Chicken Cacciatore
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Chicken cacciatore is a hearty, flavorful Italian classic with tender chicken, slow-cooked veggies, and a savory red wine sauce—perfect for a comforting, rustic meal.
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 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 pieces are ideal, as the bones and skin add depth and flavor to the sauce as they simmer.
- All-Purpose Flour: Used for coating the chicken before searing and helps thicken the sauce.
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the chicken and vegetables.
- Onion and Garlic: Form the aromatic base of the sauce.
- Mushrooms and Bell Peppers: Add texture and earthy flavor to the dish.
- Red Wine: Adds a rich, fruity depth to the sauce. 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 bright and tangy tomato flavor to the sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Thickens the sauce and intensifies the tomato flavor.
- Sage, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley: A blend of herbs that infuses the dish with a fragrant and savory character.
- Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and wine.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by blotting the chicken with a paper towel and seasoning it with salt and pepper. Then, place the flour on a large plate and dredge the chicken pieces in the flour. Next, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken until golden and crispy, then transfer it to a plate.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Reduce the heat, then add the onions and cook until they’re softened and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Next, add the mushrooms and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the veggies start to soften. Add the wine and boil until mostly evaporated.
Stir in the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, honey, salt, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and any juices back to the pot, and simmer for 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate, remove and discard the skin, then simmer the sauce until thickened. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer for a few more minutes to meld the flavors.
Garnish with parsley and serve. Chicken cacciatore can be made up to 3 days ahead of time or frozen for longer storage.
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Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken cacciatore is a rustic, slow-cooked dish of tender chicken and vegetables simmered in a rich, savory sauce—the ultimate cozy meal for a chilly day.
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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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.