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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Chicken Cacciatore

[heart_this] · Jan 11, 2017 · 61 Comments

Chicken Cacciatore

An Italian style chicken and tomato stew that is super easy to make and packed with flavour!

Today I have a simple and tasty recipe for you, chicken cacciatore aka. Italian hunter style chicken stew. This is basically a chicken and tomato stew where the chicken is browned and set aside before cooking the vegetables, typically onions, pepper and mushrooms before the tomatoes and chicken are added and everything is simmered or braised until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is nice and tender. You can serve this chicken stew by itself, with crusty bread, over pasta or rice, etc. and no matter how you enjoy it it’s pure comfort food in a bowl!

Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Servings: 4

An Italian style chicken and tomato stew that is super easy to make and packed with flavour!

ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 chicken thighs (bone in and skin on)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 bell peppers (any colour), diced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (or marinara sauce)
  • 2 teaspoons italian seasoning (or oregano)
  • 1/4 cup olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste
directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken (seasoned with salt and pepper) and brown, about 3-5 minutes per side, before setting aside.
  2. Add onion, peppers and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes and cooking until fragrant, about a minute.
  4. Add the broth and deglaze the pan by scraping the brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon while the broth sizzles.
  5. Add the tomatoes, herbs, chicken and olives, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-60 minutes, before seasoning with salt and pepper and enjoying over pasta or rice! (Cook longer if you have the time to bring out more flavour!)
Tip: Start cooking some pasta or rice before you start making this recipe and it will be done in time for the chicken cacciatore.
Option: Start by cooking bacon or pancetta in the pan, cook the chicken in the bacon grease and add the bacon to the pasta sauce!
Option: Replace the chicken thighs with drumsticks, legs or breasts.
Option: Use boneless and skinless chicken.
Option: Add extra veggies like diced carrots and/or celery
Option: Add a splash of white wine!
Option: Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
Option: Add 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 301, Fat 8.9g (Saturated 1.7g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 87mg, Sodium 256mg, Carbs 18.9g (Fiber 5.1g, Sugars 10.5g), Protein 38.2g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
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Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Low-carb, Main Course, One-Pan, One-Pot, Pasta, Recipe, Stew

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mrs. L says

    November 14, 2008 at 12:41 am

    I love chicken cacciatore, in any version. It’s the winter stew type dish that I crave, even more than chili. I’ll have to give this a try.

    Reply
  2. Allie says

    November 14, 2008 at 1:13 am

    Beautiful! Cacciatore is a wonderful meal!

    Reply
  3. soulchocolate says

    November 14, 2008 at 1:22 am

    Delicious! This makes me want to defrost a piece of frozen chicken thigh that I have up in my freezer for the past 3 months, I have been wanting to do something nice with it and this must be it!

    Reply
  4. Elra says

    November 14, 2008 at 1:37 am

    Such a classic chicken dish. This is delicious, Kevin!

    Reply
  5. Chocolate Shavings says

    November 14, 2008 at 1:47 am

    The sauce and chicken looks great!

    Reply
  6. Patsyk says

    November 14, 2008 at 2:05 am

    Your cacciatore turned out really nicely!

    Reply
  7. Darius T. Williams says

    November 14, 2008 at 2:08 am

    I love this – good and hearty!

    -DTW
    http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

    Reply
  8. Amy says

    November 14, 2008 at 2:27 am

    That looks yummy, just like everything else you make. I love your pictures!

    Reply
  9. Mrs Ergül says

    November 14, 2008 at 2:31 am

    Wow I can almost imagine how this will taste like!

    Reply
  10. Manggy says

    November 14, 2008 at 2:37 am

    That name always makes me smile– hunter -> catcher -> cacciatore 🙂 Looks really delicious– very well done for making risotto too! I find it difficult to divide the chicken near the backbone and center, but thankfully someone gifted us with Henckels poultry shears and it's really easy with that!

    Reply
  11. Diana Evans says

    November 14, 2008 at 3:17 am

    oh yumm Kevin!!! I really love your cooking….this reminds me of a dish my Mom makes for my Dad all the time…it is one of his comfort foods….

