This Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo Alla Cacciatora) recipe is a straightforward, delicious Italian recipe you will love and appreciate for its simplicity and full flavor, with tender chicken in a sauce made with tomatoes, diced veggies, fresh herbs, and olives.
Want more Italian recipes? Try Tomato and Basil Bruschetta, Classic Italian Risotto, or Chicken Parmesan.
Why we love this recipe:
Alex and I love making this recipe for Sunday lunch because it is a classic chicken preparation that lends itself to being shared leisurely with family and friends amid much chatter in a relaxing weekend moment.
The flavors are intense, and the chicken should come out so tender that you don’t need a knife to cut it. Using a typical Italian expression, “You can cut it with a breadstick,” meaning it should almost melt in your mouth.
It is a rustic recipe of Tuscan origin, where you use everyday ingredients from the fridge. It’s full of flavor and yet rich in taste. What’s left in the pot is a delicious sauce that lends itself to scarpetta, or a wonderful sauce that must be mopped up with a piece of bread. It is irresistible.
The Crucial Steps in the Recipe:
This is a simple recipe, but some of these steps are essential:
Massage the chicken generously with salt, pepper, and oil to season it evenly.
Brown the skin of the chicken well to prevent the skin from breaking apart during cooking.
Make the soffritto (a blend of vegetables): chop all the vegetables well, making sure they are all the same size. The mushrooms, which are responsible for giving creaminess to the sauce, should also be the same size.
We love pitted green olives, but we have also experimented with a mix of black and green: the result is terrific either way.
Last but not least, use red wine or white wine, but red gives more flavor and intensity to the final dish.
Cook over medium-low heat: do not rush, as this recipe takes time. The chicken must cook long enough to reach the perfect final texture.
Recipe Variations:
- Chicken Breasts may be used instead of thighs.
- Chicken Cacciatore in bianco: This recipe has tomato, but you can also make chicken cacciatore in a white sauce, “in bianco” as we call it, which is a great variation. Just cut out the tomatoes.
- Add Anchovies in oil or salt, and then reduce the amount of salt used in the recipe.
- The Herbs: you can add or substitute sage, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and tarragon, eithe fresh or dried.
- Add Potatoes halfway through cooking to make this dish more comforting;
- Add Bacon Bits (about 100g) , when sautéing the vegetables, to make the recipe more flavorful.
Serve Chicken Cacciatore with:
Baked potatoes or classic rustic bread are great for sopping up the flavors you used in the chicken recipe (rosemary, sage);
Green salad if you want some fresh greens along with your chicken dish.
Wine: The best wine is a young, fresh red without bubbles, not too aged.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing instructions
To Make Ahead: Chicken Cacciatore can be prepared a day ahead, as the taste and flavors get stronger, and taste even better. We prepared it on Saturday afternoon, refrigerate overnight and reheated it to share on Sunday for lunch.
To Store: Leftover Chicken Cacciatore for a few days in the refrigerator, tightly covered with plastic wrap. If any sauce is left over, make “scarpetta” with rustic bread- this is the best way to enjoy it. And if more is left in the pot, keep it in the freezer to make a special pasta sauce.
To Freeze: Place chicken cacciatore in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 30 days. Thaw completely in the fridge before re-warming on the stove.
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Recipe
Pollo Alla Cacciatora
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Large casserole
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless chicken thighs* , skin on (about 1 kg)
- ½ cup pitted mixed olives in oil (about 100g)
- 1 ¼ cup fresh mushrooms (about 100g)
- 2 carrots , medium
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 celery stalk
- 14 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 springs fresh rosemary
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- ½ cup red wine (about 100ml)
- 1 clove garlic
- Chili pepper
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4-5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetable Soffritto: Cut carrots, celery, onion, and garlic into very small (2-3 mm) cubes of the same size so they will cook evenly.
- Prepare the Mushrooms: Clean them and cut them about the same size as the vegetables.
- Season the Chicken: Place the thighs on a plate and add a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. Massage the surface of the chicken and repeat the same process on the other side.
- Brown the Chicken Thighs: Heat a saucepan with oil (just a drop is enough because the chicken skin will release its fat) and add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook them over high heat until the skin is nicely browned. At this point, remove the thighs from the pan and let them rest separately.
- Add the vegetables in the same saucepan and sauté them over high heat.
- Flavor the vegetables with the seasonings and add salt, pepper, and chili, while stirring them with a wooden spoon until browned.
- Return the chicken thighs to the pan. Add the olives, then deglaze the pan with the red wine, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
- Add the peeled tomatoes. Cover with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for about one hour 20 minutes (or about 80 minutes), until chicken is cooked through and tender. Serve immediately.
Notes
- *Chicken Breasts may be used instead of thighs.
- Chicken Cacciatore in bianco: This recipe has tomato, but you can also make chicken cacciatore in a white sauce, “in bianco” as we call it, which is a great variation. Just cut out the tomatoes.
- Add Anchovies in oil or salt, and then reduce the amount of salt used in the recipe.
- The Herbs: you can add or substitute sage, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and tarragon, eithe fresh or dried.
- Add Potatoes halfway through cooking to make this dish more comforting;
- Add Bacon Bits (about 100g) , when sautéing the vegetables, to make the recipe more flavorful.
Nutrition
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What type of Chili pepper would you suggest for this recipe?
For Chicken Cacciatore, a mild to medium chili pepper works well, adding a bit of heat without overpowering the dish
First of all, let me just say thank you! You have a way of writing your posts that are easy to follow that give me, a very modest cook, the confidence to try new things, knowing they will turn out amazingly. This is especially true for this recipe. It was surprisingly easy for such a yummy, fancy dish. Will definitely be making again. Thank you!