Italian

Serving

Chicken Cacciatore

Name: Chicken Cacciatore
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 8 bone-in chicken thighs; 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, and 2 cloves garlic; 250g (9 oz) mushrooms, sliced; 400g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes and 120ml (1/2 cup) white wine; 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp dried oregano; Fresh rosemary and bay leaf

Rustic "hunter's style" braised chicken with tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.

60 minutes

Serves 4

Dinner

21 min prep

33 min cook

No common allergens detected

Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Brown the Chicken: Season the thighs and brown them skin-side down in olive oil until golden. Remove and set aside.
2
Soften the Vegetables: In the same pot, cook the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms until softened, then add the garlic and oregano.
3
Deglaze: Pour in the white wine and let it reduce for 2 minutes.
4
Build the Braise: Add the crushed tomatoes, rosemary, and bay leaf. Nestle the chicken back in, skin-side up.
5
Simmer: Cover and simmer gently for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
6
Serve: Discard the bay leaf and serve over polenta, pasta, or with crusty bread.

Chicken Cacciatore — plated and served — Serving moment. How Chicken Cacciatore looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

73/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 100

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 47

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

710

Calories

70 g

Protein

7 g

Carbs

36 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Cacciatore means hunter-style, a rustic braise that evolved across Italy from the kind of one-pot meal a hunter might make with what the woods and pantry offered: chicken or game, onions, herbs, wine, and sometimes tomatoes and mushrooms. Northern versions lean on white wine while central and southern ones add tomato, so there is no single recipe, only a method. It endures as honest, warming country cooking built for a slow simmer.

Listahan note

This version braises bone-in chicken in a tomato, pepper, and herb sauce with wine for a hearty, central-Italian-style cacciatore. It leans on browning and a slow simmer rather than any single special ingredient.

Technique cues

Brown the bone-in chicken well before braising; the rendered skin and fond give the sauce its backbone of flavor.
Build the sauce in the same pot and return the chicken to braise low and slow so the meat turns tender and the flavors meld.
Cook the peppers and onions down properly before the liquid goes in so they sweeten rather than stay raw and sharp.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Slice the peppers and onions and measure the wine and tomatoes while the chicken browns so the braise builds without pause.
Make-ahead: Cacciatore is even better the next day; cool and refrigerate it so the flavors deepen, then reheat to serve.
Leftover move: Shred leftover chicken into the sauce and toss with pasta or pile over polenta for a second meal.
Cleanup rhythm: Use one heavy pot start to finish and deglaze with the wine, which lifts the fond and eases the wash-up.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

bone-in chicken thighs

main protein

Purpose: Bone-in, skin-on pieces stay juicy through a long braise and enrich the sauce.

Handling: Pat dry and season, then brown skin-side down until deeply golden before braising.

Adaptation: Drumsticks or a cut-up whole chicken work; boneless thighs braise faster but with less depth.

bell peppers

vegetable body

Purpose: They add sweetness and substance that define the rustic sauce.

Handling: Slice and saute until soft and lightly caramelized before adding liquid.

Adaptation: Mushrooms can stand in or join for a more northern, earthier style.

canned tomatoes

sauce base

Purpose: They form the rich braising sauce in central and southern versions.

Handling: Crush and add after the wine, then simmer until thickened.

Adaptation: Skip them and use more wine and stock for a white, northern-style cacciatore.

dry white or red wine

depth and acidity

Purpose: It deglazes the fond and adds the acidity and complexity that lift the braise.

Handling: Pour in after browning and reduce briefly before the tomatoes.

Adaptation: Stock with a splash of vinegar if cooking without wine.

fresh rosemary and oregano

aromatics

Purpose: These herbs give the dish its woodsy, hunter-style aroma.

Handling: Add sturdy herbs early in the braise and a little fresh at the end for lift.

Adaptation: Thyme and a bay leaf make a fine alternative herb profile.

Technique notes

Brown the chicken in batches so each piece colors properly instead of steaming in a crowded pan.
Skim excess fat from the surface near the end so the sauce is rich but not greasy.
Finish with a scatter of fresh herbs and a drizzle of good olive oil to brighten the long-cooked flavors.

Ingredient swaps

Weeknight shortcut: Use boneless thighs and a shorter simmer to get a faithful version on the table in about forty minutes.
Lower-sodium direction: Use no-salt-added tomatoes and unsalted stock, leaning on herbs, wine, and peppers for flavor.
Naturally gluten-free: The braise itself is gluten-free; serve it over polenta or rice rather than pasta to keep it so.

Serve alongside

Soft polenta
Crusty bread for the sauce
Buttered egg noodles
Sauteed broccoli rabe
A glass of Chianti
A glass of Montepulciano
Sparkling water with lemon

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate cacciatore for up to four days; it deepens in flavor and reheats beautifully. It freezes well for up to three months in sealed containers. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of stock or water to loosen the sauce, and serve over a fresh starch.

Equipment

A heavy Dutch oven or braiser with a lid
Tongs for browning and turning
A wooden spoon for deglazing
A ladle for serving the sauce

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