Want to head to an Italian restaurant (or better yet, an Italian grandma’s kitchen) for dinner tonight? Try this simple Chicken Cacciatore! Tender chicken thighs stewed with vegetables in a robust tomato sauce, this traditional rustic Italian stew is hearty, juicy, and surprisingly easy to make!
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An Italian tradition that’s easier than expected.
Cacciatore (pronounced Kah-Chuh-Taw-Ree) means “hunter” in Italian. Thus, chicken cacciatore means chicken that is prepared alla cacciatore or “hunter-style.” Like Chicken Piccata, you can find as many recipes for chicken cacciatore as there are Italian grandmothers who make them!
To make this recipe as easy as possible, I skip dredging the chicken in flour—it’s really not needed.
I also streamlined the cooking process. Traditional chicken cacciatore recipes simmer for hours; this recipe speeds things to make it weeknight attainable. (For a low-and-slow, check out my Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore.)
5 Star Review
“This recipe has become one of my family’s most favorite. It is easy to prepare, serves well, freezes easily and is great over rice, roasted, or mashed potatoes. And of course pasta.”
— Peter —
My Tips for Perfect Chicken Cacciatore
- Be Patient With the Chicken. Once you add it to the skillet, leave it in the pan without moving it for a good 3 to 4 minutes. This will give it a beautiful sear that helps keep all the juices locked in!
- Deglaze the Pan. When you your in the wine, let it sit for a beat, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those browned bits are FLAVOR and by scraping them up, you’ll incorporate them into the sauce, making it extra delicious.
- Shred the Chicken or Leave it Whole. If I’m serving this chicken cacciatore more like a stew—in a bowl over rice, for example—I’ll shred the chicken and then stir it back into the sauce. But if I’m making it a main dish with a veggie side, I’ll leave the chicken thighs as-is.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the blog post below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Chicken Thighs. Chicken thighs are a wonderful choice for chicken stews like this (see also Spanish Chicken Stew). Dark meat is especially tender, juicy, and forgiving. If you prefer white meat, you can make this chicken cacciatore with chicken breasts.
- Dry White Wine. The addition of wine enhances the other flavors in this recipe. In the “Wine Pairing” section below, you can find some suggested varieties.
- Crushed Tomatoes. I use crushed tomatoes and their juices to build a rich tomato flavor for the sauce.
- Mushrooms. As the mushrooms cook, they add an earthy flavor to the sauce. I recommend cremini (baby bella) mushrooms or chopped portobello mushrooms, which have more depth than white button mushrooms.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore
Season and Brown the Chicken. Give it a nice sear, then transfer it to a plate.
Sauté the Aromatics. Once the veggies are tender, pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up all the browned bits so they can be incorporated into the sauce.
Simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, seasoning, and vinegar, then simmer to reduce.
Add the Chicken. Lay the chicken thighs in the sauce. Simmer partially covered until the chicken is cooked through. Dice or shred the chicken, if you’d like, or keep the thighs whole. Serve with herbs like parsley or fresh basil leaves, Parmesan, and any desired sides. ENJOY!
How to Serve Chicken Cacciatore
- With Pasta. Chicken cacciatore with pasta is one of the best ways to enjoy this rustic dish. You could opt for long tendrils of spaghetti or a short-cut pasta, like rigatoni or penne. I like whole wheat for its higher fiber content.
- Cooked Orzo. Fora rice-pasta hybrid in terms of taste, texture, and consistency.
- Mashed Potatoes. Try serving with my Crockpot Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
- Brown Rice. Not as traditional, but nonetheless delicious. See Instant Pot Brown Rice and How to Cook Brown Rice for methods.
- Creamy Polenta. A classic Italian pairing for cacciatore (see this Creamy Polenta for a recipe).
- Risotto. A simple parmesan risotto would be lovely with cacciatore. You could also try it with my Mushroom Risotto or Instant Pot Risotto.
Wine Pairing
- For white wine, a dry Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay would pair nicely with this dish.
- If you prefer red wine, try a Chianti or Sangiovese. Since this recipe calls for 3/4 cup of wine, I like to cook with a white wine that’s good enough to drink. Add a little to the dish, and drink the rest of the bottle with dinner.
Chicken Cacciatore
Video
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Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN CACCIATORE:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces sliced baby bella (cremini) mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
FOR SERVING:
- Whole wheat pasta or brown rice, polenta, rice, zucchini noodles, or baked and shredded spaghetti squash
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven or similar deep, sturdy pot over medium-high. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Once the oil is hot and shimmering (but not so hot it starts smoking), add the chicken in a single layer. Cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned, moving the chicken as little as possible so that it gets a nice sear. Flip and brown on the other side, about 2 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large, clean plate. The chicken does not need to be cooked through.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the white wine. Stir and let simmer until the wine is reduced by approximately half, about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes with their juices, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, and balsamic vinegar, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Nestle the chicken thighs into the tomato sauce, along with any drippings that have collected on the plate. The chicken should be mostly submerged, though some may peek through.
- Partially cover the pot and let simmer 15 to 20 additional minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, the sauce is thickened, and the mushrooms are tender.
- If you’d like to dice or shred the chicken, remove it to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, dice or shred it, then return it to the pot. You also can serve the chicken thighs whole.
- Taste and season the sauce with additional salt and pepper as desired. If you've chopped or shredded the chicken, return it to the sauce and toss to combine and warm through. Otherwise, serve the chicken pieces whole with a generous amount of sauce on top.
- Serve hot over pasta, rice, polenta, or veggie noodles, with a big extra spoonful of sauce and a sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerator leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm chicken cacciatore in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
We absolutely loved it! Outstanding! I used 3 lbs chicken & cut up an extra half green pepper.
Great to hear, thank you Dorie!
I’m glad I tried it! Nice one pot meal, and the hubz approved wildly. The balsamic adds a nice little twist. I used chicken breast, and it worked perfectly. Definitely making again
So glad to hear, Sheri! Thank you!
Made this delicious recipe tonight with chicken legs. We loved it. Added everything you recomended. Thanks for creating a recipe that is both quick and easy to make.
So glad you enjoyed it, Eric! Looks great!