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This Chicken Cacciatore is a recipe you need to have in your repertoire! Crispy on the outside chicken legs and thighs are simmered in a savoury tomato sauce with rosemary and garlic. This magic dish will leave you so impressed and happy!
Serve this delicious chicken with Warm Zucchini Salad on the side. You won’t regret it!
Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Chicken Cacciatore, aka Pollo alla Cacciatora in Italian, is well known outside of its country of origin but I can’t say it’s quite as tasty as the original.
Every time I’ve had it at an Italian restaurant in North America, it tasted like a piece of fried chicken smothered in a basic (read ‘bland”) marinara sauce. It left me feeling pretty underwhelmed, and not convinced that this dish deserves its reputation.
On my very first trip to Italy a few years ago I quickly learned that statement couldn’t be further from the truth.
Cacciatore sauce is not just an extension of marinara sauce that’s been pimped up with some chicken. It has a taste all its own and a great one at that!
It’s delicious with surprisingly crisp chicken skin simmered in a mildly tangy tomato sauce, infused with aromas of rosemary and garlic, rounded off with good old red wine.
Is it easy to make?
Yes it is, because it mostly cooks itself in the oven while you could be doing something much more interesting with your time. The divine taste and the ease of preparation are the reasons chicken cacciatore could be an amazing everyday meal option and a stunning dinner party idea.
Making chicken cacciatore involves 3 easy steps:
- Marinating it in red or white wine, rosemary, garlic. (This is where flavour building happens.)
- Browning it in olive oil. (Improves texture.)
- Making the sauce. (Double the flavour.)
After you’ve done those 3 steps your job is done and your oven takes over. Just pop it in at 350F/180C for 1 hour and beautiful mouthwatering chicken is ready.
For a dish with such big flavour it is surprisingly simple to make, which is a characteristic of Italian cuisine that I deeply admire.
Behind the simplicity lies a thoughtful ingredient list and tried-and-true techniques honed over generations, which all comes together in this incredible dish!
Cacciatore sauce
Listen up, friends, this sauce is so delicious mostly due to one secret ingredient. What is this special ingredient? Anchovies!
Don’t be scared, the sauce tastes NOTHING like fish. All anchovies do is add salt and complexity to the tomato sauce. They disintegrate into the sauce, so no one will even know they were there in the first place.
It’s also worth mentioning the canned chopped tomatoes. It is easy to think that all canned tomatoes are the same, but this is just not the case.
Some are made with ripe, flavourful tomatoes and you can absolutely tell. They melt when cooked and taste
Unfortunately, some canned tomatoes lack sweetness and are a bit tough, which comes from being picked and canned in a less-than-ripe state. This is why so many people feel the need to add sugar to tomato sauces.
If you can, look for canned tomatoes that are sourced from Italy, where they always seem to get this right. If you can’t find Italian tomatoes, experiment with available brands to find one that you enjoy.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Chicken Cacciatore is also delicious with Borlotti beans as a low carb option.
- The anchovies may seem like an optional extra that not everyone will be happy with! But I promise you that they do not make the dish taste fishy and bring a wonderful intensity that you won’t want to miss. If you are nervous about using anchovies, use half the amount in the recipe for a gentle introduction.
- Anchovy paste can also be used. 2 tsp of paste will be a substitute for the 4 anchovy fillets.
- This recipe uses a lot of crushed tomatoes, and good tomatoes are important to a fantastic tasting recipe. Use the best brand you can find and afford, ideally with tomatoes from Italy for a sweeter, more authentic taste.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used for this recipe, but cooking time will need to be reduced. Leave them in the oven for 30 minutes, rather than 1 hour. Using breasts, rather than chicken thighs and legs, will sacrifice some flavour.
Serving suggestions
Traditionally Italian meat dishes are served as the second course on their own but I’m guessing that many of us are not Italian. So here are my suggestions.
This chicken recipe is delicious with rice or potatoes. Any type of plain rice and any type of potatoes. Take your pick. However, here is what I prefer.
However, I prefer to serve chicken cacciatore with pasta. Almost any shape will do but I find that This is an affiliate link.rigatoni stands up to this hearty sauce especially well.
Take the chicken out of the pan and cover with aluminium foil to keep it warm. Add the cooked pasta directly to the sauce and toss to coat.
This is my favourite way to enjoy chicken cacciatore. I often add my homemade No Knead Bread or Garlic Bread as well.
I also like to add Roasted Parmesan Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Chillies on the side. Then, for something truly special, finish this incredible Italian feast with Amaretti Tiramisu.
Storage and leftovers
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days, stored in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container. Although the chicken can be reheated in a microwave, I prefer to use my stovetop.
I find it better to reheat in a pan over medium heat. The sauce might become too thick, in which case just add a splash of water or chicken broth.
Keep it covered with a lid or foil so the chicken doesn’t dry out and let it warm up for around 15 minutes or until it is hot all the way through. Give it a stir occasionally so nothing burns.
More Italian chicken recipes
- Easy Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
- Italian Rosemary Chicken Stew
- Classic Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Arrabiata with Herb and Garlic Breadcrumbs
Chicken Cacciatore
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron casserole dish
Ingredients
- 3lbs / 1.2 kg lbs chicken legs and thighs
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 This is an affiliate link.bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1.5 cups / 375ml dry red or white wine , such as Chianti, Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon
- Flour, for dredging
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.extra virgin olive oil
- 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
- 1/2 cup / 80g green or black olives, pitted
- 28oz / 800g This is an affiliate link.canned chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper and put them in a a bowl or a resealable plastic bag, add rosemary leaves, bay leaves, 3 cloves of sliced garlic and red or white wine. Marinade overnight or at least for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Take chicken out of the marinade, dredge them in flour and brown evenly in hot olive oil in a large pan. Reserve the marinade. Chicken doesn't have to be cooked all the way through at this stage. If all of your chicken pieces don't fit, brown them in batches and remove to a separate plate.
