Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe: Rich Italian Chicken Stew in 55 Minutes
If you want a chicken cacciatore recipe that feels like Sunday dinner without the all-day effort, this is the one. It is a proper Italian hunter’s stew with bone-in chicken, bell peppers, mushrooms, and Kalamata olives all simmered in a red wine tomato sauce that smells like it has been cooking for hours. Honest, cozy, and ready in about 55 minutes.

Growing up in a small Midwest town, Sunday supper was the event of the week. My grandmother’s farmhouse kitchen always had something going on the stove, and the smell of braised meat and herbs was just part of the air in that place. This chicken cacciatore recipe brings me right back to her table. Cacciatore means hunter in Italian, and like all the best hunter-style dishes, it makes the most of simple, honest ingredients. Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks braise low and steady in a tomato and wine sauce with rosemary, bay leaves, and a pinch of dried oregano. The Kalamata olives go in near the end and give the whole thing a briny, rounded depth that sets it apart from any plain tomato chicken stew. My family asks for this one regularly, and I think yours will too. Let’s get cooking.

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Why This Chicken Cacciatore Recipe Works Every Time
I have made this recipe more times than I can count, and what keeps me coming back is how much it delivers for how little fuss it requires. Here is what makes it so reliable:
⦁ Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks are budget-friendly and stay juicy through the full simmer, no dry chicken here
⦁ One pan from start to finish, which means less cleanup and more time sitting down to eat
⦁ The red wine, anchovies, and fresh herbs build a deeply layered sauce in well under an hour
⦁ No special equipment or techniques needed, just browning, sauteing, and simmering
⦁ It reheats beautifully and tastes even better the next day as the sauce settles and deepens overnight
⦁ Easy to scale up and freeze half for a no-effort dinner another night

What Goes Into This Recipe
Every ingredient in this chicken cacciatore recipe earns its place. Here is what you need and why it matters.

• Bone-In Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks: I always use bone-in, skin-on cuts here. The fat from the skin renders into the sauce and makes it rich, while the bones keep the meat moist and tender through the full simmer. Chicken breast will dry out before the sauce is ready, so please stick with thighs and drumsticks if you can.
• Red Bell Peppers: I prefer red bell peppers over green because they are sweeter and more flavorful after cooking. They soften into the sauce and give the cacciatore that signature, slightly sweet depth. My brother swears by fennel instead, and that works beautifully too if you want a more distinctly Italian note.
• Kalamata Olives: Do not skip these. I add them whole near the end so they soften just enough to release their brine into the sauce. That salty, tangy kick is what separates a real cacciatore from any generic tomato chicken dish.
• Anchovy Fillets: Three little fillets dissolve completely into the sauce and add a savory depth you simply cannot get from salt alone. I have made this for anchovy-haters who never detected them. They are the secret ingredient.
• Dry Red Wine: I keep pinot noir on hand for cooking because it is fruity but not overpowering. You reduce the wine by about 75 percent before adding stock, so the alcohol cooks off and what remains is concentrated flavor. No need for anything expensive here.
• Fresh Rosemary and Bay Leaves: Fresh rosemary perfumes the sauce in a way dried rosemary does not. I grow it in a pot on my porch, which makes it easy to grab a sprig or two whenever I need it. Dried will work in a pinch, but fresh is worth it.
• Tomato Paste: I cook the tomato paste directly in the pan for a full two minutes before adding any liquid. This step removes the raw, sour edge and turns the paste into something sweet and caramelized. It is non-negotiable for a sauce with real depth.

What to Serve With Chicken Cacciatore
This stew is rich and saucy, so it pairs best with something that can soak up every drop. Here are the combinations I come back to most:
⦁ Creamy Mashed Potatoes: The classic base for this dish. If you want a complete potato side, try my ⦁ Creamy Scalloped Potatoes for a richer alternative on special occasions.
⦁ Soft Polenta: A deeply Italian pairing. Creamy polenta under this sauce is as good as it gets.
⦁ Crusty Garlic Bread: For mopping the bowl clean. My ⦁ Perfect Parmesan Garlic Bread is the ideal companion here.
⦁ A Simple Green Salad: A light vinaigrette salad cuts through the richness and keeps the meal balanced.
⦁ Roasted Vegetables: My ⦁ Roasted Autumn Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze work beautifully alongside this stew in cooler months.
⦁ Steamed Rice: A lighter option that still drinks up the sauce. My ⦁ Greek Lemon Rice adds a nice herby note if you want something with a little more character.

How to Make Chicken Cacciatore Step by Step
After making this more times than I can count, here is the method that works every single time.

1. Season the Chicken: Lay your chicken thighs and drumsticks on a tray and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Seasoning a few minutes before cooking makes a real difference in flavor throughout the meat.
2. Brown the Chicken: Heat olive oil over high heat and sear the thighs skin-side down for about 6 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute, then remove. Brown the drumsticks about 1 and a half minutes per side. That golden crust is where a lot of flavor lives, so do not rush it.
3. Build the Aromatics: Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat, then drop the heat to medium. Add the sliced onion, rosemary, bay leaves, and oregano. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion softens and turns fragrant.
4. Add Garlic and Anchovies: Clear a space in the center of the pan and add the garlic and anchovy fillets. Mash the anchovies into the pan as they heat up. They dissolve within about a minute. Stir everything together with the onion.
5. Cook the Vegetables: Turn the heat back to high and add the sliced mushrooms and bell peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms have released and reabsorbed their liquid and the peppers have softened. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 full minutes, stirring constantly. This step is the key to a sauce that tastes deep and complex rather than flat.
6. Build the Sauce: Pour in the wine and let it bubble and reduce by about 75 percent, which takes around 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
7. Simmer the Chicken: Nestle the browned chicken pieces into the sauce skin-side up and pour in any resting juices from the tray. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes. Keep the heat steady and gentle here. A rapid boil can tighten the chicken.
8. Add Olives and Thicken: Remove the lid, add the Kalamata olives, and simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes. The sauce will reduce and thicken, and the olives will soften and release their brine. This is when the stew really comes together.
9. Serve: Ladle the chicken and plenty of sauce over mashed potatoes or polenta and scatter over fresh parsley if you like.

