Easy stove top Chicken Cacciatore recipe that results in the most flavorful, tender chicken for a fall-off-the-bone result every single time. This goof-proof Italian dish is amazing for the whole family and pairs nicely with rice or noodles.
Easy Chicken Cacciatore is one of those familiar family favorites that my siblings and I could always agree on when we were growing up, which was a small miracle, as all four of us had remarkably different tastes in food.
I was talking to my partner recently about chicken cacciatore and he said he wasn’t familiar with it, so I figured there must be plenty of readers here who are new to the concept too.
My summary: if you like chicken, you’ll LOVE this dish.
The more text book version goes like this.
What is Chicken Cacciatore?:
Chicken Cacciatore translates to “Hunter’s Chicken,” and is an Italian classic also known as chicken alla cacciatora. It is typically made with chicken, rabbit, or wild game.
Bone-in chicken thighs are browned to crispy perfection then stewed in a tomato sauce of onions, garlic, peppers, sometimes mushrooms, dried or fresh herbs, and a splash of red or white wine.
While various parts of Italy have their own take on traditional cacciatore, the dish itself doesn’t have hard and fast rules.
Whether or not someone uses wine (and what type) or mushrooms is unique to the individual. In addition, how the meal is served varies as well, as some people enjoy the chicken as is with a side salad, while others employ steamed rice or noodles to soak up some of that beautiful sauce.
Let’s chat about the ingredients I use in my own version of this Italian dish.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore:
Olive Oil: Used for searing the chicken and cooking the vegetables, olive oil is essential for this classic Italian dish!
Chicken: Traditionally, chicken cacciatore is made with bone-in skin-on chicken pieces, which results in the most tender and flavorful result. I typically only use thighs instead of a combination of thighs and drumsticks. If you prefer using boneless skinless chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighs, you can make the swap.
Vegetables: Onion, garlic, green pepper and cremini mushrooms result in rich, bold flavor with a touch of sweetness from the bell pepper, which is a nice offset to the acidity of the tomato sauce. I go huge on the garlic. You can easily follow suit or reduce it down according to your personal taste.
Some people add celery, whole olives, and/or capers, so feel free to toss any of these in if they’re interesting to you!
Sauce: The sauce for this chicken cacciatore recipe consists of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and red wine (or white wine). If you have it on hand, you can substitute 28 ounces of your favorite flavorful tomato sauce for the crushed tomatoes or substitute chicken stock for the wine if you don’t use alcohol in your cooking.
Seasonings: Dried Italian seasoning, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper are all we need to give this dish a rustic, herb-infused essence. If you love dried oregano, and/or parsley, toss it in! You can also incorporate fresh herbs if you have them on hand. You can also add fresh oregano, fresh thyme, or a pinch of red pepper flakes
Optional Add-Ins:
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 cup whole black olives
- 2 Tbsp capers
- 1 cup green olives
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
Let’s make it! For this easy recipe, we’re preparing chicken cacciatore on the stove top, but if you prefer using the pressure cooker, follow my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore which also includes instructions for slow-cooker chicken cacciatore.
How to Make Easy Stove Top Chicken Cacciatore:
Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven. I use my Le Creuset) over medium-high heat. Allow the pot to heat up for a few minutes until it is sizzling hot.
Carefully place the chicken thighs in the pot in a single layer, skin side down and brown for 4 to 6 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden brown.
Flip the chicken and sear for another 2 minutes. Note: this will likely need to be done in two batches as there won’t be enough room to brown the chicken all at the same time. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan while sautéing.
Stir in the bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic and continue sautéing, stirring frequently, for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Add in the Italian seasoning, fresh sage, paprika, sea salt, diced tomatoes and red wine and stir well.
Transfer the chicken back to the pot, maneuvering it around until it is fully submerged in liquid. Cover the pot and bring it to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 35 to 50 minutes (I do 40), until the chicken is nice and tender. Taste the sauce for flavor and add more sea salt to taste.
Serve the chicken over rice, noodles, zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice with plenty of sauce and fresh grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil. A big hunk of crusty bread or garlic bread is always encouraged.
