Chicken Cacciatore
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Chicken cacciatore is the ultimate simmer-and-savor meal. With layers of deep flavor and a rich sauce, it’s exactly what you want on a cool evening.
Chicken Cacciatore, also known as Hunter’s Chicken, is a classic Italian dish that’s brimming with rich, rustic flavors. The name “cacciatore” means hunter in Italian, and legend has it that hunters would cook it over an open fire with whatever they had on hand—think tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers. In this chicken cacciatore recipe, chicken thighs are slow-cooked with those same veggies, plus fragrant herbs, red wine, and broth, creating a deeply savory sauce that’s perfect for spooning over polenta or Parmesan smashed potatoes.
“Followed the recipe exactly as written and served over polenta. Outstanding!!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Cacciatore
- Chicken Thighs: Bone-in, skin-on thighs bring tons of flavor and richness to the sauce as they simmer—perfect for this kind of slow, savory dish.
- All-Purpose Flour: Lightly coats the chicken for a golden crust and also helps thicken the sauce as it cooks.
- Olive Oil: Used to sear the chicken and sauté the veggies, giving everything a flavorful base.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics form the base of the sauce with savory depth and a very subtle bite.
- Mushrooms and Bell Peppers: Add heartiness and texture, with a nice mix of earthy and sweet notes.
- Red Wine: Gives the sauce a rich, slightly fruity backbone. Use an affordable, drinkable wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Chianti. Skip supermarket “cooking wines,” which contain salt and preservatives.
- Chicken Broth: The savory base for the sauce.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Bring a fresh, tangy tomato flavor and a bit of texture to the sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Intensifies the tomato flavor and helps the sauce thicken up.
- Sage, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley: A mix of herbs that adds lots of savory, aromatic flavor.
- Honey: Just a touch to round things out and balance the acidity of the wine and tomatoes.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
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.
Step 2: Sauté the vegetables and add the wine. 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. 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 3: Simmer the sauce and cook the chicken. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, honey, and salt, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken (along with any juices) back to the pot and simmer for 35 minutes, until it’s fully cooked. Transfer the chicken to a plate, peel off and discard the skin (it adds flavor while cooking but gets soggy), and let the sauce simmer a little longer to thicken. Return the chicken to the pot and let it all bubble 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
Tender chicken braised with peppers, mushrooms, and a rich tomato-wine sauce—chicken cacciatore is a cozy Italian classic that’s perfect for any night you’re craving comfort.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3½ to 4 pounds), 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-inch-wide strips
- ¾ cup dry red wine (see note)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) 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 or 6-qt) 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°F - 170°F 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.
- Note: 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.
- Note: 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/Freezer-Friendly 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
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- Serving size: 4
- Calories: 790
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 88 g
- Sodium: 2,026 mg
- Cholesterol: 377 mg
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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Comments
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Jenn – sounds delicious! Just wondering if this recipe could be made in a crockpot? Wasn’t sure if you or any reviewers may have ever tried it? Thanks so much!
Hi Kim, Yes, I think you could make this in a slow cooker. I’d add everything to the slow cooker after you’ve browned the chicken and sauteed the veggies. I don’t have a slow cooker so I’m not sure how long it will take, but if you want to google it, Martha Stewart’s website has a piece that gives guidance on converting traditional recipes to slow cooked versions. Hope you enjoy the chicken if you make it!
Hi Jenn, I’ve been using your recipes for ages, and they all have been outstanding. I made the chicken Cacciatore for a dinner party this weekend along with your polenta. Everyone raved that it was restaurant quality. Thank you for your inspiring recipes.
I grew up in an Italian neighborhood, and was at my Friend’s house all the time. Loved his Nonna’s cacciatore and never could get it quite right. This recipe has the soul of an Italian grandmother and you can taste it! The only thing I forgot to do was shred the chicken off of the bone and reintroduce to the sauce. Wonderful recipe!!!
Nothing wrong with the recipe but I did not like the sauce. Per my taste preference, I think I should’ve omitted the red wine and added red wine vinegar at the end. I wonder what the point of dredging and frying the skin was only to remove it at the end? That seemed unnecessary but I’m probably not considering something. Thank you for your work and I look forward to trying the next recipe.
dredging the chicken helps thicken the sauce as it cooks
Made this as instructed and it was divine!
Thanks for another perfect meal, Jen!
Can I use chicken breasts. Either on or off the bone. If so, how do i adjust the recipe?
Hi Liz, you can use bone-in chicken breasts – just be careful to not overcook them. Enjoy!
I’m looking forward to trying this since I love dark meat chicken. I only have rosemary and parsley. Would you omit the other herbs or would I be better using dry Italian herb mix? If I use dry, how much to you suggest? Thank you!
Hi Steve, I’d use more rosemary in place of the sage and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Hope you enjoy!
I am a big fan of all your recipes and always look in your cookbooks or site when i want to try something new.
My question is, how would I substitute italian sausage for the chicken? I am probably one of the few people who dont like chicken meat. Broth is okay
Thank you for all of your cooking inspirations
Lynne
Hi Lynne, So glad you like the recipes! If you’d like to substitute sausage for the chicken, I’d start the recipe by cooking it and setting it aside as you would the chicken. When it’s time to put the chicken in the oven, I’d add the pot to the oven (without the sausage) for about 25 minutes and then add the sausage in for the last 10 minutes. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
We did like it very much!
A little sweet..
May use one green pepper next time…polenta was divine
Thank You so much for the suggestions to make this into sausage cacciatore. It turned out delicious! Only thing I changed was substituting the fresh sage and rosemary for a little italian seasoning. Thanks again! Lynne
So glad it came out nicely — thanks for taking the time to report back!
A bit confusing when you refer to “add the pot to the oven”. I don’t see ‘oven’ anywhere in your recipe.
Hi Patty, That’s a mistake – sorry! I meant to say when it’s time to simmer on the stove.
Hey Jen, Tommy Williams here. I made the Chicken Cacciatore awhile back and I have to admit as much as I truly enjoy cooking/BBQ and smoking meats and Fish. I was truly surprised by the most delicious outcome of your recipe. Can’t thank you enough for your culinary expertise. Loved it.
Hello Jenn!
I would love to prepare this delicious recipe for my husband, however he does not eat bell peppers. Can you recommend a substitution?
Thank you!
Hi Stacey, you could either use more mushrooms or replace the bell peppers with diced carrots.
not a sage lover, what do you suggest
Hi Carol, You can either omit it or use more rosemary in its place. Enjoy!
Restaurant quality! This was a huge hit for Sunday supper tonight! We served it over Parmesan mashed potatoes. I realized I didn’t have diced tomatoes. So, I used a can of Rotel. It gave it a tad of heat at the end. Also, I did skinless thighs. This is a keeper according to my husband and son!