Chicken Cacciatore
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
55 mins
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Servings
4 - 6
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Calories
495 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Chicken Cacciatore
Description
This Chicken Cacciatore recipe starts by seasoning and browning bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces to achieve a golden crust and retain moisture during cooking. The sauce combines sautéed onions, garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, and oregano cooked with tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, red wine, sliced mushrooms, red bell peppers, and kalamata olives. Optional anchovies or anchovy paste provide umami without fishiness. The ingredients are slowly simmered together in a wide pan, covering the pan with a lid or baking tray if necessary, allowing the chicken to cook through while enriching the sauce with rendered fat and flavors.
The resulting dish is savory with bright tomato notes, fragrant herbs, and a touch of fruitiness from the olives. The chicken remains juicy, complemented by tender vegetables. Serving with creamy mashed potatoes or soft polenta balances the acidity and heartiness. Parsley adds fresh color as a garnish.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken is recommended for juicy meat and flavorful sauce, but boneless cuts can be used with adjusted cooking steps. Leftovers keep well refrigerated or frozen. For non-alcoholic versions, replace wine with extra chicken stock. Using a wide heavy pan enhances browning and simmering results.
Ingredients
Chicken (Note 1):
- 4 chicken thighs 1 kg / 2 lb, bone in, large
- 4 chicken drumstick
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or cooking salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Cacciatore:
- 1 onion , halved, finely sliced
- 2 rosemary about 15 cm/6" long), or 1 tsp dried rosemary, sprigs
- 2 bay leaf preferably fresh else dried
- 3 garlic finely minced, cloves
- 3 anchovy fillet or 1 tsp anchovy paste), optional (Note 2
- 250g / 8 oz mushrooms , sliced
- 2 red bell pepper sliced 8 mm thick (medium, not giant, red capsicum
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 3/4 cup pinot noir or other dry red wine (Note 3)
- 2 cups chicken stock low sodium, or broth
- 400g/14 oz crushed tomato canned
- 16 kalamata olives pitted, drained, whole
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt cooking salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp oregano dried
Serving
- potato or polenta, mashed
- parsley for sprinkling (optional, finely chopped
Instructions
Chicken:
- Season - Spread the chicken out on a tray. Sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Brown skin - Heat the oil over high heat in a large, deep, heavy based pan, preferably one with a lid (Note 4). Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, around 6 minutes. Turn and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute, then remove the chicken onto the same tray. Then add the drumsticks and brown each side as best you can, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side (the shape makes it awkward). Remove onto the tray.
Cacciatore:
- Onion - Pour off and discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Turn the heat down to medium and let the pan cool slightly. Add the onion, rosemary leaves, bay leaves and dried oregano. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is starting to soften.
- Garlic and anchovies - Clear a space in the middle of the pan. Add the anchovies and garlic, cooking, mashing up the anchovies, until the garlic is light golden, then stir it into the onion.
- Vegetables & tomato paste - Turn the heat back up to high. Add the mushroom and capsicum. Stir until softened - about 5 minutes (the mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate). Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the sour flavour - do not shortcut this.
- Sauce - Add the wine. Stir, bring to simmer then allow to reduce by around 75%. Add the stock, canned tomato, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer.
- Simmer - Then carefully place the chicken into the sauce (skin side up) and pour any juices on the tray in as well. When the liquid returns to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to medium then simmer energetically for 20 minutes. Remove lid, add olives, simmer for a further 10 minutes (no lid). This will reduce and thicken the sauce.
- Serve - Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce over mashed potato or polenta, sprinkled with parsley if desired.
Notes
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken provides juicy meat and enriches sauce with flavorful fat; use chicken quarters as an alternative.
- For boneless thighs, sear briefly and add to sauce for final 10 minutes; breast requires pounding thin and shorter cooking time.
- Anchovies add umami without fishiness; substitute fish sauce or extra salt if needed.
- Replace wine with additional chicken stock for non-alcoholic version.
- Keep leftovers in fridge up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months.
- Use a wide, heavy pan with a lid; cover with baking tray if needed to help simmer chicken evenly.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 495 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 495cal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 37g | 74% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6g | 35% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 185mg | 62% |
| Sodium | 976mg | 41% |
| Potassium | 1035mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 1747IU | 35% |
| Vitamin C | 63mg | 70% |
| Calcium | 68mg | 7% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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