I love pairing the chicken with steamed brown rice, but you can also go with white rice or gluten-free noodles. Go with cauliflower rice to keep it low-carb.
What to Serve with Chicken Cacciatore:
If you’re looking for side dish ideas to go alongside this meal, here are my top recommendations:
- Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice
- My Easy Sautéed Vegetables
- Air Fryer Garlic Butter Brussel Sprouts
- Mushroom Risotto
- Maple Cinnamon Roasted Delicata Squash
- Creamy Cauliflower Casserole
I hope this hearty meal and rustic Italian dish becomes a great addition your household, just as it has mine!
Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 red bell pepper cut into match sticks
- 3 cups baby bella mushrooms chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 6 leaves fresh sage chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ¾ cup dry red wine or white wine such as chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
Optional Additions:
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 cup whole black olives
- 2 Tbsp capers
- 1 cup green olives
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Allow the pot to heat up for a few minutes until it is sizzling hot. Place the chicken thighs in the pot in a single layer, skin side down and brown for 4 to 6 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden brown.
- Carefully flip and sear for another 2 minutes. Note: this will likely need to be done in two batches as there won’t be enough room to brown the chicken all at the same time.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onion to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan while sautéing.
- Stir in the bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic and continue sautéing, stirring frequently, for another 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the Italian seasoning, fresh sage, paprika, sea salt, diced tomatoes and red wine and stir well.
- Transfer the chicken back to the pot, maneuvering it around until it is fully submerged in liquid. Cover the pot and bring it to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 35 to 50 minutes (I do 40), until the chicken is nice and tender. Taste the sauce for flavor and add more sea salt to taste.
- Serve the chicken over rice, noodles, zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice with plenty of sauce and fresh grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Nutrition
I would like the yellow color Le Creuset French oven, please!
I would choose Ocean and my Crayola name is natchrkuz
truffle
I love all Le Crueset products. The are my all time favorite!
Gorgeous chicken, girl!! It looks awesome and totally my families kind of dinner!
I would choose purple or blue!
I’d go with the Spinach color too
I’m so into this spinach color….and the chicken!! And, also your game….I’m cracking myself up over here 🙂
My French oven was the best investment I’ve ever made. You gotta love convenience. I want a big ol’ plate of this cacciatore. Yum!
Definitely Ink. That color of blue is perfect.
I think I would have to go for cassis! Unusual and gorgeous.
love all of your posts but the most the once you can throw in the French oven and be done with it
I am a huge fan of the fennel French oven. It’s a very vibrant color.
I’d probably have to go with a blue, green, or combo of the two! Some of my favorite colors 🙂
Spinach!
I love the cherry!
I would like the Blue INK colored French Oven.
Pamjoy ( I have no middle name ) is my Crayola name 🙂
My color of French oven, I love them all, but I will close my eyes and point and that came out as Fennel!
Fennel!
Quince or Carribean. so pretty
I would choose ocean!
What a choice!!! I would like either blue or red.
I collect the fennel but love the soleil as well.
Definitely cassis!
I’ve always loved the Caribbean color, but Fennel is really pretty too!
Yellow, like my hair isn’t. There’s a song there. Yeah, because yellow is springy and pretty, unlike the outside right now.
I love the Ocean color!
Sharp thnkniig! Thanks for the answer.
That’s not even 10 minutes well spent!
I’m so glad I found my solution online.
Yup, that’ll do it. You have my appreciation.
That’s a shrewd answer to a tricky question
I told my kids we’d play after I found what I needed. Damnit.
Hey hey hey, take a gander at what’ you’ve done
Yellow is the colour I would want.
I would choose Cherry!
I’m digging the Cassis color right now and that spinach! Chicken cacciatore is one of my favorites, I love the tangy tomato-y goodness!
ocean!
Chicken cacciatore is a longtime favorite that I haven’t made in a painfully longtime! That’s gotta change. Thanks for sharing this recipe and fabulous giveaway, Julia! I love that Spinach color!
cassis!
I love the kelly green color!
I love ocean and ink!
All the colors are great, but I think I would go with Caribbean or Cassis. Love Le Creuset!
I’d love to have the red!