    Great post!!!

    Hugs
    Diana

    Reply
  12. Sara says

    November 14, 2008 at 4:35 am

    This looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  13. Helene says

    November 14, 2008 at 5:12 am

    My brother made a chicken cacciatore, years ago, and I really liked it. This is a really good winter meal. Yours look so delicious Kevin.

    Reply
  14. Jude says

    November 14, 2008 at 5:57 am

    That’s what I call man food. Perfect for wintery nights.

    Reply
  15. Marie says

    November 14, 2008 at 7:24 am

    That looks absolutely delicious Kevin!

    Reply
  16. recipes2share says

    November 14, 2008 at 7:25 am

    This is such a perfect dish for these cooler autumnal days – fab!

    Reply
  17. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    November 14, 2008 at 7:38 am

    So beautifully presented and extremely yummy looking!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  18. HoneyB says

    November 14, 2008 at 9:27 am

    A great dish! Looks wonderful!

    Reply
  19. mikky says

    November 14, 2008 at 11:01 am

    awww kevin, how come you don’t gain weight? lovely meal… 🙂

    Reply
  20. OhioMom says

    November 14, 2008 at 11:15 am

    Another chicken cacciatore lover, looks yummy 🙂

    Reply
  21. Nina Timm says

    November 14, 2008 at 11:23 am

    My kinda food – filling, warm and delicious! Well done Kevin and thx for sharing.

    Reply
  22. Jan says

    November 14, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    I’m a big fan of Chicken Cacciatore since I had a go at making it a while ago. Yours looks delish!

    Reply
  23. Anonymous says

    November 14, 2008 at 12:52 pm

    this chicken caccitore looks great! what a great winter warming dish!

    Reply
  24. carmen says

    November 14, 2008 at 1:18 pm

    Wow – this looks delicious and perfect for chilly fall weather. I ‘ll definitely try it out!

    Reply
  25. pixen says

    November 14, 2008 at 1:38 pm

    Would you believe this dish is my family’s favourite? With me it’s always extra stronger in spice – the chilli part. When I’m bored with rice, I serve it with thick cut bread, naan or chapati with sometimes potatoes as side dish… yummmm! Thank you for sharing! Keep the recipes and (great photos) coming in.

    Reply
  26. j & j dish it out says

    November 14, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    I must say…your dishes look fabulous but I’m more in awe of your pictures! The lighting is perfect and the food is so detailed…love your blog!

    Reply
  27. Clumbsy Cookie says

    November 14, 2008 at 3:27 pm

    That plate just screams: confort!!!

    Reply
  28. Lauren says

    November 14, 2008 at 3:29 pm

    What a nice picture. Looks delicious.

    Reply
  29. Beth says

    November 14, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    THIS IS SERIOUS COMFORT FOOD

    Reply
  30. Happy cook says

    November 14, 2008 at 3:45 pm

    You do know my bookmarked section is overflowinf from your delicious recipes. Most of the time i come here i tend to bookmark them.
    This looks really yummy.
    When i am going to make this i am sure my family would really enjoy it.

    Reply
  31. Marjie says

    November 14, 2008 at 3:46 pm

    Nice take on a great dish!

    Reply
  32. Cheryl says

    November 14, 2008 at 4:02 pm

    I have never had this in my life, but I have heard of it! Yours looks delish and I am gonna try it!

    Reply
  33. Elizabeth says

    November 14, 2008 at 4:27 pm

    I love chicken cacciatore – I never thought to serve it with cheesy risotto. I’ll have to try that.

    Reply
  34. lisaiscooking says

    November 14, 2008 at 4:44 pm

    I’ve been wanting to make a chicken cacciatore, and this has me craving it now!

    Reply
  35. Maria says

    November 14, 2008 at 6:01 pm

    What a plate! Nice looking meal!

    Reply
  36. CookinsForMe says

    November 14, 2008 at 8:23 pm

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. I admit I’m not much of a cacciatore fan but this recipe sounds delicious and I might just have to try it!

    Reply
  37. Dawn says

    November 14, 2008 at 9:33 pm

    Yes, that does look like a really good hearty sauce.

