heat the oil in a large (5-qt/5-L) Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, high-sided large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half the chicken in a single layer, skin side down, until golden and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes more. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate; set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.
- Return the pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not brown. Add the mushrooms and peppers and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the veggies just begin to soften.
- Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine has mostly evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sage, rosemary, oregano, honey, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated juices from the plate back to the pot, and spoon some of the sauce over it. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through or registers 165 to 170°F (74 to 77°C) on a meat thermometer.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Gently simmer the sauce for a few minutes, or until it is thickened to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Using a fork and knife, pull the skin off of the chicken and discard. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pot and simmer, uncovered, for a few minutes, spooning the thickened sauce over the chicken. Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve.
Notes
- Sometimes chicken thighs have excess skin and/or fat. Before cooking, using kitchen shears, trim any skin that extends farther than the edges of the chicken thigh, and snip off any excess fat.
- For the wine, use any red (Pinot Noir, Chianti, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink. Avoid “cooking wines,” which are salty and contain additives.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Let cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours if necessary, and then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this recipe for a mid-week dinner, expecting to have leftovers for another night. Well, guess we’ll be having takeout tomorrow because my family DEVOURED this dinner. With three kids under 7, you just never know what will be a hit… but this was a home run with everyone in the house. Thanks for another winner, Jenn!
delicious! Very helpful instructions
This was delicious. My husband who is not a Chicken Cacciatore fan loved it and said he would eat it again!
This is another winner Jenn! Superb. I served it with rice and a garden salad
Delicious! ! I used 4 large boneless chicken breasts . They came out soft and juicy . I followed the recipe exactly ( used dried herbs ). A definite keeper. Jennifer your recipes never disappoint.
I’m glad you mentioned that you used chicken breasts and it was good. I was going to ask that question. 🙂
Hello! What can I substitute for the red wine? I’d like to make this for a dinner party, but a guest has red wine allergy. Thanks so much ahead of time!
Hi Elizabeth, I’d use more chicken broth in place of the wine. Hope your guests enjoy!
thank you for asking that! Wanted to use chicken breasts instead of thighs!
This was the best chicken cacciatore I have ever had!
Can i use maple syrup instead of honey?
Sure, Theresa, that’s fine. Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious, and nutritious, too ! I’ll make this again !
This was just amazing! The perfect meal for a Sunday night dinner when the weather is a bit chilly. Yes, it does take a little time, but I had everything all prepped and enjoyed the leisurely pace of cooking and some of the red wine since it was open, haha. Paired it with the polenta recipe – perfection. I made exactly half since it was just for my husband and me. He was very impressed. (and I’ve made him plenty of good meals!) Called it restaurant quality. I did not have fresh sage, so added a pinch of dried Italian seasoning. Will definitely make this again for more people. Thanks again, Jenn, can always count on your recipes!
We don’t usually keep red wine in the house, but I do keep dry sherry for Asian recipes and it keeps open for a long time. Would that be an ok substitute for the red wine?
I’m looking forward to trying this.
Hi Steve, I’d recommend sticking with red wine for this.