Description
Chicken Cacciatore is a classic Italian dish featuring tender chicken pieces simmered in a rich tomato sauce with bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and aromatic herbs, finished perfectly in the oven. This comforting one-pot meal delivers layers of delicious flavors and is ideal served over noodles, rice, or polenta.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken and Fats
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds chicken wings and drumsticks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 pound white mushrooms (cleaned and chopped)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper (chopped)
Spices and Herbs
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
Liquids and Canned Goods
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 3/4 cup Kalamata olives (pitted)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Heat olive oil and butter in a large oven-safe skillet with a lid until the butter melts.
- Brown the Chicken: Season the chicken wings and drumsticks generously with salt and pepper. Fry the chicken in the skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked at this stage. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics and Mushrooms: Add minced garlic and chopped onion to the skillet, sauté for 2 minutes until the onion is translucent and the garlic fragrant. Add the chopped mushrooms, cooking for 5 minutes until they release moisture and begin to brown.
- Add Bell Peppers: Stir in the green, red, and yellow bell peppers. Cook for a couple more minutes until the peppers soften slightly.
- Add Spices and Liquids: Sprinkle in turmeric, dried oregano, and bay leaves. Pour in red wine, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Stir well and scrape the bottom of the skillet to deglaze, loosening any browned bits for extra flavor. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Combine and Bake: Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Cover with the lid and place the skillet in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from oven, top with Kalamata olives, and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top. Serve immediately over noodles, rice, or polenta for a hearty meal.
Notes
- Chicken: Use bone-in, skin-on pieces like wings, drumsticks, or thighs for richer flavor. Boneless chicken cooks faster but lacks depth of flavor.
- Mushrooms First: Cooking mushrooms before peppers allows them to brown and enhance flavor rather than steam.
- Wine Substitutes: Use Chianti, Pinot Noir, or any dry red wine. No wine? Substitute with low-sodium chicken broth and a splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Make Ahead: This dish stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Flavors deepen overnight, improving the sauce.
- Deglazing: Scrape the pan bottom when adding liquids to loosen flavorful browned bits, boosting the sauce taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 590 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
