Chicken cacciatore, a braised Italian chicken recipe loaded with veggies and cooked in a fragrant, earthy tomato sauce. The perfect rustic, comfort food dish made in one pot. Serve with pasta or polenta for a complete meal that the whole family will enjoy!
This is one of those dishes that I typically enjoy at my mother's house for Sunday dinner. And when I recently recreated my mom's recipe for chicken cacciatore it at home, with much help from my son, I wondered why I didn't make it on a regular basis? You can't imagine the amazing aroma coming out of our kitchen!
I wanted to make polenta to serve it with but knowing my children would prefer their chicken cacciatore with pasta, as nonna makes, I made both. And I'll admit to you that I sat down and had a portion with polenta as well as a portion with pasta. What a feast!
What is chicken cacciatore?
Chicken cacciatore, hunter style chicken or pollo alla cacciatore is cooked in a rich tomato sauce fragrant with herbs and wine as well as a variety of vegetables. It is commonly made with chicken but is also delicious with rabbit as well.
For best results, use bone-in chicken pieces.
I used celery and mushrooms, as my mother does, but you can try adding other vegetables such as peppers and carrots.
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed, printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
I purchased chicken legs with the thighs attached and separated leg from thigh to make 8 pieces of chicken.
In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil and brown both sides of the chicken pieces until golden. Don't overcrowd your pan, if necessary brown in batches. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan.
Add onions and garlic, sauté for 2-3 minutes. Toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Next, add celery and cook for 3 minutes. Finally, add the mushrooms and bay leaves.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring the vegetables occasionally. Pour in white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the tasty bits at the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes. 
Add herbs of your choice. I added a sprig of thyme, rosemary and 3-4 bay leaves.
Pour in a can of diced tomatoes and oregano and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Return the chicken to the skillet, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes. The chicken is done when pierced with a knife or fork and the juices run clear.
Remove and discard the bay leaves, sprig of thyme and rosemary and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley before serving.
What to serve with Chicken Cacciatore?
My mother serves chicken cacciatore with pasta, specifically with her homemade cavatelli. But you can serve the delicious sauce with any pasta of your choice. Before adding pasta to the sauce, I removed the chicken pieces and cooked the sauce on medium heat for 10-15 minutes longer in order to thicken it.
My other favorite way of serving this dish is over a bed of polenta! I recently shared my recipe for Easy Oven Baked Creamy Polenta.
While the chicken is cooking, just place a casserole of polenta in the oven. To serve, place a scoop or two in a bowl and spoon some of the flavorful sauce as well as a piece of chicken over the polenta.
Tips and Suggestions:
- Vary the vegetables: try add peppers or carrots.
- A spoonful or two of capers and/or olives also work well in this recipe.
- Use skinless and boneless pieces of chicken if you prefer. In this case, the cooking time would be reduced.
- If you prefer a sauce with a thicker consistency, remove the chicken pieces at the end of cooking and reduce the sauce on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Italian chicken recipes for you to enjoy!
- Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Onions and Raisins
- Sicilian Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Italian Style Stuffed Chicken (Iaddina China)
- Baked Breaded Chicken Cutlets
If you give this recipe a try, please let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it below in the recipe card. Feel free to Pin the recipe for later. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs with thigh attached skin on, bone in, legs and thighs separated
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- red pepper flakes optional
- 2 branches celery
- 227 grams white button mushrooms (about ½ lb, quartered)
- ½ cup white wine
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 796 ml canned diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a large, wide, deep skillet heat the olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces. Brown on both sides until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet.
- Add onions, garlic and red pepper flakes (optional) and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Next, add celery and cook for 3 minutes. Finally, add the mushrooms and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring the vegetables occasionally.
- Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the tasty bits at the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the bay leaves, sprig of thyme and rosemary.
- Add the diced tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 40-45 minutes until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork or knife.
- Remove the bay leaves, sprig of thyme and rosemary and sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Vary the vegetables: add peppers or carrots. You can also add a handful of black olives at the end of cooking.
- Use skinless and boneless pieces of chicken if you prefer. In this case, the cooking time would be reduced.
- If you prefer a sauce with a thicker consistency, remove the chicken pieces at the end of cooking and reduce the sauce on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact portion size and ingredients used.
Nutrition
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