Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore is a hearty Italian dish with tender chicken simmered in a rich tomato sauce, loaded with peppers, garlic, and olives—perfect for a cozy family meal.
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (or drumsticks, or a mix)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved (or use crushed canned tomatoes)
- 1 can 14 oz diced tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for a little heat
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
- Optional Ingredients:
- ½ cup red wine for deglazing and extra depth
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced (adds a rich, earthy note)
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear chicken skin-side down for 5–7 minutes until golden, flip, and cook 3–4 more minutes. Set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté onion for 3–4 minutes until soft. Add bell pepper and cook another 3–4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Optional: Add wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Simmer 2–3 minutes. Stir in cherry tomatoes, diced tomatoes, broth, olives, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes.
- Return chicken to the pan, skin-side up, nestled into the sauce. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30–35 minutes until tender and cooked through (165°F).
- Remove from heat. Top with fresh parsley and serve hot.