Tips for the Best Results
A few things I have picked up from years of making this recipe:
⦁ Do not skip browning the chicken. That step builds flavor in the pan that carries through the whole dish.
⦁ Cook the tomato paste for the full 2 minutes. Cutting this short leaves a slightly raw, acidic edge in the sauce.
⦁ Keep the simmer steady, not aggressive. Medium heat is what you want once the lid goes on.
⦁ If your sauce looks thin after the lid comes off, give it an extra 5 minutes of uncovered simmering before adding the olives.
⦁ Let the dish rest for 5 minutes off the heat before serving. The sauce thickens slightly and the flavors settle.

Recipe Variations Worth Trying
This chicken cacciatore recipe is easy to adapt. Here are a few directions I have taken it:
Boneless Chicken: For boneless thighs, sear briefly and add them to the sauce for the final 10 minutes. For chicken breasts, pound to about two thirds of an inch thick, sear, and return for the last 5 to 8 minutes until the internal temperature reads 153 degrees F. Let them rest 3 minutes before serving.
Fennel Instead of Bell Peppers: Finely slice a fennel bulb and saute it in place of the bell peppers. It gives the stew a more distinctly Italian anise note and pairs beautifully with the wine and olives.
White Wine Version: Swap the red wine for a dry white like pinot grigio. The sauce will be lighter in color and slightly more delicate in flavor, which works especially well in warmer months.
Alcohol-Free: Replace the wine with additional low-sodium chicken stock. The sauce loses some depth but is still genuinely delicious.

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Storage and Reheating

• One of the things I appreciate most about this chicken cacciatore recipe is how well it keeps. I store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The second-day flavor is honestly better because the sauce thickens overnight and the chicken absorbs more of the herby, winey sauce.
• For freezing, portion the chicken and sauce into freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The tomato sauce keeps the chicken moist during freezing and reheating, which makes this one of the better stews to freeze.
• To reheat, return the chicken and sauce to a covered pan over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken stock if the sauce has thickened too much. You can also microwave individual portions covered on medium power. Avoid high heat, which can dry the chicken out quickly.
• More Cozy Dinner Recipes You Will Love
  If this chicken cacciatore recipe hit the spot, here are a few more one-pan and slow-simmered dinners from my kitchen:
  Red Wine Pot Roast – slow-braised beef in a rich wine sauce, deeply satisfying on a cold night.
  Smothered Chicken Thighs with Rich Onion Gravy – another one-pan chicken dinner that the whole family asks for.
  Chicken in White Wine Sauce – a lighter, quicker take on wine-braised chicken ready in 30 minutes.

FAQs

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Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

A hearty, rustic Italian hunter stew with bone-in chicken simmered in a rich tomato and red wine sauce with bell peppers, mushrooms, herbs, and Kalamata olives. One pan, 55 minutes.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4 portions

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 520

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 piece bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (large) about 1 kg / 2 lb
• 4 piece chicken drumsticks
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt for chicken
• 1/4 tsp black pepper for chicken
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 piece onion halved and finely sliced
• 2 piece fresh rosemary sprigs about 6 inches long
• 2 piece bay leaves preferably fresh
• 3 piece garlic cloves finely minced
• 3 piece anchovy fillets optional but highly recommended
• 8 oz mushrooms sliced
• 2 piece red bell peppers sliced 1/3 inch thick
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup dry red wine pinot noir recommended
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 16 piece whole pitted Kalamata olives drained
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt for sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper for sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• mashed potatoes or polenta for serving
• fresh parsley finely chopped, optional garnish

Equipment

• Large deep heavy-based pan with lid (12-inch recommended)
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Tray for resting chicken

Method

 

1. Season chicken thighs and drumsticks on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil over high heat in a large deep pan. Sear thighs skin-side down for 6 minutes until golden, flip for 1 minute, then remove. Brown drumsticks about 1.5 minutes per side. Remove to tray.
3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, rosemary, bay leaves, and oregano. Cook 3 minutes until softened.
4. Clear a space in the pan. Add garlic and anchovy fillets, mashing anchovies until fully dissolved and garlic is light golden. Stir into onion.
5. Turn heat to high. Add mushrooms and bell peppers. Cook 5 minutes until softened. Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce by 75 percent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
7. Place chicken skin-side up into sauce. Add any tray juices. When liquid returns to a simmer, cover and cook on medium for 20 minutes.
8. Remove lid. Add Kalamata olives and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
9. Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Notes

Bone-in, skin-on chicken gives the best results. Anchovies dissolve completely and add savory depth with no fishiness. Substitute with 2 tsp fish sauce or 1/2 tsp extra salt if needed. Replace wine with extra chicken stock for alcohol-free. Leftovers keep 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.