Chicken Cacciatore
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Chicken cacciatore is the ultimate Italian comfort food. With its rich, hearty sauce and layers of flavor, it’s just the thing for a chilly night.
Chicken Cacciatore, also known as Hunter’s Chicken, is a classic Italian dish brimming with rich, rustic flavor. The name cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian, and legend has it that hunters would prepare it over an open fire using whatever ingredients they had on hand. In this version, tender chicken thighs are simmered in a hearty tomato and red wine sauce with peppers, onions, and herbs until the meat practically falls off the bone. It’s cozy, comforting, and perfect for spooning over creamy polenta or Parmesan smashed potatoes.
“Followed the recipe exactly as written and served over polenta. Outstanding!!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep, dredge, and brown the chicken. Blot the chicken with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour. Heat some oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken and cook until it’s golden and crisp.
Once it’s browned, move it to a plate and set it aside while you build the sauce.
Step 2: Sauté the vegetables. Pour off all but a couple tablespoons of fat from the pan. Lower the heat and add the onions, cooking until they’re softened and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until it smells nice and fragrant. Add the mushrooms and peppers, and cook for about 5 minutes, just until they start to soften.
Step 3: Add the wine. Pour in the wine and let it boil until it’s mostly evaporated—this concentrates the flavor and cooks off the sharpness of the alcohol.
Step 4: Simmer the sauce and cook the chicken. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, honey, and salt, and simmer for 10 minutes. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot and cook for about 35 minutes, until tender and cooked through. Discard the skin (it adds flavor but gets soggy), and let the sauce simmer a bit longer to thicken. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer together for a few more minutes.
Step 4: Garnish and serve. Sprinkle the chicken with chopped parsley and enjoy! This dish can be made up to 3 days in advance and also freezes well for longer storage.
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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Absolutely delicious. Served it with your polenta and it was a hit. I made it a few days ahead of time and I thinking the resting time made the flavors even better.
Add me to the “This is DELICIOUS!!!” list!
It is not my mom’s cacciatore…it is even better! The only thing I did different is when I de-skinned the thighs, I also deboned them and broke the meat up into bite-sized pieces (now mom served it). That just makes it so much easier to eat (bowl dinner!). Served over some IP soft polenta, hubs said it was “divine!”
I made this chicken cacciatore yesterday and it was absolutely delicious, the best I have ever tasted! I served it with polenta parmesan fried cakes per recipe on package on Bob’s Red Mill. It was a perfect combo. It’s a new favorite in our home.
I made this last weekend, and it was delicious. I do have a question about the seasoning. In this recipe you call for some fresh, and some dry herbs. I know they can be substituted one for the other, but is there a time when it’s best to use one over the other?
Thank you.
Hi Jeremy, glad you enjoyed it! There’s really no rule of thumb when it comes to fresh herbs versus dried. Often, if a recipe requires only a very small amount of an herb/spice, I’ll usually go with dried from a convenience standpoint.I kind of handle it on a case by case basis. Sorry I can’t be more specific!
I made a double batch the first time for a dinner party. It was a huge success. Also just made it again yesterday for a group of friends. Another double batch and it was a hit once again and we are lucky enough to have leftovers for christmas eve.
Be ready to spend a few hours in the kitchen. I think I would do the prep the day before next time and cook the following day.
Thanks for the recipe. This one will be a go to for special dinners.
I also want to make this for a dinner party. Did you double all the ingredients. I’m not sure about doubling spices. Could you let me know? Thanks
Hi Barbara, in case Brad doesn’t see this, I wanted to weigh in — I would double all of the ingredients. 😊
This was a 5 star winner at our dinner table. Made with 4 thighs and 2 breasts cut in half to make 4 pieces. Served with mashed potatoes but next time I’d like to try it with polenta. I made it pretty much exactly as written. Your recipes always turn out nicely Jenn!
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s always a hit. This is a keeper!
Hi Jen,
Why do you remove the skin after the chicken is cooked instead of at the outset?
Thanks,
Cecile
Hi Cecile, The skin protects the meat while cooking and also adds flavor. You remove it when the chicken is done cooking as it gets kind of flabby and unappealing. Hope that clarifies!
I am looking forward to trying this – your site is my go to and I have had great success with your recipes. Would I be able to substitute drumsticks for thighs ?
So glad you like the recipes! It’s fine to use drumsticks, and you wouldn’t need to make any modifications. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Great recipe. I bumped up the spices a little bit. I made this recipe without tasting during the cooking process (vegan) and everyone loved it.