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This easy chicken cacciatore recipe is a delicious rustic stew with melt-in-your-mouth chicken in a cozy tomato sauce. It’s simple to make and has irresistible Italian flavors!
You may also enjoy my Easy Pasta Puttanesca or Mediterranean Chicken next.
Why you’ll love it
Chicken cacciatore is a cozy stew that’s filling and super tasty. There’s no fancy ingredients needed, yet it has concentrated and robust flavors in very little time. The comforting white wine tomato sauce is bursting with fresh herbs like thyme, basil, and parsley!
This recipe for chicken cacciatore is an Italian classic that also happens to make fantastic leftovers, so you’ll have at least a few extra meals to look forward to in the upcoming week. That is if your family doesn’t devour this chicken stew all in one go, of course!
What does cacciatore mean?
- “Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian. Hunter-style (alla cacciatore) preparation refers to cooking this braised chicken stew with onions, herbs, tomatoes, bell peppers, and occasionally wine for the hearty sauce.
What you’ll need
- Chicken thighs – we’re using boneless/skinless chicken thighs
- Flour – for dredging to create a nice crust. It browns the chicken easier and helps thicken the sauce
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying
- Onion and garlic – I like sweet onions best (Vidalia)
- Carrots and red bell peppers – classic vegetables for this recipe
- White wine – use a dry white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc, or chicken broth if you prefer
- Tomatoes – we’re using fire-roasted canned tomatoes. If they’re a bit acidic, add a pinch of sugar.
- Thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley – for freshness and herby flavor
- Kalamata olives – they add a savory, briny quality
Helpful tips
- The skin adds extra flavor to the dish, and it also helps keep the chicken moist. You can eat it or discard it if you choose.
- You can use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs instead. In classical preparations of this recipe, that’s what is typically used. I would sear them for longer. Start skin-side down and wait until the chicken releases easily when you go to turn it. Leave about a tablespoon of fat in the pot, and drain the rest. You may need to skim the fat off the top of the sauce after it’s done cooking if you notice some extra has bubbled up or after it’s cooled if you notice a solid layer of fat on top.
- Chicken breasts won’t be as moist or flavorful, so I would not recommend using them.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I like to use a Dutch oven, large soup pot, or a braiser for this recipe.
- Kitchen tongs make it easy to turn the chicken when searing it.
- An instant read digital thermometer is an easy way to ensure the chicken is that perfect 165F.
How to make chicken cacciatore
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Season the chicken thighs with salt & pepper, then coat them in flour. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter and sear the chicken until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Sauté the onions for a few minutes.
Add in the red bell peppers and carrots. Continue cooking until the onions soften. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, followed by the wine, fire-roasted tomatoes, and oregano and thyme.
Return the chicken to the pot, and gently simmer until the it’s very tender and the carrots have softened fully. Stir in the chopped fresh basil, parsley, and olives, and season with salt & pepper to taste.
Can I make it in my Crockpot or Instant Pot?
- Yes! Here is my Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore recipe if you prefer.
- To adapt this into a slow cooker chicken cacciatore, follow steps 1-6 in the recipe card, and then add everything except for the olives, fresh basil, and parsley to slow cooker. Do 3 to 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low, and toss in the remaining ingredients right at the end of cooking. This recipe can also be doubled in a Crockpot no problem.
Substitutions and variations
- The olives are my favorite part, but I’d understand if you left them out, or you can swap for green olives or even capers. That briny tang really adds a lot to the dish, though.
- I’ve seen some versions of this recipe include mushrooms. You could definitely add some in!
- Try switching the white wine for a dry red if that’s more your thing.
What to serve with chicken cacciatore
- Try it over pasta like my Quick and Easy Garlic Butter Noodles, and then top parmesan cheese.
- It’s also great with Mashed Potatoes, rice, or a thick slice of delicious fresh crusty bread.
- For veggies, my Easy Roasted Green Beans or Easy Roasted Cauliflower would go well with this dish.
Leftovers and storage
- Chicken cacciatore will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- You could also freeze it for up to 3 months. I like to do individual portions for easy meal prep.
- To reheat, place in a saucepan over a low heat, giving it the occasional stir. You can also microwave it in small increments until warmed throughout.
If you made this classic chicken cacciatore recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram with your S&L creations.
Easy Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) see note
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
- 1 medium-to-large carrot peeled and chopped small
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped small
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives or to taste (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped or torn
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Generously season the chicken with salt & pepper and then coat it in flour (and shake off any excess).
- Add the oil and butter to a Dutch oven/soup pot/braiser over medium-high heat for a few minutes, then add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes/side or until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add in the onions and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add in the carrots and red bell pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the white wine and crushed tomatoes and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the thyme and oregano.
- Add the chicken back in and spoon some sauce over top. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, reduce the heat, and gently simmer (turn the heat way down) for at least 20 minutes or until the carrots have softened and the chicken is tender (you can stir halfway through if you wish). The sauce will thicken up a bit. If it becomes too thick, add a splash more wine or chicken broth.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed, and stir in the Kalamata olives, basil, and parsley.
Notes
- Serves 4-6 depending how much people eat/what it’s served with.
- For this recipe, use 1-2 pounds of chicken thighs. See blog post for tips if you want to use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.
- Other methods: See Instant Pot version. For Crockpot, follow steps 1-6 as written, then add everything except for olives/basil/parsley to slow cooker (add them in at the end), and do 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 on low. Recipe is easily doubled in a Crockpot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on May 18, 2021. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
I found this recipe to be so easy, but as I said earlier, just as delicious as all of your recipes I’m a fan of yours for sure. My only problem like I said, was for some reason every time I went to go back to check on an item in the recipe, I would lose it and have to start all over again. It kept going up to the top of the page and wouldn’t continue. It took a little time but I managed to get it done and we enjoyed it tremendously. It was definitely well worth the wait.
Hi Jennie!! I am not sure why that is happening. I will mention it to my ad company again. Sorry about that! One option is to print the recipe. I will often do that as sometimes I prefer to go a bit old school haha. Thanks for your review!
I made this tonight with fresh thickly sliced mushrooms added in to brown a bit before the onion, no olives and dried thyme and basil since my local grocer didn’t have any. Still good!
Thank you, Terri!
This was amazing!! I had never put olives in the recipe I had been using but after I tried your recipe this will be my go to from now on, what a difference olives made. The family said I have to keep making this version from now on, so, Family Approved! Thank you
That makes me so happy!! Thanks for your 5-star review, Carol!
Looking forward to trying.
Enjoy!
Oh my goodness this was so so good! Really really flavorful and easy. I included the olives (I think they are a must have for cacciatore) and served over spaghetti. My family devoured it . I will definitely be making this again – thank you Natasha!!
That makes me so happy, Jenny!! 😀 Thank you so much for taking the time to write me a review! XO