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Flavorful, robust and foolproof, Chicken Cacciatore!
Really great authentic Italian Chicken Cacciatore!
Terrific hunter-style Chicken Cacciatore is one of the most satisfying, delicious and comforting Italian dishes you can make at home.
Flavorful, rich, earthy and hearty are just a few of the characteristics that come to mind when describing this rustic dish. Often served with spaghetti or over polenta, there’s no way you won’t love this amazing braised skillet chicken.
Classic Chicken Cacciatore triggers warm and fuzzy memories for me
It reminds me of good times and the warmth of family, and it also gives me great anticipation for dinner. I have great memories of my mom’s sister, June with her fabulous, authentic Italian Chicken Cacciatore.
Some people have signature go-to dishes, you know, something they can make with eyes closed. Aunt June could make Chicken Cacciatore like nobody else in our family. She and Uncle Ralph could also make some seriously eye-popping homemade egg nog, but that’s another story.
I’ve had Aunt June’s recipe in my little index box for years, and years, and made it more times than I can count. But over time I’ve tweaked it and loved it into the slightly different version shared here today. The only thing I need now is a big hunk of crusty Artisan bread.
Many Chicken Cacciatore recipes call for assorted chicken pieces
We’ve found that using similar sized chicken pieces makes this dish a lot easier to cook, perfectly. No worries about undercooked chicken breasts or overcooked legs. For this recipe we start with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
Chicken thighs are tender, juicy and considered the most flavorful part of the chicken. If you prefer white meat, use all chicken breasts but be sure to add a little extra time to ensure they’re cooked through.
PRO TIP: Brown the chicken skin to build flavor
Since we don’t care for soggy chicken skin, it’s removed and discarded once browned in the first step of the recipe. This is such a simple but effective step that makes all the difference in the flavor of the sauce and tender juiciness of the chicken.
Overview of ingredients:
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- onion
- mushrooms – any small, fresh mushroom will do like button or cremini mushrooms
- garlic
- crushed red pepper flakes – for an extra zing in the sauce
- all-purpose flour
- dry white wine – for deglazing the pan and building flavor in the sauce. Any dry white wine will do. If you like to drink it, use it in this sauce. If you don’t want to use wine, substitute with chicken broth
- canned diced tomatoes – do not drain
- tomato paste
- bay leaves
- Parmesan rind – for adding flavor and body to the sauce. Parmesan rinds can be purchased in the cheese department at any large grocery store.
- fresh thyme leaves – or dried thyme
- oregano – fresh or dried
- red bell pepper
For serving:
- fresh chopped parsley
- hot cooked spaghetti, polenta or your favorite pasta
- crusty bread to sop up the sauce
Overview: how to make Chicken Cacciatore
1. First cook the chicken
Season the chicken then cook in a hot skillet until the skin is crisp and well-browned. Turn and continue cooking for another 5-minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
2. Build the sauce
Next, add the onions and mushrooms to the pan drippings and cook until browned. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant. Add flour and cook for another minute.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, thyme, oregano and red bell pepper.
3. Return the chicken to the pan
Remove the skin from the chicken pieces and discard. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Taste the sauce to check the seasoning and remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves. Add salt or pepper as needed.
4. Serve
Serve over hot cooked spaghetti or polenta garnished with parsley. This chicken stew is also great served with zucchini noodles for a low-carb option. Enjoy!
Thanks for PINNING!
Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs (about 8)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional - more or less to taste)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes do not drain
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 small Parmesan rind
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 large red bell pepper ribs and seeds removed, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add half the chicken and cook, skin side down, until crisp and browned. Turn the pieces over and cook another 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and continue browning in small batches until all chicken is browned. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pan.
- Add the onions, mushrooms and a pinch of salt to the pan with the reserved drippings. Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables begin to brown and the moisture evaporates.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and continue cooking and stirring for 1 more minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, thyme, oregano and red bell pepper.
- Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Add the skinless chicken pieces to the pan, pressing them down into the sauce so they are covered. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 40-45 minutes. Halfway through cooking, move the chicken pieces around and/or turn them over to ensure even cooking.
- Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind and discard. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley leaves. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti or polenta.
Recipe Notes
- You can purchase Parmesan rinds in the cheese section of most grocery stores.
Nutrition
The BEST Chicken Cacciatore recipe you can make at home
This is an outstanding recipe for Chicken Cacciatore loaded with sweet red bell pepper, fresh herbs, tomatoes, wine and plenty of mushrooms.
Make it an Italian themed dinner party and serve Chicken Cacciatore with a nice crisp green salad and our creamy Italian Dressing Recipe loaded with fresh and dried herbs, Parmesan cheese, shallots and garlic.
