This chicken cacciatore recipe is a rustic Italian dish of golden brown chicken thighs in a well-seasoned tomato sauce with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Learn how to make a delicious and hearty chicken cacciatore dish on your stovetop with this easy recipe.
Impress your friends and family with this classic Italian dish. “Cacciatore” translates to hunter, and this dish has all the rich and hearty flavors of a country meal. Serve over rice, pasta, or polenta with an arugula salad or garden salad.
What is Chicken Cacciatore?
In Italian, the word “cacciatore” means hunter. Chicken or rabbit is prepared “hunter” style using onions, herbs, tomatoes, bell peppers, and sometimes red wine. You can prepare this dish on the stovetop or use the stovetop and the oven for super tender chicken. The stovetop version is a little faster and leaves your peppers less soft. The chicken is unbelievably tender with the stove top/oven version, but it takes longer.
What You’ll Need
- Chicken: traditionally bone-in chicken thighs or breasts
- Seasonings and herbs: salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, and red pepper flakes
- Olive oil: extra virgin
- Vegetables: yellow onion, carrots, bell peppers (any color), Baby Bella mushrooms, garlic, and crushed tomatoes
- Dry red wine: choose a dry, bold red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Make sure it is a good quality wine that you would enjoy drinking.
- Tomato paste: just a touch to thicken the sauce. You can freeze the rest.
How to make Chicken Cacciatore
Heat a little oil in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven. Brown the chicken and place it on a plate.
Heat a little more oil in the pan and add the onions, carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are tender and the mushrooms are browned. Reduce the heat to low, and add the garlic and dried oregano, cooking for one minute while stirring. Add the red wine and reduce by half.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme sprigs, chopped parsley, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Add the chicken back to the skillet, cover, and place it in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the meat is very tender. You can also cover it and simmer it on the stovetop.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Use a quality dry red wine that you would enjoy a glass of. Some suggestions are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir.
- If you prefer, substitute chicken broth for the red wine.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Serving Suggestions
The possibilities are endless. Pasta, rice, polenta, garlic mashed potatoes, and rosemary-roasted potatoes are all excellent side dish choices. Or serve with an Italian salad or rocket salad. French baguettes or garlic knots are a yummy bread choice.
More Chicken Recipes
- Sweet and sour chicken
- Hunan chicken
- Chicken gnocchi soup
- Blackened chicken
- Chicken and rice soup
- Chicken dumpling soup
Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 skin on bone-in chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper chopped
- 1 small yellow or orange bell pepper chopped
- 10 ounces cremini or Baby Bella mushrooms sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides and place it on a plate.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan and add the onions, carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are tender and the mushrooms are browned.
- Reduce the heat to low, and add the garlic and dried oregano, cooking for one minute while stirring. Add the red wine and reduce by half.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme sprigs, chopped parsley, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet, cover, and place the skillet in the oven for 45 minutes or until the meat is very tender. You can also cover it and simmer it on the stovetop for 40 minutes or until tender.
Notes
- Use a quality dry red wine that you would enjoy a glass of. Some suggestions are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir.
- If you prefer, substitute chicken broth for the red wine.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Alan
This was so good and full of flavor! I served it over pasta with a nice salad on the side! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Next time I am going to try it with polenta.
Harold
This is a great chicken cacciatore recipe in my opinion. I loved it. It reminded me of my Italian grandmother’s recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Harold! So happy that you loved it.
Sue-Tanya Mchorgh
This chicken cacciatore recipe was absolutely mouth-watering! I loved the combination of golden brown chicken thighs with a rich, well-seasoned tomato sauce and veggies. The recipe really impressed my friends and family. Thanks for sharing this classic Italian recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome. I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Ellyn
This chicken cacciatore was so good.😍 My husband loved it. It is now on regular rotation at our house. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure. Ellyn!
adriana
This is one of my favorite dishes so I’d love to make it sometime at home! Thanks for this! Going to try it out!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Adriana! Enjoy!
Karen
This was so so good! I never had chicken cacciatore before. It is now a favorite and it will be on regular rotation.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Karen! I am glad that you like it.
Jupiter Hadley
My grandmother use to make Chicken Cacciatore, but I’ve never made it before! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Jupiter! Enjoy!
Ralph H
I love this simple and delicious chicken cacciatore recipe. The combination of chicken, tomatoes, and veggies is perfect. I served it with polenta. I can’t wait to try it with pasta or rice.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ralph! I am so glad that you liked the chicken cacciatore!
Yara
This is the kind of food that I like to make, rustic and full of flavor. This is a lovely recipe – the chicken thighs were tender and juicy and the tomato sauce was delicious.
Rhian Scammell
Chicken cacciatore was one of the first dishes I got from a gousto subscription and I haven’t made it in years. I may need to give this a go as I remember loving the dish x
Janelle
I really loved the sauce with this chicken. Must have been the wine, haha!
Claudia
This recipe was really good. I’m a big fan of chicken cacciatore when it’s done right, and this recipe absolutely does it right.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Claudia! I am so glad that you liked it!
Sandra
Everyone in my family loved this dish! I served it with rice and it was a perfect healthy and hearty meal on a busy weeknight!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Sandra!