About
Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. When referring to the dish, it means the dish is prepared "hunter-style" with fresh herbs, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and sometimes wine. This Chicken Cacciatore is a true Italian classic, exploding with rich flavor. Try pairing your finished Chicken Cacciatore with mashed potatoes, polenta, or roasted potatoes.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skinless
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoons parsley, freshly chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons basil, freshly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 7 ounces Roma tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup black olives, pitted
Directions
Step 1 -Firstly, season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Step 2 -Heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil into a heavy cast-iron skillet.
Step 3 -Sear the chicken on each side until they are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Step 4 -Transfer them from the skillet and set it aside.
Step 5 -Add in the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the pan.
Step 6 -Add the onion and saute until it is transparent and soft, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 7 -Add in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Step 8 -Add in the peppers, carrot, mushrooms, thyme, parsley, basil, and oregano and cook until all of the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step 9 -Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits of food from the bottom of the pan.
Step 10 -Cook until the wine has reduced, about 2 minutes.
Step 11 -Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Roma tomatoes, and chili flakes. Taste the liquid for seasoning.
Step 12 -Return the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook it over the stovetop,
Step 13 -Cover the dish with a lid.
Step 14 -Lower the heat to a low and let it simmer, stirring every once in a while, until the meat is falling off the bone, about 40 minutes.
Step 15 -Add in the olives and allow the dish to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Step 16 -Sprinkle the top with some parsley and serve immediately.