We always serve cacciatore with a big hunk of crusty Artisan bread or fluffy Garlic Butter Breadsticks to sop up all the sauce.
Finally, don’t forget to wrap up this luscious Italian themed meal with our Classic Tiramisu Recipe. It’s so good and easy to make, too! Perfect for company as you can make it a day ahead.
Joanna
How much tomato
paste
Tricia Buice
Hi Joanna. Two tablespoons of tomato paste. Enjoy!
Sally Burckle
I look forward to trying your Cacciatore! It’s one of my favorite dishes.
I’m trying to save it outside FB to my own folder.
Tricia Buice
Enjoy Sally! I hope you love it as much as we do.
Tracy
This recipe is delicious!! Will definitely make it again!!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Tracy! So glad you liked it 😉
Brenda
Click on the “Print Recipe” button provided at the top of the printable recipe (just below the Chicken Cacciatore video). Change the destination to “Save as PDF”. Click on “Save”.
Pam Van Horne- Texas
It is rare that both my guys like a new recipe, but this one was a hit! I didn’t have the part rind, but it still was delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I’m putting this one one repeat!
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Pam! So glad your family enjoyed this delicious chicken 🙂
Joan Fasulo
I made this last night for my husband and myself and it was very good. Normally, hubby does the cooking and he makes his families version of this chicken dish. I liked this better and wouldn’t change a thing! Now onward to the peach galette with blueberries.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Joan! How lucky you have a husband that cooks. And, so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Outstanding!
Anita M
Hi Tricia
I made this for my family tonight. We loved it! The sauce was delicious and the chicken was so tender. I will make this again!
Tricia Buice
Thanks so much Anita! I love the flavor of this sauce, too. So glad you tried it and appreciate you coming back and letting us know how it turned out for you. Bravo!!
Kathleen
Hi, can this recipe be doubled with the same results?
Tricia Buice
I believe so Kathleen. However I have not tried doubling it. You’ll need a big pan!
Patti Shenfield
Delicious! I substituted ‘Campbell’s Chicken Broth with Wine’ for the wine and it was fantastic. I used boneless chicken thighs too!
Tricia Buice
Nice Patti! I’ll have to look for that chicken broth with wine – that’s new to me!
Terri
Tricia – what is the best substitute in your opinion for households that do not use wine/alcohol? I really want to make this but won’t if it will destroy the genuine flavor.
Tricia Buice
Hi Terri. I always recommend either using chicken broth, or a little white grape juice. If you can find juice that’s not overly sweet, it would be best. Perhaps a combination of juice and broth would work well. The alcohol cooks out of the sauce, but I completely understand if you just don’t need it in the house, or prefer not to buy it. The recipe will still be delicious.
Lore
Your comment says add additional chicken broth but I do see chicken broth already in recipe? Do you add chicken broth and wine?
Tricia Buice
Hi Lore. You can add chicken broth in place of the wine if desired. Sorry that was misleading. Thanks for the great question!
Lin
Did not need the flour. Way to thick. Not the average cacciatore we are accustomed to. The thyme threw it off. Sorry.
Tricia Buice
Thyme and tomatoes are great together. Sorry you didn’t like it!
Lynn
Boneless thighs okay?
Tricia Buice
Hi Lynn. Sure you can use thighs if you wish. You won’t get that extra flavor from browning the skin but it will be great. Be sure to adjust the cooking time down a bit. Enjoy!
Millican Pecan
So good! I’ve seen recipes for this before, but this one is absolutely fabulous! I love the combination of flavors, and I since chicken is part of our dinner so often, it’s great to change things up…the more flavor the better!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Millican! I was just thinking about making this again over the weekend. Perfect meal this time of year! Thanks for trying it and for coming back and letting us know how it turned out for you.
Debbie Ellison
The Chicken Cacciatore was delicious. Everyone loved it. Kids as well as adults. I did sub and add. No wine. I used 2T. Vinegar with 3/4 cup water and 1 tsp. sugar. Subbed olives for capers. Added small can mushrooms. Also thickened with a flurry. 5Tbsp. half and half & 2Tbsp. cornstarch. I reheated the next day and it was still fabulous. Will become a regular around here.
Tricia Buice
Thanks so much Debbie! I love your add-ins, especially the olives. Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate you taking the time to comment. Enjoy!
Rene
Can I use red wine instead of white? I’ve never been a white wine fan.
