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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Why You’ll Love This Chicken Cacciatore
- An Italian Tradition. 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, Chicken Marsala, and Baked Chicken Parmesan, it’s an Italian dish. You can find as many recipes for chicken cacciatore as there are Italian grandmothers who make them.
- Easy Original. You don’t need to be an experienced chef to make this simple chicken cacciatore recipe! To make this recipe as easy as possible, I skip dredging in flour—it’s really not needed.
- Comparatively Fast. Traditional chicken cacciatore recipes simmer for hours; this recipe speeds up the prep to make it weeknight attainable. (For a low-and-slow, check out my Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore.)
- Supreme Comfort. Like France’s Beef Bourguignon, it’s made with slow-simmered meat (some traditional versions also call for rabbit) and features a rich sauce that tastes like love and care.
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 —
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore
The Ingredients
- 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.
- Onion + Green Bell Pepper + Garlic. A flavorful trio to kick off our cacciatore sauce.
- Dry White Wine. Like Chicken Piccata, 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 used the 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 flavor than white button mushrooms.
- Italian Seasoning. An all-in-one-herb blend! Most consist of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, sage, or coriander.
- Balsamic Vinegar. For deep flavor that makes the sauce taste like it’s been simmering all day.
The Directions
- Season and Brown the Chicken. Then remove it to a plate.
- Saute the Aromatics. Pour in the wine to deglaze.
- Simmer. Let that sauce 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 desired), or keep the thighs whole. Serve with herbs like parsley or fresh basil leaves, Parmesan, and any desired sides. DIG IN!
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 either my Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or the Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe.
- 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.
- Not a wine person? Pair an Italian Margarita with your chicken cacciatore instead.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Place leftovers in fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Gently rewarm this dish in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You can also microwave, until steaming, if desired.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to Serve with Chicken Cacciatore
- Salad. A simple green salad like Arugula Salad is perfect; for something more hearty, try Italian Antipasto Salad.
- Roasted Vegetables. While the cacciatore simmers away on the stove, pop Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Oven Roasted Vegetables into your oven.
- Bread. Soak up the yummy sauce with slices of No Knead Focaccia or Rosemary Olive Oil Bread.
Recommended Tools to Make Chicken Cacciatore
- Skillet. An essential tool in my kitchen for making delicious recipes like this chicken cacciatore.
- Sharp Chef’s Knife. Easily chop vegetables, meat, fruit, and more with a high-quality knife like this one.
- Instant Read Thermometer. If you cook meat often, I highly recommend adding one of these to your kitchen.
Chicken Cacciatore
This easy chicken cacciatore recipe with boneless chicken thighs, mushrooms, and wine is made on the stovetop and ready in under an hour.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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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
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 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
- 1/2 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.
Video
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 33gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 144mgPotassium: 1032mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 416IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 4mg
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Thanks to its versatility and ease, you can do so much with chicken. Here are some of my favorite healthy chicken recipes:
I have made it similar but topped it with dumplings
Sounds tasty! Hope you enjoy this version Irene!
LOVED THIS!! Hubby, who’s very difficult to please due to sodium restrictions, would not stop raving and saying: Make This Again, It’s So Tasty! 🥳 I did need to make a couple small substitutions, both in salt and used low sodium chicken stock in place of wine. However, I increased the no sodium Italian seasoning a good bit, added a dab of oregano. DELICIOUS!
Hi Gail! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This recipe was delicious!
Hi Debby! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Taste was fine but found the sauce to thin
Hi Gayle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the review!
Really good and my house smelled great! I added extra Italian seasonings, making sure you taste your sauce before adding the chicken back into the pot. It was really good!
I’m going to bake my chicken first is that ok?
Hi Rose, I haven’t tested it out this way but I guess you could. You won’t need to cook as long because your chicken will already be cooked when you add it. Hope you enjoy it!
Love this recip👌
Thank you Astrid!
Fantastic recipe! I made this last night and served it together with left over pasta. Perfect combo! So delicious and will definitely make again.
YAY so happy to hear it Victoria!
I have made this recipe several times now. Each time it gets better and better. I serve it on a bed of rice.
SOoo happy to hear that Irina, thank you!
Fantastic recipe. I used chicken legs so I cooked them a bit longer in the sauce. I flipped them from time to time. DELICIOUS!
So glad they worked for you! Thank you!
The sauce is the star of this dish, and it is absolutely delicious. It is rich and flavorful, with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. The chicken is cooked perfectly, it is tender and juicy.
Hooray, so happy to hear it!
I’ve always wanted to make chicken cacciatore. My grandma served it for dinner when I was a kid. I loved it and have great memories of it. So glad I gave this a go. It was full of flavor and I loved how moist the chicken was. I will definitely be making this again!!
Hooray! Glad to hear, Liza!
It’s a cold Autumn weekend here in the Rocky mountains. What better dish to make than chicken cacciatore with homemade linguine?
This recipe did not disappoint and I used fresh herbs from my window garden and added olives both black and green and I used red wine instead of white. Thank you so much for this recipe everyone enjoyed it and it was the first time I had ever made it so thank you and have a wonderful year
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Summer!
I’ve made this a couple of times now. I used chicken breast and thigh pieces. The compliments kept coming, making me a very happy cook! I made a lot of extra sauce, which I really think is the star of this recipe. Highly recommended recipe! 10/10
That’s great to hear! Thank you!
I hadn’t had/made chicken cacciatore in many, many years. This recipe is delicious. I don’t like peppers, so I left them out. This one’s a keeper for sure.
Thanks Christine!
What a great dish! Everyone in my family lived it!! Thank you for sharing!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Brenda!
Absolutely loved it. The white wine mushrooms and tomatoes blended beautifully. The only thing I left out were the green peppers because my wife doesn’t do well with those. Put it over bucatini. Really delicious. It was easy too! Thanks, Phil
Yay! So happy to hear that, Phil! Thank you!
YUM! An easy recipe with a great flavor. It’s gone into my “must make it again” file!
Glad you enjoyed it Judy! Thank you!