Description
Chicken Cacciatore is a classic Italian dish featuring tender chicken simmered in a rich tomato sauce with bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and aromatic herbs. This hearty, flavorful recipe uses a combination of chicken wings and drumsticks, slow-cooked in the oven to create a comforting meal perfect for serving over noodles, rice, or polenta.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds chicken wings and drumsticks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 pound white mushrooms (cleaned and chopped)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper (chopped)
Spices & Herbs
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
Liquids & Others
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 3/4 cup Kalamata olives (pitted)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the chicken cacciatore.
- Brown Chicken: Heat olive oil and butter in a large oven-safe skillet with a lid over medium heat until the butter melts. Season the chicken wings and drumsticks with salt and pepper, then fry for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add minced garlic and chopped onions to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Cook Mushrooms and Peppers: Add chopped mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until they release their moisture and start browning. Then add the chopped green, red, and yellow bell peppers and cook for a couple more minutes until they soften slightly.
- Add Spices and Liquids: Stir in turmeric, dried oregano, bay leaves, red wine, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to combine and deglaze the pan by scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
- Combine and Bake: Return the browned chicken to the skillet, cover with the lid, and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Add Olives and Garnish: Remove the skillet from the oven, top the chicken and sauce with Kalamata olives, and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
- Serve: Serve the chicken cacciatore hot over noodles, rice, or polenta to soak up the delicious sauce.
Notes
- Chicken: Using bone-in, skin-on pieces such as wings or drumsticks adds rich flavor. Thighs are a great alternative. Boneless chicken cooks faster but lacks the depth of flavor.
- Mushrooms First: Cooking mushrooms before adding other vegetables helps them brown and deepen in flavor instead of steaming.
- Wine Substitutes: Use Chianti, Pinot Noir, or any dry red wine. For a non-alcoholic option, substitute with low-sodium chicken broth and a splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Make Ahead: This dish improves overnight. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days; the flavors intensify and the sauce thickens beautifully.
- Deglaze Well: When adding wine and liquids, scrape the pan bottom thoroughly to lift all the browned bits; this adds great flavor to the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
