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Italian chicken cacciatore is comfort food heaven. Browned chicken pieces are simmered in a tomato and wine sauce with onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, and capers.
Simmering Italian chicken cacciatore for a long period of time allows the flavors to seep into the meat, creating tender, fall off the bone chicken with a hearty tomato sauce.
You can use any part of the chicken you’d like for this Italian chicken cacciatore recipe, bone in or boneless. I find that dark meat such as drumsticks, chicken wings, and chicken thighs have the most flavor. Alternatively, chicken breasts also work great for chicken cacciatore!
Whenever chicken goes on sale, I buy it in bulk and freeze it to save money. Always having chicken on hand makes this the perfect last minute recipe!
The best chicken cacciatore recipe uses the freshest ingredients you can find.
Cacciatore is translated to ‘hunter’ in English, meaning that the dish is made hunter style. This usually involves braising a protein in a tomato based sauce full of veggies like peppers, onions, carrots, and other easy add ins.
The classic chicken, rabbit, and veal cacciatore are all popular meat add ins for this recipe. In Italy, wine is always added to cacciatore, but this differs from region to region. You will find most cacciatore recipes in southern Italy contain red wine, while in northern Italy most chefs use white.
This everyday chicken cacciatore is perfect for home cooks who need an easy dinner recipe without the hassle!
Chicken cacciatore is a one pot dish, meaning less mess and less fuss. Don’t worry, your house will smell mouth watering from the moment you begin cooking.
Chicken cacciatore isn’t generally thickened, but some people prefer a thicker sauce.
If you want a thicker sauce for Italian chicken cacciatore, a quick slurry will do the trick. Mix a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch with a tablespoon of water until dissolved. Add it to the pot while mixing consistently
Italian chicken cacciatore is best served over a carb such as pasta. I love serving it with egg noodles, spaghetti, or even over mashed potatoes.
A crusty garlic bread is also a great addition to any chicken cacciatore recipe, to help sop up any of the sauce you might have missed. It is definitely delicious!
Italian chicken cacciatore is tomato based, so it pairs best with red wine. Moving past my title as the malbec queen, I suggest pairing homemade cacciatore with a merlot or cabernet sauvignon.
Merlot is a simple and versatile red wine with fruity notes that pair perfectly with the tomatoes in this dish. Cabernet sauvignon is a bit heavier with stronger tannins, which I generally prefer over a Merlot. Look for a cab sauv that has fruity notes if you’re going to go that route!
