This is the perfect Chicken Cacciatore recipe with classic Italian flavors, made in one pot in 45 minutes. Everyone loves it every time I make it! I’m so excited that you get to try it!

What Is Chicken Cacciatore?

Cacciatore means hunter in Italian, so this is a rustic hunter’s style dish. It’s a meal classically made with onions, tomatoes, and herbs and sometimes includes peppers and wine. The most popular kind of cacciatore these days is definitely chicken, but cacciatore can instead be made with rabbit, lamb, or potatoes as well.

Which Vegetables To Use

I love the vegetables in cacciatore. This recipe has onions, green bell peppers, and tomatoes in it, so I really don’t feel the need to make an extra vegetable for a side dish. Some people enjoy adding in mushrooms to their cacciatore as well. If I have them, I leave the small ones whole and cut larger ones in halves or quarters. Then I add them when I add the peppers.

The tomatoes for this recipe actually come in three forms: diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. 

Cacciatore Seasonings

As far as seasoning, I grab my homemade Italian seasoning blend and use 2 teaspoons of it. Store bought Italian seasoning will also work. If you don’t have one of those, use the following:

• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Those seasonings along with the fresh garlic, salt, and black pepper, make this such a wonderfully seasoned Italian dish.

Type of Wine To Use And Substitutions

The recipe below calls for a cup of red wine. But you can use white wine instead, or I have a good non-alcoholic substitution for you.

• Red Wine: Choose a red wine that you like the flavor of, but don’t go with anything sweet. Sangiovese or Chianti are great Italian red wines to use. A merlot or a shiraz will also work though.
• White Wine: Choose a white wine that you like the taste of, but don’t go with anything sweet. A pinot grigio is a great Italian white wine to try. Or you can use a sauvignon blanc. I’d avoid an oakier-tasting chardonnay since it can be overpowering.
• Wine Substitution: If you don’t want to use wine, that’s totally fine as well. The easiest thing to do is to pour a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar into a one-cup measuring cup. Then make up the rest of the 1 cup with unsalted chicken stock.

How To Make Chicken Cacciatore

You’ll start by searing the chicken over medium-high heat in olive oil, to get some nice brown color and caramelized flavor. I find that a Dutch oven, like this works best for cooking this since it heats really evenly so the chicken sears nicely, but there’s enough room in the pot to make the sauce too. If your chicken is going to be crowded in your pot, you should do this in two batches. That way the chicken won’t steam and will be able to brown better.

Once seared, remove the chicken so that you can sauté the onion and pepper. Then add in the garlic and seasonings. Next comes the tomatoes in all three forms, and the wine, before putting the chicken back in the pot.

Once the chicken is added back into the sauce, simmer it uncovered so that the chicken finishes cooking while the sauce reduces a bit. It will take about 20 minutes.

If you like a thicker sauce, you can mix together some cornstarch and water. Then stir that into the simmering sauce and continue to stir for a few minutes as the sauce thickens. Taste the sauce and add more salt, if desired.

What To Serve With Chicken Cacciatore

Once the dish is done, I serve it over whatever I feel like, which is often rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, or polenta. It’s also great ladled into a bowl and served with crusty bread on the side. Feel free to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top or garnish with fresh parsley. So good!

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