Go Back
Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is an Italian classic with tender chicken simmered in a rustic tomato sauce with herbs, vegetables, and olives. This hearty dish is cozy, flavorful, and perfect for both casual family dinners and special occasions.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 4 pieces bone-in chicken thighs about 1 kg / 2 lb
  • 4 pieces chicken drumsticks
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt or cooking salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Cacciatore Sauce
  • 1 medium onion halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
  • 2 pieces bay leaves fresh preferred
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 3 fillets anchovies or 1 tsp anchovy paste, optional
  • 250 g mushrooms sliced
  • 2 pieces red bell peppers cut into strips (8 mm thick)
  • 0.33 cup tomato paste
  • 0.75 cup dry red wine or chicken broth + red wine vinegar
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 400 g crushed tomatoes canned
  • 16 pieces kalamata olives pitted and drained
  • 0.25 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

Method
 

  1. Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Brown chicken thighs skin-side down until golden, about 6 minutes. Flip, cook 1 minute, then set aside. Brown drumsticks for 1 ½ minutes per side and remove.
  3. Pour off excess fat, leaving 2 tbsp. Lower heat to medium, add onion, rosemary, bay leaves, and oregano. Cook until onion softens, about 3 minutes.
  4. Push onions aside, add garlic and anchovies. Mash gently until fragrant, then stir into onions.
  5. Increase heat to high, add mushrooms and peppers. Cook 5 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
  6. Deglaze with red wine, scraping pan. Reduce by 75%.
  7. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer.
  8. Return chicken to pan skin-side up. Cover and simmer 20 minutes over medium heat.
  9. Uncover, stir in olives, and simmer another 10 minutes until sauce thickens.
  10. Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta, or crusty bread. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Notes

For a non-alcoholic version, replace wine with extra chicken broth plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Anchovies add depth but can be skipped. This dish freezes well for up to 3 months.