- Add remaining sliced garlic, anchovies and olives to the pan and cook for a minute. Add canned tomatoes, reserved marinade and chicken to the pan. Bring to a boil and put it in the oven uncovered at 350F/180C for 1 hour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, I’m dying to try this. Do you strain the marinade prior to adding it to the sauce? Do you pat dry the chicken prior to adding it to flour. Thanks.
Hi Tony, I don’t strain the marinade but I do pat dry the chicken before dredging in flour. Enjoy! It’s such a delicious recipe.
Hi,
Thanks again for the prompt reply. It was a huge success although I used fresh Roma Tomatoes ( 8 diced ), 10 chicken thighs and white wine . Adding my homemade spaghetti pasta was awesome with all the works .The colors were not at all like your pic. They were more of a mushroom sauce color . This was probably due to adding a roux ( flour and water to thicken the sauce) More importantly,the taste was to die for . Next time Ill try the red wine and canned tomatoes along with chicken legs as opposed to thighs. Cant wait to try some of your other posts.
SO glad you loved it, Tony. I would say the colour was also different because you used fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi anxious to try this! My father (now 90 years old) makes his own version of this recipe and serves it over polenta. Guests like to see a large plate covered in creamy polenta and then topped with this recipe. Can’t wait to taste your recipe. It looks amazing!
I love that he serves it over polenta! I need to give it a go. I hope this recipe doesn’t disappoint, Darcy!
Hands down, this is the best chicken cacciatore I have ever made or had! Got rave reviews from our guests and our neighbor whom I shared with. My husband keeps asking for me to make again, which I will…again and again! I made with green olives with pimento. Thank you so much for sharing this superb recipe.
You are very welcome, Roberta. It’s one of my favourites as well!!
I did it in launch today .. It’s delicious💕
Rena from Libya
Thanx for u💝
That is great, Rena! Thank you for your comment!
I would love to make this, but you say 1/2 a bottle of red wine. What size bottle, I do not drink wine so not sure what size to get. Thanks
Wine bottles are standard size, Colleen, they are 750 ml.
I’m concerned about using the marinade to cook the chicken in. I always heard you should toss the marinade that meat or chicken sat in. Does anyone else have this reservation?
According to food safety it is perfectly safe to reuse marinade if it was previously refrigerated and it gets boiled later in the process.
It’s very nice what I hv seen it seems delicious from the first glance , so the second will be surly called (die for the plate) …hhh
i just made this but with a couple changes 🙂 I used chicken tenders instead of pieces (I know, gasp!) So I halved the amount of tomatoes and anchovies, and I cooked everything on the stovetop (about 15 minutes once I added chicken back in). So good, thanks!
Sounds like you made a perfect quick meal, Michelle!! I love when people take the recipe and make it their own!! 🙂
Was wanting to know, do you put a cover on the pan when putting in oven to finish cooking? Would like to make tonight, looks fabulous!!:)
I don’t cover it, Mitch, this way the chicken skin stays crisp.
Have you ever added mushrooms? If so, when did you add them & how did it taste?
I haven’t but I am sure you can add mushrooms if you like in the last 20 minutes of cooking. I love mushrooms but I don’t think this particular dish needs them. 🙂
This was seriousky the best chicken cacciatore i have tasted. However, my chicken thighs did not look like the photo after marinating in red wine for six hours, they were quite dark. I patted them dry from the marinade before I dredged them in flour. I cooked this in a covered casserole about an hour and a half. Glad to have the rest of the bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner!
Jeanne, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Your chicken was the right colour. The reason why my chicken didn’t look as dark was because when it was time to marinate late at night I realized that bottle of red wine in the cupboard was in fact a bottle of white wine, which I used! Having used both red and white wine in the past I can assure you the taste doesn’t vary too much, just the colour! 🙂
what kind of green olives did you use? are they the kind that usually have a piece of pimiento inside, or more like the ones that are found in oil in an olive bar? thanks, this looks amazing…..
These are probably more the kind you’d find in an olive bar although mine came from a jar. They are very large and quite firm green olives. However, any olives you love will work in this recipe, Michelle.
Wowsers! this is yummilicious!
Thank you, Marina. 🙂
Making this tonight. I looks Devine. One question…is it 2 large cans of tomatoes or just 400 g? I may need to make a trip to the store.
Barbara, it’s 2 X 400 gr cans of tomatoes, so 800 gr in total. Enjoy!
Oh my gosh! This was so delicious. Thank you for your fast reply. I served it over spaetzle to soak up the yummy sauce. Since there is only two of us, I have a lot left over. My honey loved it.
So glad you enjoyed it, Barbara.:-)
Do you crush The tomatoes or add them whole?
I buy crushed tomatoes but yes, you can crush them yourself, Marie.
Where does the wine go? I’m all about drinking it, but is it part of the marinade?
Yes, it’s the main ingredient in the marinade, Pam! I can’t believe I forgot to mention it!! I will correct asap. Thanks for pointing it out. 🙂
Such beautiful pictures! Love comfort food like this especially with fresh crusty bread… yum!
Crusty bread makes everything better. 🙂