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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Good but missed the black olives and capers I’ve had in other recipes. They give a bit of umami.
This was delicious! I didn’t use rosemary or sage because I don’t like the flavor, but the sauce was rich and unbelievably flavorful without them. I served it over linguini. This is a keeper. Thanks Jenn.
Wow! What wonderful flavors! I made this a few nights ago. The chicken was so tender and delicious. We enjoyed it with mashed potatoes. It was the perfect meal on a cold and rainy December night.
Incredible! So so flavorful. Jenn is right – use a good red wine. I will definitely be making this one again.
This is the best chicken cacciatore I have ever eaten! I paired it with creamy polenta and had to hold myself back not to eat the whole pot. The recipe makes a lot, enough for a dinner party of six or so. Add some crusty bread and a salad and you have a restaurant quality meal. Can’t wait to have people over to make this for them!
Delicious!!!!! Followed recipe to a T- wow! Next time I’ll add more mushrooms (personal taste) Made Jenn’s creamy polenta to serve with chicken…mmmmm! The chicken and polenta go very well together. Great food to make and serve on a cold winters day.
Fantastic!
Can this be made with boneless, skinless thighs?
Hi Chad, I haven’t tried it but you’d like to, I would only sear the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, and I think you’ll need to add more oil before cooking the onions and garlic. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Yet another perfect recipe from Jenn! We had this for dinner last night. It was the leftovers I’d frozen from the last time I made it. Absolutely delicious! I’m not sure what I’d do without your recipes….. they make me a far better cook!
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What a delicious dinner! My whole family loved it. Extremely flavorful and comforting. I will definitely be making this again.