Rustic, hearty, and perfect for fall, my Quick and Easy Chicken Cacciatore is bursting with bright colors and fresh flavor!
When the weather cools down, I start to crave hearty, satisfying dishes like soups and stews. Chicken Cacciatore is the quintessential stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.
What is Chicken Cacciatore?
Chicken Cacciatore is a classic Italian dish made with chicken that's braised in a hearty tomato-based sauce. Vegetables like mushrooms and bell peppers are typically added to this rustic stew. Chicken cacciatore can be served with crusty bread, pasta or polenta to soak up all the delicious sauce.
There are an endless number of variations of this classic dish. You can customize it by adding your favorite vegetables and ingredients.
I decided to make a quick and easy version of classic Chicken Cacciatore. Let’s face it, we all need tasty, reliable dinner recipes that we can get on the table fast. Some of my favorite easy chicken dinner recipes are my Marry Me Chicken and Creamy Paprika Chicken.
This quick and easy chicken cacciatore is a family-friendly dish that your kids will love too. You can even get them involved in the prep, washing and chopping the colorful veggies. They'll be more likely to eat if if they help make it! It's a great way to prevent picky eaters.
Ingredients
Chicken cacciatore is typically made with a homemade tomato sauce. However, for my quick and easy version, I decided to take a little help from the store. So I use jarred marinara sauce instead.
I also picked up fresh, colorful vegetables and herbs like bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and basil.
Part of the reason that my Chicken Cacciatore is "quick and easy" is because I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The classic dish is made with a bone-in, skin-on chicken that's cut into parts and braised for hours.
By using boneless chicken, you seriously cut down the cooking time. This way, you can enjoy Chicken Cacciatore even on busy weeknights. Using skinless chicken also means less calories and saturated fat, which is an added plus.
Instructions
First, I sear the chicken in a hot pot. I used my enameled cast-iron braiser but I've also made this dish in my Dutch oven.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and add your chopped vegetables and herbs.
At this point, I like to add a splash of red wine for rich flavor. However, you can skip it if you prefer. Finally, add the marinara sauce and some chicken stock to the pan and nestle the chicken thighs back into the sauce.
Then, cover the pot and cook until tender. Just before serving, I like to add some fresh basil for a pop of color and flavor.
Chicken and colorful, fresh vegetables braised in a rich, hearty tomato sauce- what’s not to love?
What to serve with chicken cacciatore
Serve this Quick & Easy Chicken Cacciatore with rice, pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes. Try my Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onions, Celeriac (Celery Root) Puree, or my Cauliflower Polenta.
You can also serve this crusty bread for dipping like my Pan con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread). If you're watching your carbs, make my Cauliflower Cheesy Bread instead. If you're craving pasta, try my Red Pesto Pasta with Eggplant.
This recipe is part of my 35 Easy Stovetop Chicken Thigh Recipes Collection.
More tasty chicken dishes
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Recipe
Quick and Easy Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.75 lbs)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, sliced (about 1½ cups)
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- ¼ cup red wine (optional)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 1 ½ cups jarred marinara sauce
- ½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup fresh basil, torn
Instructions
- Heat the oil in large braiser or Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add them to the pot. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side. Remove chicken from pot and place on a plate.
- Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the pot and season them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the wine and cook 2-3 minutes until reduced, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the oregano, tomatoes, capers, marinara sauce and chicken broth and stir to combine. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the sauce, covering them. Cover the pot and simmer on medium low heat until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Uncover and cook another few minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in the basil.
- Serve with pasta, polenta or crusty bread.
usha chunilal ruder says
This recipe was delicious! I love your Italian sauce. I have followed your recipe, and it was very successful. Great recipe for a beginner Italian cook. Thankyou Sonali.
Gail says
Sonali, Did you at one time post a recipe for Chicken Marsala? I thought you had but cannot find it on your blog. Thanks in advance for your answer
Gail
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Hi Gail! No, I’m sorry I don’t have a Chicken Marsala recipe on my site. Maybe I’ll post one in the future 🙂