Description
Chicken Cacciatore is a classic Italian rustic stew featuring bone-in, skin-on chicken braised with sweet red bell peppers, savory onions, garlic, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs. This hearty dish is slow-cooked to tender perfection in the oven, resulting in a rich, flavorful sauce perfect for serving over pasta, polenta, or crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 3 to 4 pounds (1.4 to 1.8 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, thighs, and drumsticks split
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium (8-ounce; 225 g) yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large (8-ounce; 225 g) red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 5 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Liquids and Seasonings
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) dry white wine
- 1 (28-ounce; 795 g) can peeled whole tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) reserved tomato juice from the can
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and season: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Season the chicken all over generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to enhance flavor in every bite.
- Brown the chicken: In a Dutch oven or large straight-sided sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add the chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes per side. This step locks in juices and adds rich color. Transfer the browned chicken to a platter as each batch finishes cooking and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Add the sliced yellow onion, red bell pepper, and garlic to the same pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the chicken. Cook until the vegetables are softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes, building layers of flavor.
- Deglaze and simmer: Pour in the dry white wine and bring it to a simmer to reduce slightly and concentrate flavor. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes along with the reserved tomato juices, herb sprigs, and bay leaf. Return the mixture to a low simmer and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Braise the chicken: Nestle the browned chicken pieces and any accumulated juices back into the tomato and vegetable sauce. Transfer the entire pan to the preheated oven and cook uncovered until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender, and the sauce has slightly reduced and thickened, about 30 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Remove the herb sprigs and bay leaf from the pan. Serve the chicken cacciatore immediately, garnished with minced flat-leaf parsley if desired, alongside your preferred accompaniment such as pasta, polenta, or crusty bread.
Notes
- Using bone-in, skin-on chicken results in more flavorful and moist meat when braised slowly.
- Dry white wine adds acidity and depth; substitute with chicken broth if preferred or for non-alcoholic variations.
- Make sure to brown the chicken well to develop better flavor and color in the final dish.
- Hand-crushing the tomatoes helps retain a rustic texture, but canned crushed tomatoes can be used as a shortcut.
- This dish improves in flavor if allowed to rest a few hours or overnight before reheating.
- Serve over polenta, pasta, or creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
