Name: Chicken Cacciatore
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 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

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

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We are slowly approaching cooler days and everything fall related. I personally love fall and everything that comes with it. Like this one-pot chicken cacciatore! It’s 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 in cacciatore sauce?

Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. It refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style” with onions, herbs, usually tomatoes, often bell peppers, and sometimes wine. There are many variations of chicken cacciatore but my version is pretty simple: onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and tomatoes.

Pat the chicken lightly with couple 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 leafs. 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.

What do you serve chicken cacciatore over?

You can serve it a top of any type of pasta, rice, quinoa, mashed potatoes, or cauliflower mash with a side of 4-ingredient oven roasted broccoli. Basically anything that will soak up the chicken sauce and juices.

More One-Pot Meals That We Love:

One-Pot Chicken Stew

One-Pan Chicken with Zucchini & Corn

One-Pan Balsamic Chicken

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