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5 from 22 votes

Chicken Cacciatore

Classic Italian chicken cacciatore cooked in a rich tomato sauce, with bell peppers, mushrooms, and olives. The chicken is braised until it's fall off the bone tender, and the sauce is so fragrant that it will fill your whole house with beautiful aromas of home-cooked food. Easy family-friendly comfort meal with incredible flavors!
Author Diana
Servings 6 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
  • 1 teaspoon salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 carrot sliced into ⅕ inch slices
  • 5 ounces (2 cups) 140g mushrooms sliced into ¼ inch slices
  • 6 medium cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
  • 1 yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ cup (120ml) dry red wine See Note 4 for substitution
  • 28oz (800g) diced tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • ½ cup black olives pitted

Instructions

  • Season chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour shake off any excess.
  • In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. And brown the chicken starting skin side down. When the chicken is golden, remove from the skillet and set aside.
  • Saute the onion, add the carrot and mushrooms, and cook together until the onion is soft and translucent (3-4 minutes). Then add the bell peppers, garlic, and the herbs and cook for 3 more minutes.
  • Add the red wine, and deglaze the pan by scraping off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce (about 2 minutes), then add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Add the olives, then season with salt and pepper, and add crushed red pepper flakes if using.
  • Return the chicken to the skillet, cover with the lid, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 50 minutes while stirring every 15 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through.
  • Have a taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Serve hot with bread, pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Video

Notes

  1. I don't recommend using a cast-iron skillet for this dish, as I found that tomato-based dishes start getting a metallic taste if they are cooked in cast iron for long. I use my stainless steel skillet.
  2. Sometimes I add chopped celery with the carrots, so you can certainly do that.
  3. Use any type of mushrooms that you have available such as button mushrooms, chestnut/cremini/baby bella, or shiitake.
  4. If you don't want to use wine, substitute with unsweetened grape or apple juice or chicken broth. It won't give the same flavor as wine, but it will add flavor and help you deglaze the pan.
  5. If you're using extra large chicken thighs, increase the cooking time by 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 908mg | Potassium: 981mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2957IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 4mg