Pollo alla Cacciatora (Chicken Cacciatore)
This classic one-pot Italian dinner stews up chicken, tomato, peppers, and onion into a perfect easy dinner that's hearty and nutritious.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 800kcal
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, large diced
- 2 green bell peppers, large diced
- 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- 1 cup sliced white mushrooms
- 1/2 cup red wine (not cooking wine) (optional)
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock or chicken broth
- 1 28-ounce can unsalted crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (I prefer Bianco DiNapoli brand)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, cut into 1" to 2" chunks
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 Pinch hot red pepper flakes (peperoncino)
- Minced Italian parsley leaves, to garnish (optional)
- Cooked white rice, polenta, or good crusty Italian bread, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. If you are serving polenta with the cacciatora, start it now.
- Add the diced onions, peppers, and mushrooms to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the red wine, chicken broth, canned tomato, garlic, fennel seed, bay leaves, a teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken pieces. Simmer, partially covered, for an additional 20 minutes. TIP: Start cooking the rice when the chicken is added to the tomato and vegetable mixture. If you want to serve creamy, non-instant polenta, you will need a full hour or so, so start early.
- Add the butter and stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. The texture should be stewy, not soupy. If it seems thin, let it simmer longer, uncovered, until excess moisture evaporates.
- Fish out the bay leaves. Spoon the cacciatore into wide bowls over a bed of rice or cooked, soft polenta. Garnish with a sprinkle of minced parsley and red pepper flakes.
Notes
What to serve with chicken cacciatore
The best things to serve with chicken cacciatore are white or brown rice, or soft polenta. Simply-prepared mashed potatoes could work as well. Despite many recipes that may suggest otherwise, you generally do not want to serve pollo alla cacciatora with pasta for the most authentic version. Chicken is a main course in Italy, and should not be combined with pasta, which is considered a primi, or first course.Other tips:
Storage: This easy chicken cacciatore recipe stores well. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days, or frozen for up to two months. Simmer, don’t boil: Once the chicken is added, it is important to just simmer the chicken, never boil. Boiling will cause the chicken to toughen up. Simmering cooks it more gently and will keep the meat tender. Cut everything up about the same size. I cut the onions, pepper, and chicken about 1 to 1.5 inches thick.Wine Pairing
Pollo alla cacciatora pairs well with a lighter- to medium-acid red wine that complements the acidic tomato and meaty chicken. Top wine pairings for chicken cacciatore include:- Chianti Classico — keep the Italian theme!
- Cru Beaujolais (not Beaujolais Nouveau)
- New World Pinot Noir
Nutrition
Calories: 800kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 237mg | Sodium: 526mg | Potassium: 1562mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 2867IU | Vitamin C: 146mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 5mg
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