    Reply
  38. Alexa says

    November 14, 2008 at 10:19 pm

    I know what you mean… I got my slowcooker out for such wonderful comfort foods as this chicken cacciatore. Great recipe!

    Reply
  39. Anna at Mediocre Chocolate says

    November 15, 2008 at 6:11 am

    If you cook the chicken in enough liquid, once it’s done braising you can actually use that broth to make your risotto–I have done this a few times, and the result is a full-flavored, boldly-colored risotto. Mm. You’re making me hungry!

    Reply
  40. giz says

    November 15, 2008 at 6:32 am

    This is one of the go to dishes that I really love and what I absolutely adore is all that saucy goodness on the plate. Yum.

    Reply
  41. Grace says

    November 15, 2008 at 2:28 pm

    hunter-style, eh? what’s that about? this is too good a dish to be used to feed those animal killers. 🙂

    Reply
  42. ttfn300 says

    November 15, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    delish!

    Reply
  43. Kevin says

    November 15, 2008 at 6:17 pm

    Anna at Mediocre Chocolate: Using extra liquid in the sauce and then using it to cook the risotto sounds goo, I will have to try that next time.

    Reply
  44. Karen says

    November 15, 2008 at 6:49 pm

    One of my all time favorite meals! I haven’t fixed it in a while.. so I’ll have to put it on my to do list! I’m off to read your risotto recipe…

    Reply
  45. Pam says

    November 16, 2008 at 1:48 am

    I’ve tried chicken cacciatore before and didn’t really like it all that much. I’m going to have to give yours a try!

    Reply
  46. Deborah says

    November 16, 2008 at 3:09 pm

    My grocery store sells whole chickens cut into pieces, so I always take the lazy way out! This looks so comforting.

    Reply
  47. Pam says

    November 17, 2008 at 5:37 am

    This looks lovely. It looks like the perfect meal. Excellent photo.

    Reply
  48. Proud Italian Cook says

    November 17, 2008 at 5:57 am

    Great dish Kevin, and it’s always been a favorite of mine!

    Reply
  49. Jaime says

    November 17, 2008 at 6:48 am

    wow, your cacciatore looks so colorful and delicious!

    Reply
  50. Mochachocolata Rita says

    November 18, 2008 at 8:41 am

    i am very very partial to anything red…cant get my eyes off this one ^_^

    Reply
  51. Anonymous says

    November 18, 2008 at 8:54 am

    Wow…this looks great!

    Reply
  52. Roonie says

    December 27, 2008 at 11:51 pm

    This looks so awesome I’m going to make it tonight. Found you on foodgawker and can’t wait to check out the rest of your site.

    Reply
  53. Anonymous says

    July 12, 2009 at 7:55 pm

    We made this for some guests a month ago, and we all really really enjoyed it! Thank you!

    Reply
  54. Tsuki says

    September 12, 2009 at 4:29 pm

    It was delicious!
    Your site is the best and it's my favorite recipes blog.
    Thank you!

    Cheers from Romania!

    Reply
  55. moneca says

    November 21, 2010 at 9:58 pm

    looking forward to making your chicken cacciatore…yum.

    Reply
  56. Abby says

    December 28, 2010 at 6:17 am

    I made this dish for a dinner party I hosted over the weekend and it was such a beautiful dish! The chicken pieces fell off the bones so I think I didn't score that well in terms of presentation but my guests were too busy slurping the stew down to notice anyway! I also had a couple of portions of leftovers and it tastes much better the next day!

    Reply
  57. Anonymous says

    January 9, 2014 at 11:13 pm

    This is one of the most visually stunning food photos I have ever seen. I cannot wait to make this. Thanks.

    Reply
  58. Jenny says

    January 11, 2017 at 4:40 pm

    What a gorgeous recipe!!!

    Reply
  59. Heather Christo says

    January 11, 2017 at 6:04 pm

    This could not look more delicious!! I love the colors and flavors!

    Reply
  60. Maria Lichty says

    January 11, 2017 at 7:49 pm

    Looks like a winner !

    Reply
  61. A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says

    January 13, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    These looks completely amazing!

    Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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