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This Italian chicken cacciatore recipe is a classic for so many reasons. Flavorful, rich, and hearty, it’s loaded with fresh produce for one delicious made from scratch stew. A quick and healthy weeknight dinner.
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Italian food is a go-to for so many, and chicken cacciatore has to be one of my favorite dishes. It’s everything Italian food should be, comforting and filling and full of bold flavors.
Made with chicken breasts and lots of fresh vegetables, this tomato-based stew is seasoned with dried herbs for a vibrant dish. This is a great meal for the whole family, and it’s so easy to make!
Be sure to try my Italian Chicken and Prosciutto Pasta and Italian Pasta Salad too! You can also make this similar Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore recipe.
Chicken Cacciatore Ingredients
- Chicken: We use boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. Butterfly them before browning them in the skillet in olive oil.
- Bacon: Bacon adds a great smokey flavor to the finished dish. If possible, use nitrate-free and natural bacon.
- Vegetables: Red onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomato, and garlic cloves. You could also add s few black olives if you want.
- Tomato sauce: For a rich tomatoey base to the stew.
- Dry white wine: Half a cup dry white wine adds a great complex flavor to this dish. If you don’t want to use wine, you can use vegetable or chicken broth instead.
- Seasonings: Thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper, plus some fresh basil to garnish.
How to make chicken cacciatore
- Season chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown pieces in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until golden. Transfer the almost cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add bacon to the same skillet and render until crispy. Transfer to the plate with chicken.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet. Add chopped onion, peppers, mushrooms; sauté until onion is tender.
- Stir in chopped tomato, tomato sauce, white wine, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until liquid has evaporated & sauce has thickened.
- Add chicken and bacon back to the sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through. Sprinkle some chopped basil and serve with cooked rice, quinoa or over mashed potatoes.
What does Cacciatore mean?
Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. In cuisine, “alla cacciatora” refers to a hunter-style meal prepared with onions, mushrooms, herbs, usually tomatoes, often bell peppers, and sometimes wine. I also added bits of bacon, it adds so much flavor to the meal. This authentic Chicken Cacciatore recipe is a delicious and healthy Italian comfort food.
Can you make this with chicken thighs?
I prefer to make this recipe with chicken breasts, but you can also use thighs if you prefer. Just note that they may take a couple of extra minutes to brown and cook through. Chicken tenderloins are also great in this Italian dish. You can also use other meats like beef or veal.
Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes! This Italian Chicken cacciatore is a great make-ahead meal and also freezes well. Once made, let it cool completely and place in an airtight container. It will keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
If frozen, defrost it in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet, stirring occasionally till warmed through.
What do you serve it with?
For a filling and hearty meal, serve this Italian stew over mashed potatoes, quinoa, noodles, or rice, or for a low-carb option, cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower or zucchini noodles work great. Sprinkle some fresh basil, and some grated parmesan if you like, and a side of garlic bread is never a bad idea for this delicious high-protein meal!
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips for the Best Chicken Cacciatore
- Take care not to over cook the chicken or it can become tough. It shouldn’t be fully cooked through when you first cook it.
- Check that the chicken is fully cooked through by using an instant read thermometer. It should register at 165F when fully cooked.
- Use the largest skillet you have to make this easy chicken cacciatore recipe. It is easily halved or doubled.
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Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, you can also use 6 chicken tenderloins
- 3 – 4 slices bacon
- 1 cup red onion, coarsely sliced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ of each red, yellow & green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
- ¾ cup Mezzetta Homemade Tomato & Basil sauce
- ½ cup white wine, or chicken broth
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 2 teaspoons dry oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
- basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown pieces in 2 tablespoons olive oil until golden. (The cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken breasts. It took me about 10 minutes. I think next time, I am going to cut the chicken breasts into smaller pieces. It will be much easier to serve and will cook faster.) Transfer the almost cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add bacon to the same skillet and render until crispy. Transfer to a plate.
- Add remaining olive oil to the same skillet. Add chopped onion, peppers, mushrooms; sauté until onion is tender.
- Stir in chopped tomato, tomato sauce, white wine, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until liquid has evaporated & sauce has thickened.
- Add chicken pieces and bacon back to the sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through. Sprinkle some chopped basil and serve with cooked rice, quinoa or over mashed potatoes.
Video
Notes
- Take care not to over cook the chicken or it can become tough. It shouldn’t be fully cooked through when you first cook it.
- Check that the chicken is fully cooked through by using an instant-read thermometer. It should register at 165F when fully cooked.
- Use the largest skillet you have to make this easy chicken cacciatore recipe. It is easily halved or doubled.
This was so good! Made it as instructed except for the sauce. I used what I had in pantry, Rao Tomato Basil. Also, used a bit more sauce. I also cut the chicken in pieces. Served it over riced cauliflower. Thank you for another great recipe!
This recipe was really good. I liked how quick it was to make. Only thing I will do differently next time is to use diced tomatoes from a can with the juice because I like a little extra sauce to spoon over the rice and this sauce was a little thick.
Thank you for the recipe! It was healthy and delicious . I took your tip on cutting the chicken and that was perfect. My husband loved it too we were on the hunt for something healthy and this made us nice and full. ๐
This looks amazing!
Thanks!