Classic Italian dish of rustic chicken with slow-braised vegetables. It’s a one-pot meal that is perfect for family dinner time!

This easy chicken cacciatore pairs amazingly with Red Skin Mashed Potatoes.

easy chicken cacciatore this recipe
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What is Chicken Cacciatore?

Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. It refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style” with onions, herbs, usually tomatoes, often bell peppers, and sometimes wine.

Recipe Variation: Try this version of cacciatore made with Italian sausage Sausage Cacciatore

Reason to Love this Recipe

This one-pot chicken cacciatore is such an amazing meal to make for the whole family, especially on a Sunday night.

It consists of slow-braised chicken with vegetables in a simple tomato sauce. Chicken is incredibly tender and just falls off the bone by the end of cooking.

For best flavor, definitely use bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks.

What is Chicken Cacciatore Made Of?

There are many variations of chicken cacciatore but our version is pretty simple. It consists of:

ingredients for easy chicken cacciatore recipe
  • Chicken drumsticks
  • Yellow onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Garlic
  • Thyme
  • Bay leaf
  • Canned tomatoes
  • Parsley

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Instructions

Pat the chicken lightly with a couple of sheets of paper towels to remove some of the moisture. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add chicken and cook in batches for 4-5 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Do not overcrowd the chicken.

Remove the chicken to a platter and repeat with the next batch.

Add the remaining olive oil, add onions, and sauté for few minutes until soft. Add carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook the vegetables for 8-10 minutes or until soft.

Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Layer the chicken over the vegetable mixture. Add water, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring + flipping the chicken halfway through.

Off heat stir in parsley. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Cacciatore - one pot chicken meal that the whole family will love! | littlebroken.com

What Do You Serve Chicken Cacciatore Over?

You can serve it a top of any type of pasta, white Mexican rice, quinoa, cheesy mashed potatoes, or cauliflower mash with ricotta. Basically, anything that will soak up the sauce and juice. Another option would be to pair the dish with crusty bread for dipping.

For a complete meal, try pairing it with an easy side such as oven roasted broccoli or garlic green beans.

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Chicken Cacciatore - one pot chicken meal that the whole family will love! | littlebroken.com

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Simmer
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

Classic Italian dish of rustic chicken with slowly braised vegetables. It’s a one-pot meal that is perfect for family dinner time!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 lbs. chicken drumsticks*
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced (1 cup)
  • 2 celery ribs, diced (1 cup)
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 springs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leafs
  • 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Pat the chicken lightly with a couple of sheets of paper towels to remove some of the moisture. Generously season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
  2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven or saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add chicken and cook in batches for 4-5 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Remove the chicken to a plate.
  3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the onions for a few minutes until soft. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook the vegetables for 8-10 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently.
  4. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer the chicken over the vegetable mixture. Add water, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring and flipping the chicken halfway through. Also at halfway mark, taste the sauce for salt and pepper.
  5. Discard bay leaves and stir in parsley. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Chicken: Bone-in chicken thighs can be substituted. I do not recommend using anything boneless.
  • Veggies: You can mix in additional veggies such as bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, or mushrooms.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 381
  • Sugar: 5.4 g
  • Sodium: 466.4 mg
  • Fat: 17.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.6 g
  • Protein: 43.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 192.8 mg

Keywords: drumsticks, authentic, family friendly