This Classic Chicken Cacciatore recipe is so comforting and comes together beautifully in one pot. “Cacciatore” means “hunter’s style” and it always makes me think of something you would serve a group of hungry souls coming in from a long day’s work and in need of something hearty and comforting.
This recipe fits that bill perfectly.
Watch us show you how easy it is to make this iconic Italian comfort-food dish.
We dare you not to salivate!
The sauce is so flavorful and the chicken is so tender when you bite into it.
We can’t get enough of this dish.
The ingredients are simple and straightforward, but the end result brings them all together for an unforgettable meal.
We love using a whole cut up chicken. You may need to ask your butcher to cut the breast pieces in half. This will give you 10 nice chicken pieces for cooking up.
Searing the seasoned chicken in a little olive oil gets it nice and crisp on the outside and super tender on the inside.
You’re building something truly special here!
Then you begin the process of building the classic cacciatore sauce.
Starting with thinly sliced onions, fresh garlic and thick-cut mushrooms.
Then deglazing the pan with white wine adds so much delicious flavor. And the smell coming from you kitchen? Forget about it!
And then you must go with San Marzano tomatoes with their juice. These tomatoes are canned when they are at their best and these are the most flavorful tomatoes in the world.
Make sure the can says ‘certified’ so you’re certain they are truly from the region in Italy.
Fresh thyme, bay leaves and rosemary deepens the flavor of the sauce beautifully.
If you’re looking for a wonderful weeknight meal that will fill the family with good wholesome yumminess, and do it without a lot of fuss, then you need to give this Classic Chicken Cacciatore recipe a try.
It has become a standard in our house, and because we are constantly developing new recipes and don’t often get the chance to repeat a recipe, that is really saying something.
So good and just so comforting.
Now, go gather up the hungry hunters in your life (even if they’re just hunters of delicious food)…and make this incredible Classic Chicken Cacciatore recipe!
You and your family will be grateful that you did!
Classic Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole chicken 3 1/2 to 4 lbs, cut into 10 pieces
- Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions about 2 medium onions
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 8 oz. white button mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 28 oz. can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and the red pepper flakes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer, skin side down, and lower the heat to medium and sauté for about 8 minutes, until the have browned nicely on the bottoms.
- Flip the chicken pieces and sauté for another 8 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet, or platter, and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the onions and cook until they have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat, until the mushrooms are releasing their liquid and becoming slightly browned on the edges.
- Pour in the white wine and simmer until almost all of the liquid is gone, about another 5 minutes.
- Season with a nice pinch of salt and then add the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a simmer.
- Nestle the chicken pieces along with any accumulated juices into the simmering sauce and then nestle in the bay leaves and thyme (hold off on the rosemary).
- Turn the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the rosemary after the dish has simmered for about half an hour (allowing the rosemary to simmer for a total of approx. 15 minutes).
- Remove the pan from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes.
- Taste and add more salt, if desired.
- Plate chicken pieces with sauce poured over the top.
Nutrition
Excellent, delicious flavor. I added two ingredients only because I really like them in this dish, red bell pepper and two tablespoons of capers. A definite make again.
Hi Norma! Woo hoo!! So glad you had such great success with the cacciatore recipe! We love that dish so much! Thank you for letting us know and as always, we appreciate that wonderful review so very much!!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Hi Kris and Wesley! Another great recipe following the best ever tomato basil soup. This chicken was super amazing and the flavors were married just correctly. I have always taken the gross skin off because it made a rubbery mess. I gave it a little extra sear and kept it above the sauce as you suggested in another comment. It turned out wonderful looking even though I wouldn’t eat it in a million years. I think the skin just makes juicer chicken. I’m starting to just search your recipes now when I’m in the mood to try another recipe. I finally am making the brownies next weekend. Pretty soon I will need Weight Watchers! Thank you for sharing such amazing recipes. I really missed the video on this recipe though
I have to make a confession. My husband asked me to make this again because it was so good. This time I had to use shallots because I didn’t have any onions and guess what else???? I had no cremini or white mushrooms! I soaked my absolute favorite dried porcini mushrooms for 20 minutes that I always have 10 bags on hand. I actually used the 1/2 cup of that most tasty mushroom stock in the sauce. Oh my porcini loving goodness. Try it! I never ever change a recipe and rate it. That is horrible. I was so sad that I was out of two of the ingredients. So I gave my initial review of it first. I for sure need to search for Weight Watcher meetings now.
Hi Diane! LOL!! Sounds like you adapted perfectly! And 1000% YES to porcini mushrooms and that amazing mushroom stock! Yum!! Thank you so much for letting us know how it worked out for you and for the wonderful review!! That means the world to us! We hear you about WW!! It’s a struggle, but a yummy one!! Ha! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
hi!! Question about the skin….i see you leave it on. Anytime I leave the skin on the chicken in a recipe, its just ends up being a rubbery, greasy mess. How do you prevent this? Can I leave the skin off?
Hi Jenna!! We totally know what you mean about the gross rubbery skin!! The skin is awesome, but only if it’s nice and crisp. If you get a really good sear on the skin in your hot skillet first, that will crisp it up perfectly. Then, once you nestle the chicken pieces into the sauce, make sure the skin is on the top, and not submerged in the sauce. This will keep the skin crisp, and will ensure the chicken get cooked all-the-way through. Of course, you can go with skinless, which usually is boneless, too. If you go that route, reduce the cook time by about 10 to 15 minutes. Internal temp should be 165°F. Hope this helps. Let us know if you have any other questions, and when you make this…let us know how it turns out! We love this dish so much!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Amazing! That was the first thing my wife said after her first bite. We kept smiling the whole time we were enjoying this crazy good meal. I can’t wait try more of your of your fabulous recipes. You guys rock!
Best
Rickie Lee
Hi Rickie Lee!! THANK YOU so much for letting us know! And we couldn’t be more thrilled that you and your wife loved this cacciatore! It’s one of our favs, for sure!! Please stay in touch and let us know if you make more recipes!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Once again another outstanding recipe. Absolutely delicious. The flavors meld together beautifully. My husband asked me if this was a new recipe. I said yes. He said this is by far the best one. Make this one from now on. He said he loved the way the flavors blended together. He said it usually tastes like the vegetables are separate from the chicken. He said in this one everything went together. You must understand that the other recipes I’ve made are from highly regarded Italian chefs. This was by far the best! Thank you so much.
Wow! Thank you, Michelle!! That means so, so much to us. And so glad your hubby was impressed. I agree that the slow simmering really blends the vegetables and herbs beautifully. This really is one of our favorites. You are so wonderful for letting us know and sharing such kind words. xoxoxo All the best, Kris & Wesley.