I’d pick the cherry!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
I’d love ink or cobalt!
Cherry red for me please :+)
Marseilles! Thank you! 🙂
I think Caribbean or Cassis, please. Thanks for the giveaway!
Caribbean!
I’d really love that red!
I love orange! It’s mine!
I luuuuuuuuurve my French oven! We use it all the dang time. And since we already have one, I’d probably give this one to my momma, and apparently she likes the yellow (which, incidentally, is the color I have! Hah.)
After going back and forth between the different shades of green, I love “spinach”, too.
Green or Red!
the cherry thanks for the giveaway
First, the Chicken is gorgeous and I can almost taste it from here! Mmm!
Now, Le Creuset… I have been hunting thrift stores, garage and estate sales, eBay, etc…, for my first piece. I wish that it was affordable for someone like me but it’s not so this is a great opportunity and I thank you and Le Creuset. ♥
I would choose….ugh, so difficult a choice, they’re all beautiful….uh, Ocean (the little icon looks like a lovely blue but when you click it, it looks greyish?). If it Isn’t blue then I’d go with Caribbean. I want that Tealish & Red vintage kitchen one of these days. 🙂
Happy weekend that’s right around the corner everyone! 🙂
I would choose Ocean, and would enjoy cooking in Le Creuset, but without it being a gift that will be unlikely.
Dune!
I would choose Cassis! Thanks for the entry.
I’m a sucker for the classic Cherry – my favourite by far, although they’re all gorgeous, vibrant and fun!
I like the spinach color, as well!
I would definitely choose green, as it’s always been my favorite color- but it depends on your kitchen! My mother has and adores the blueberry-like color, and it looks so beautiful.
Julia, I can only imagine how insanely gorgeous your kitchen is. Especially if you have the means and the giant heart to give these incredible gifts away! Someday, please post a kitchen shot 🙂
Thanks for keeping us dreaming and hungry.
I’d choose Indigo.
I would take any color but I’ve always wanted a white one! I have played the stripper name game and mine is Cherry Swallows. Sometimes I use it if a telemarketer calls while I’m eating dinner or when I get asked to fill out surveys. You should try it sometime! It’s kinda fun. 🙂
You just made me die laughing. First of all, Cherry Swallows is by far the best stripper name I have ever heard. Ever! And the fact that you actually use it when speaking to pesky telemarketers is freaking priceless. I <3 You!
I love Marseille!! It’s a gorgeous hue of blue. I go to blue as you go to green 🙂
I love the spinach color too! Great give away.
My wife would love the Caribbean!
Making the Chicken Cacciatore this weekend — looks fantastic. 🙂
Kudos to you! I hadn’t thought of that!
That’s the best answer of all time! JMHO
Well I guess I don’t have to spend the weekend figuring this one out!
Me dull. You smart. That’s just what I needed.
That’s the perfect insight in a thread like this.
That’s cleared my thoughts. Thanks for contributing.
Back in school, I’m doing so much learning.
I would choose the quince color!! So pretty!! And the recipe looks delicious!! YUM!
Ink! Most definitely the Ink. Although, the Marseille is pretty awesome, too!
I would choose cassis
Definitely blue! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the Cassis! Please and thank you!
The indigo looks amazing!
I like the fennel color.
I love that green color! I also love the Carribean color. My mom has been wanting one of these forever, I would be THRILLED to win and surprise her with this. Thanks so much! 🙂
I would choose the Rosemary. That was a hard decision as I love them all! Thanks for the opportunity!
Glad I found your site! Its hard to pick between Caribbean and Marseille!
I like Indigo
I’d choose cassis
Ink or quince…both are lovely!
I didn’t see the color names, just numbers. I really like the chocolate color. I would really love that one!
I could bake gluten free bread in it too.
Would love the green or ink!
I’d choose the cherry. 🙂
I would most definitely go with cherry red…and I would name her Winonna…and all the other kitchen appliances would be sooooo jealous! 😉
I would get a red one!
Red!! Great Feng Shui and warm energy for your kitchen. It will help to put the love into your dishes!
Mangia! You nailed this recipe and the photos are awesome!
So thrilled you like it! xoxoxo 😀