Chicken Cacciatore, also sometimes known 'Italian hunter's stew' is made with onions, herbs, wine and tomatoes. This family friendly-one pot meal, uses chicken thighs and drumsticks, keeping it in budget. A warming meal that will fill your kitchen with delicious aromas, perfect for Autumn.
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As the nights get darker and colder, there is nothing like coming home to a bowl of this stew with a big chunk of crusty bread.
It's even better if you make a double batch and save some for the next night too!
How to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Season and fry the chicken until browned, then remove from the pan
- Sauté the onions and celery, then add the peppers and garlic, herbs and spices
- Then add the wine, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and sugar and bring to the boil
- Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 10 mins before adding the olives and sprinkling with parsley.
👩🍳PRO TIP If you're not keen on bone-in chicken, replace with boneless chicken thighs instead. It will cook a little quicker too!
🍽️ What to serve it with
- Potatoes! Creamy mashed potatoes, crispy roast potatoes or how about some oven-baked chips?
- Garlic green beans, sauteed asparagus or roasted broccoli
- Boiled rice or pasta also works well
- Or simply serve it up with a nice wedge of crusty bread, garlic bread or toasted sourdough bread for mopping up that sauce
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Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore -made with onions, herbs, wine and tomatoes. This warming, family friendly-one pot meal, uses chicken thighs and drumsticks, keeping it in budget.
Ingredients
For frying the chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 chicken bone-in thighs
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion - peeled and finely diced
- 1 stick of celery - finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper - sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper - sliced
- 3 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp sweet paprika - (use regular if you can't find sweet)
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 120 ml (½ cup) red wine
- 800 g (28oz) tinned finely chopped tomatoes - (this is 2 x 400g tins)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 45 g (¼ cup) black or green olives - , pitted and sliced in half (I like to leave a few whole)
To Serve:
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- Black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.1 tbsp olive oil
- Season the chicken thighs and drumsticks with the salt and pepper and add to the pan, skin-side down.4 chicken bone-in thighs, 4 chicken drumsticks, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes, until browned, then turn over and fry for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a plate (it won’t be fully cooked at this point).
- Add the olive oil to the pan you fried the chicken in. Add the onion and celery, cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until softened.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 1 stick of celery
- Add the red and yellow sliced peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, paprika, chilli flakes and bay leaves and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried rosemary, 2 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp chilli flakes, 2 bay leaves
- Add the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes.120 ml (½ cup) red wine
- Add in the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and sugar and stir together.800 g (28oz) tinned finely chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA), 1 tsp sugar
- Bring to the boil, then add the chicken pieces back to the pan, skin-side up.
- Turn down the heat, so the sauce is simmering. Place a lid or some foil on the pan and allow the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the olives and cook for a further 5 minutes (without the lid), until the chicken is completely cooked through, and the sauce has thickened slightly.45 g (¼ cup) black or green olives
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle on the fresh parsley and a little black pepper before serving.1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, Black pepper
✎ Notes
Serving suggestions:
- Potatoes - roasted, sautéed, mashed, baked - all work great!
- Slices of butter bread or even better, toasted buttered bread or garlic bread.
- Rice or pasta
- Green beans, asparagus or sliced kale.
- Add in whole or sliced mushrooms (at the same time you add the onions). This is a common addition to an authentic chicken cacciatore.
- Add in halved cherry tomatoes (at the same time as the olives) for a fresh burst of flavour.
- Swap the bone-in chicken for boneless chicken thighs.
Nutrition
Calories: 733kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 63gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 261mgSodium: 1160mgPotassium: 1386mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 2222IUVitamin C: 120mgCalcium: 139mgIron: 6mg
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Catherine Hagston says
So ,delicious and good for entertainment,if sudden visitors came around 😋
Jane says
Can I make this in the Slow Cooker please?
Libby says
Delicious. I’ll make this for dinner on Monday evening. I always love your one pan / pot recipes, they’re so tasty, quick and easy to do. This one looks superb.