Chicken Cacciatore (Italian Rustic Chicken with Tomatoes)

September 10, 2021 steven

Chicken Cacciatore is a rustic Italian chicken dish made with bell peppers and mushrooms simmered in tomato sauce.

Chicken Cacciatore

It’s great over pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes. This is the version my Mom always made for us when I was a child, which I’ve always loved. I modified Mom’s recipe to make it a bit leaner by removing the chicken skin and fat and using less oil. For more ways to cook this delicious dish, try my Instant Pot and slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipes.

What does cacciatore mean?

“Cacciatore” means hunter in Italian, and alla cacciatora translates to a ‘hunter-style’ meal. It’s a hearty tomato-based stew with chicken (sometimes rabbit), onion, garlic, bell peppers, and mushrooms.

How to Cook Chicken Cacciatore

This easy chicken recipe can be broken down into a few steps. It does take some time to cook, but most of the time is hands-off while the sauce simmers.

Chicken: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown in the pan for a few minutes.
Vegetables: Add in the bell pepper, onion, and garlic and sauté until the onions are tender. Then add in the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes. Season the veggies with salt and pepper.
Sauce: Pour in the crushed tomatoes, broth, and oregano, cover the pan, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Herbs: Sprinkle in the fresh basil five minutes before the sauce is done.

What goes good with chicken cacciatore?

You can serve chicken cacciatore over your favorite type of pasta, rice, or polenta. For a low-carb alternative, try it over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.

I like to top my cacciatore with some good grated cheese like pecorino romano and eat it with a hearty piece of bread to soak up the sauce. You could also serve it with a salad or roasted veggies on the side.

Variations:

If you don’t like mushrooms, use extra bell pepper.
Use baby bellas or white button mushrooms.
Swap the chicken broth for dry white wine.
If you prefer white meat, you can use boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs.

A Pot of Chicken Cacciatore

More Italian Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:

Chicken Cacciatore

288 Cals
22.5 Protein
43 Carbs
4.5 Fats

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Chicken Cacciatore is a rustic Italian chicken dish made with bell peppers and mushrooms simmered in tomato sauce.

6 chicken thighs, (or on the bone) skinned and trimmed
olive oil spray
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fat free chicken broth, more if needed
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups cooked whole wheat pasta

Season chicken with salt and pepper.
In a large heavy saute pan, heat the pan over a medium-high flame and spray with cooking oil.
Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Add the peppers, onion and garlic to the pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 3-4 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the tomatoes, broth, and oregano. Cover the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Continue simmering over low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Add the chopped basil 5 minutes before sauce is done.
Serve over 1 cup pasta.

Chicken Cacciatore Variations:

If you don’t like mushrooms, use extra bell pepper.
Use baby bellas or white button mushrooms.
Swap the chicken broth for dry white wine.
If you prefer white meat, you can use boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs.

Serving: 1thigh, 3/4 cup sauce, 1 cup pasta, Calories: 288kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 22.5g, Fat: 4.5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 379mg, Fiber: 7.5g, Sugar: 7.5g