🥘 The Best Chicken Cacciatore
This Chicken Cacciatore Recipe brings the classic Italian “hunter-style” chicken to life with juicy chicken and lots of vegetables in a flavorful red wine sauce. This rustic one-pot meal is quick enough for busy weeknights and delicious enough for your best dinner party guests.
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs (about 4 large (see note 1))
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion (halved and sliced (see note 2))
- 1 green bell pepper (stemmed, seeded, and sliced)
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms (trimmed, and then halved or sliced (see note 3))
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup dry red wine (such as cabernet or zinfandel)
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (or more to taste, optional)
- Arrange the chicken pieces on a cutting board or rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until just smoking.
- Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until browned on the second side, about 10 minutes total. Remove to a rimmed baking sheet or plate.
- Measure out 2 tablespoons fat from the pan and reserve. Drain and discard remaining fat. Add reserved fat back to the pan and return to shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic and sprinkle with salt to help coax out the water. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the red wine, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, basil, thyme, and red chili flakes, then add back the chicken.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until all the chicken pieces reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees when tested at their thickest parts, about 25 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a serving platter or bowl and tent with aluminum foil. Bring to the sauce to a boil over high heat and cook until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Pour over the chicken to serve.
Meggan’s notes
I love the idea of Cacciatore, a classic recipe that means “hunter’s stew.” The hunter can make this recipe from whatever he or she caught that day. In culinary school, we made cacciatore with rabbit!
Since I’m not a huge fan of rabbit, I updated the recipe to chicken and you’re absolutely going to love it. The juicy chicken, tomato sauce, pleothora of veggies, and spices in red wine is honestly so tasty, I made it 3 times in 2 weeks and still wanted more. It’s one of those simple, elegant meals that reminds you how satisfying home-cooking can be, even if you didn’t hunt the chicken yourself.
For a hearty meal, serve Chicken Cacciatore with pasta, rice, or crusty bread. Garnish the dish with parmesan cheese or fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or oregano.
Recipe ingredients
Chicken: Aim for 1 ½ to 2 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. If the thighs are large, plan on 1 per person.
Onion: I like to julienne the onion in this recipe (slicing with the grain of the layers, not against), but it doesn’t really matter. Chopped is fine too.
Mushrooms: I love the way mushroom halves soak up the flavor of the red wine. But, slicing them works too. If nobody likes mushrooms, omit them and add a second bell pepper. Or, add ½ cup green olives with the tomatoes in Step 4.
Arrange the chicken pieces on a cutting board or rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet with a lid or a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until just smoking.
Add the chicken skin-side down and sauté until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until browned on the second side, about 10 minutes total. Remove to a rimmed baking sheet or plate.
Add the red wine, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, basil, thyme, and red chili flakes, then add back the chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until all the chicken pieces reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees when tested at their thickest parts, about 25 minutes.
Recipe tips and variations
Yield: This recipe makes enough for 4 servings, 1 large chicken thigh each (or whatever breakdown of pieces you bought). You’ll also have 1 to ½ cups delicious vegetables per person.
Freezer: Cool completely and pack into freezer-safe containers. Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165 degrees on the stove or in the microwave.
Chicken breast: To substitute chicken breasts, look for bone-in, skin-on breasts.
More veggies: Customize your vegetables with carrots, celery, zucchini, or even eggplant. Whatever you foraged at the grocery store will work here.
What does “cacciatore” mean in Italian?
“Alla cacciatora” means “hunter’s style” in Italian and can apply to any meat-based dish prepared with vegetables in a wine sauce.
What goes with chicken cacciatore?
Serve chicken cacciatore with buttered noodles, any cooked pasta, cooked rice, or crusty bread. I also love it served with mashed potatoes!
Do you use red or white wine in chicken cacciatore?
You can use either red or white wine in your chicken cacciatore depending on your particular recipe or taste. Seek out a dry white wine if you decide to go that route. My recipe was tested with red wine.
What can I use instead of dry white wine in chicken cacciatore?
Substitute chicken broth instead of white wine if desired.
