Chicken Cacciatore
A comforting Italian chicken stew simmered in a rich tomato and red wine sauce with mushrooms, bell peppers, and aromatic herbs. Kalamata olives add a briny depth, making this Hunter's Stew perfect over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta for a cosy meal.
| Cuisine | Italian |
| Category | Main Dish |
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 55 minutes |
| Total Time | 1 hour 10 minutes |
| Servings | 6 servings |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Published | 8/21/2025 |
Instructions
- 1
Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper on both sides.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan over high heat. Brown chicken thighs skin-side down for 6 minutes, flip 1 minute, remove to tray. Brown drumsticks 1 1/2 minutes per side, remove.
- 3
Discard excess fat, leaving 2 tbsp. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, rosemary, bay leaves, and oregano. Cook 3 minutes until onion softens.
- 4
Make space in pan, add anchovies and garlic, mash anchovies and cook until garlic is golden, then stir into onion mixture.
- 5
Increase heat to high, add mushrooms and capsicum. Cook 5 minutes until softened and water evaporates. Stir in tomato paste, cook 2 minutes to remove raw flavor.
- 6
Pour in red wine, bring to simmer, reduce by ~75%. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper, stir and bring to simmer.
- 7
Return chicken to sauce, skin-side up, pour any juices from tray. Cover, reduce heat to medium, simmer 20 minutes.
- 8
Remove lid, add olives, simmer 10 minutes uncovered to thicken sauce.
- 9
Serve chicken with sauce over mashed potatoes or polenta, sprinkle with parsley if desired.
Nutrition Information
| Calories | 495 |
| Protein | 37g |
| Carbohydrates | 15g |
| Total Fat | 30g |
| Saturated Fat | 8g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g |
| Cholesterol | 185mg |
| Sodium | 976mg |
| Potassium | 1035mg |
| Fiber | 4g |
| Sugar | 8g |
| Vitamin A | 1747IU |
| Vitamin C | 63mg |
| Calcium | 68mg |
| Iron | 3mg |
Recipe Notes
Chicken – Bone-in, skin-on pieces ensure juiciness and impart flavor into the sauce. For boneless thighs, sear briefly and simmer the last 10 minutes. For breasts, pound to even thickness, sear, then simmer 5–8 minutes until 67°C internal temperature.
Anchovies – Add umami depth without fishiness. Substitute with 2 tsp fish sauce or extra salt if needed.
Wine – Dry red wines enrich the sauce; use extra stock if avoiding alcohol.
Cooking tip – A heavy-based pan with a lid works best, or cover with a tray during simmering. Exposed chicken will steam-cook.
Storage – Keeps 4 days in fridge or 3 months in freezer.
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