Chicken cacciatora, also known as chicken cacciatore, is a rustic Italian chicken dish simmered with tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, carrots, celery, garlic, and white wine. The chicken becomes beautifully tender while the vegetables create a rich, flavorful sauce that begs to be enjoyed with pasta, polenta, or potatoes.
This recipe has always been one of my mother’s favorites, and she is the one who shared it with me. If you enjoy comforting Italian chicken recipes, my classic Chicken Parmigiana with tomato sauce and mozzarella is another family favorite worth trying.
Recipe Overview: Chicken Cacciatora
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Cook Method: Stovetop, slowly simmered in a skillet or pan
- Flavor & Texture: Tender, juicy chicken simmered in a rich and savory tomato sauce with sweet carrots, red bell peppers, garlic, celery, and white wine.
- Difficulty: Easy. The chicken is quickly browned, then gently simmered with the vegetables and wine until tender and full of flavor.
- Why this Recipe? A simple, comforting Italian classic where everything cooks together in one pan, creating tender chicken and a wonderfully flavorful sauce that is perfect with pasta, polenta, mashed potatoes, or rice.
In this Article
What is Chicken Cacciatora?
Chicken cacciatora, or pollo alla cacciatora, translates loosely to hunter-style chicken. It is a rustic Italian dish in which chicken is browned and slowly cooked with aromatics, vegetables, wine, and, depending on the region and family recipe, tomatoes.
Recipes vary considerably across Italy. Some versions contain tomatoes, while others are prepared without them; peppers, mushrooms, olives, rosemary, and other herbs also appear depending on the region.
A Note From Giangi
Key Ingredients
Chicken: Bone-in chicken pieces are ideal because they remain tender and flavorful while simmering.
Carrots: Their natural sweetness balances the tomatoes’ acidity.
Celery: One of the aromatic foundations of the sauce.
Tomatoes: They cook down with the vegetables and wine to create the rustic sauce surrounding the chicken.
Red bell peppers: Add sweetness and another layer of flavor. If you have extra peppers in your refrigerator, my Italian stuffed bell peppers with tomato and rice are another wonderful way to use them.
Garlic: Adds depth and aroma.
White wine: Deglazes the pan and adds acidity and complexity to the sauce.
Olive oil: Used to brown the chicken before adding the vegetables and liquid.
How To Make Chicken Cacciatora
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add it to the hot pan, skin-side down, and brown until golden. Turn and brown the other side.
Step 3: Add the chopped celery, carrots, garlic, and tomatoes around the chicken. Pour in the white wine and bring everything to a gentle simmer.
Step 4: Add the sliced red bell peppers, reduce the heat to low, and partially cover the pan.
Step 5: Simmer gently until the chicken is tender and completely cooked through and the vegetables have softened into a rich, flavorful sauce.
Step 6: Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot with pasta, creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or rice, making sure to spoon plenty of the tomato and vegetable sauce over the chicken.
Giangi’s Pro Tips
Brown the chicken first. That caramelization adds considerably more flavor to the finished sauce.
Do not overcrowd the pan. Brown the pieces in batches if necessary.
Do not rush the simmer. Gentle cooking allows the chicken and vegetables to exchange flavors.
Keep the lid slightly open. This lets some moisture escape so the sauce reduces rather than becoming watery.
Taste before serving. Tomatoes vary enormously in sweetness and acidity.
What to Serve with Chicken Cacciatora
Chicken cacciatora has plenty of rich tomato-and-vegetable sauce, so I love serving it with something that can soak up every last drop.
For a traditional Italian-inspired pairing, spoon the chicken over creamy Parmesan polenta. The mascarpone and Parmesan make the polenta wonderfully smooth and rich.
If potatoes are more your style, my buttermilk mashed potatoes with caramelized shallots are another delicious option.
Pasta works beautifully as well. The ridges on my homemade spaghetti rigati with chicken and tomato sauce are ideal for holding onto tomato-based sauces.
For something green alongside the meal, add this quick green bean almondine side dish, which keeps the plate fresh without overwhelming the chicken.
Side Dishes to Enjoy Alongside
If you tried this Chicken Cacciatora or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.
Chicken Cacciatora – An Italian favorite
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken, cut up in 8 pieces
- 1 celery, chopped ribs
- 1 carrots, chopped
- 1 garlic, clove
- 6 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 2 red bell pepper
- ½ cup white wine
Instructions
- Add the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the chicken skin down and brown, 2 minutes and turn. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, the tomatoes and the wine.
- When starting to boil add the bell peppers. Lower the heat to low, slightly cover the pan and cook for 40 minutes
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Pasta, Rice & Grains, Dinners, Poultry
- Cuisine: Italian
- Type: Under 45 minutes
Did you make this?
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