Tricia Buice
Sure Rene! Just don’t use something really sweet 🙂
Todd L Funk
Came out really good, I have a family of 7 and it’s hard to please everyone, this did. I did not use the parmesan rind, but added shredded parmesan on top. I did you chicken broth, had no wine. This one is a keeper, thank you for sharing.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Todd! We appreciate that you took the time to come back and let us know how this turned out for you and your family. It is hard to please everyone!
Barbara
Definitely want to try your recipe. What do you think I can add instead of the wine? I’m sure it gives it great flavor, just not sure what would come close to comparison.
Tricia Buice
Hi Barbara! You’re going to love this recipe – so much flavor. You can substitute chicken broth for the wine or white grape juice. If you don’t want to buy a big bottle of wine only to have it go bad before you drink it, you might consider picking up the mini-bottles which are about 8-ounces each, or an individual serving. I often do this when I don’t need the wine for company but want to use it in recipes. Good luck!
Mary Beth Massaro
?♀️ Thank you for this tip! Makes so much sense!!!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Mary Beth!
Delilah
This was by far the best Cacciatore I have ever made or tasted. Hubby isn’t a fan but he loved this dish. I didn’t change a thing. It was getting late and I was running behind so I cooked it in my Instant Pot for 30 min.
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Delilah! I love it too and can’t wait for the weather to turn a little cooler so I can make this again. Love that you made it in your Instant Pot. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know how it turned out for you.
Eileen
Loved this!! Fixed it tonight and we loved it. My husband does not like chicken cacciatore but he really liked this dish. It’s on the rotation list now.
Tricia Buice
Awesome Eileen! We love this dish too. So much flavor and juicy chicken to boot! So happy your husband liked it. Thanks for making the recipe and for taking the time to come back and let us know how it worked out for you 🙂
Melanie
Absolutely delicious! I added a pack of cooked bacon and a zucchini. This dish has so much flavor! One of our new favourites for sure!!!
Tricia Buice
Thanks so much for letting us know Melanie. I like your additions and must give it a try. Thanks again for trying the recipe and for the feedback 🙂
Becky
Great! I also baked it in the overstate 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Chicken was sooo tender! This is my new go to cacciatore! Thanks!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Becky! So happy you enjoyed this delicious recipe. We LOVE it too 😉
Carol
What is an Overstate?
Sandy
Probably an auto corrected “oven” ?
Peachy
This sounds wonderful … but what is a parmesan rind? I buy my parmesan in wedges. Weight or measurement??
Tricia Buice
Hi Peachy! A Parmesan rind is the end of the wedge. Most people throw them away because it’s too hard to grate. However, when you add the rind to a pot of sauce or soup, it softens and flavors the mixture in a wonderful way. You can even buy Parmesan rinds in many cheese departments at big grocery stores. If you use Parmesan wedges, you have a rind at the big end of the cheese!
Marguerite vigliottiClark
Hi Did not know about Flour in great Chicken dish, My Dad always made this but took off the skin first and yes he did use celery But I don’t remember Flour he was Calabrese does this make a difference anywho it was delicious and yours was also delicious. Wish my Dad was here to enjoy all the recipes you have posted. I am starting on the cookies and zeppala. Happy Holidays Merry Christmas. oh and thank you for the rind ingredient that sounds flavorful and yummy.
Tricia Buice
Merry Christmas to you Margueirte! Thanks.
Peachy
Wonderful! Thank you for the info 🙂
Christina
Do you have nutrition info, looking for carb count thank you.
Tricia Buice
Hi Christina – I’m sorry I don’t have that information yet. Working on adding it to my site.
Katy
I saw someone’s comment about subbing olives for capers. However, I don’t see capers in the ingredients. How much and when to add them?
Tricia Buice
Hi Katy. The recipe does not include capers or olives. However, Kalamata olives would be very nice in this dish, added in at the end. I would use 1/2 cup if adding. If you want to use capers, make our Chicken Piccata 🙂 Enjoy!
Donna
This was excellent. I added a whole small can of tomato paste (about double what was called for) and it thickened beautifully. No parmesan rind to be found so we sprinkled some on to serve. Excellent dish!
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much for the feedback Donna! I like that you added more tomato paste – bet it was rich and thick. Thanks for taking the time to let us know. Outstanding!
Sharon R.
I just made this Tricia.
It is without a doubt, the best chicken cacciatore I’ve ever had or ever made.
The only thing i did differently was i cooked it in the oven after i browned ckicken and sautéed veggies . Just poured finished sauce over chicken covered it with foil and baked @ 350 degrees 1 1/2 hours.
Thanks Tricia again.
Sharon R. Happy Holidays
Tricia Buice
Wow Sharon – thank you so much for the feedback! You made my day. I love your adaptations and will have to try it in the oven! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Thanks again!