Chicken Cacciatore (Italian Rustic Chicken with Tomatoes)

Chicken cacciatore is a rustic Italian chicken dish made from peppers and mushrooms braised in tomato sauce.

Chicken Cacciatore

It tastes great with pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes. This is the version that my mom always made for us as a kid, that I have always loved. I modified mom's recipe to make it a little leaner by removing the chicken skin and fat and using less oil. For more ways to make this delicious dish, check out my Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipes.

What does Cacciatore mean?

“Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian, and alla cacciatora means “hunter's meal”. It's a hearty, tomato-based stew made with chicken (sometimes rabbit), onions, garlic, peppers, and mushrooms.

How to cook chicken cacciatore

This simple chicken recipe can be broken down into just a few steps. It will take a while to cook, but most of the time will be gone while the sauce is simmering.

chicken: Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper and fry them in the pan for a few minutes.
vegetables: Add paprika, onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are tender. Then add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
sauce: Pour in the mashed tomatoes, broth and oregano, cover the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Herbs: Sprinkle in the fresh basil five minutes before cooking the sauce.

What goes well with chicken cacciatore?

You can serve chicken cacciatore with your favorite type of pasta, rice, or polenta. Try it as a low-carb alternative to spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.

I like to cover my cacciatore with some good grated cheese like pecorino romano and eat it with a hearty piece of bread to soak up the sauce. You can also serve it with a salad or roasted vegetables as a side dish.

Variations:

If you don't like mushrooms, use extra peppers.
Use baby bellas or white mushrooms.
Swap the chicken broth for dry white wine.
If you prefer white meat, you can use boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs.

A pot of chicken cacciatore

Pasta with chicken sauce.

More Italian Chicken Recipes You'll Love:

Chicken Cacciatore

288 Calories
22.5 protein
43 carbohydrates
4.5 Fats

Preparation time: 10 Minutes

Cooking time: 45 Minutes

Total time: 55 Minutes

Chicken cacciatore is a rustic Italian chicken dish made from peppers and mushrooms braised in tomato sauce.

6th Chicken thighs, (or on the bone) skinned and trimmed
Olive oil spray
1 Red pepper, chopped
1 Cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (28 ounces) can shredded tomatoes
1/4 Cup fat free chicken broth, more if necessary
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 Cup freshly chopped basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6th cups cooked whole wheat pasta

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
In a large, heavy frying pan, heat the pan over a medium to high flame and sprinkle with cooking oil.
Add the chicken pieces to the pan and fry until brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Add peppers, onion, and garlic to the pan and sauté over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until the onion is tender, then add mushrooms and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add tomatoes, broth and oregano. Cover the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Simmer over low heat until chicken is just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Add the chopped basil 5 minutes before the sauce.
Serve over 1 cup of pasta.

Chicken cacciatore variations:

If you don't like mushrooms, use extra peppers.
Use baby bellas or white mushrooms.
Swap the chicken broth for dry white wine.
If you prefer white meat, you can use boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs.

Portion: 1Thighs, 3/4 cup sauce, 1 cup pasta, Calories: 288kcal, Carbohydrates: 43G, Protein: 22.5G, Fat: 4.5G, Saturated fatty acids: 1G, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 379mg, Fiber: 7.5G, Sugar: 7.5G

Blue Smart Points: 7th

Green smart points: 8th

Purple Smart Points: 3

Points +: 8th

Keywords: Chicken Cacciatore, Frozen Food, Weight Watchers Chicken Cacciatore