Chicken cacciatore is the ultimate weeknight dinner that brings the comfort of Italian cuisine right to your table. This classic dish features tender chicken simmered in a rich tomato sauce, bursting with flavors from fresh herbs and vegetables. Whether you serve it over pasta or rice, it’s sure to be a hit with the whole family. The best part? You can have this hearty, flavorful meal ready in just 30 minutes. Perfect for those busy nights when you want something delicious without spending hours in the kitchen.
Why Our Recipe
- Adding heavy cream gives the sauce a rich and creamy texture.
- White wine adds depth and sophistication to the dish, but you can also substitute chicken broth.
- Ready in just 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Thighs: Ideal for their juiciness and flavor. Substitute with chicken breasts or drumsticks if preferred.
- Bell Peppers: Adds sweetness and color. Feel free to use any color bell pepper.
- Mushrooms: Button or cremini mushrooms are great options.
- Tomato Sauce & Paste: If you need to omit the tomato paste, increase the tomato sauce to 12 ounces.
- Italian Seasoning: A key flavor component so don’t skip it!
- Flour: Can be substituted with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend if needed.
- Butter: Can be substituted with extra olive oil.
- Wine: You can always replace the wine with chicken broth in the same amount.
- Heavy Cream: Adds richness, but can be substituted with half and half.
Tips from the Chef
Brown the chicken well to enhance its flavor and add depth to the sauce.
Use high-quality canned tomatoes for a consistent and rich flavor in the sauce.
Cook the vegetables until just softened to avoid mushiness.
Let the dish simmer gently to meld and intensify the flavors.
Add a Parmesan rind to the sauce while it simmers to impart an additional layer of savory depth (remove the rind before serving).
Serving Suggestions
Chicken cacciatore pairs beautifully with pasta, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce. It’s a versatile dish that fits well in a casual family dinner or as a comforting meal for special occasions. A light salad or veggies make great side dishes to balance the hearty flavors.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container as soon as they’ve cooled down to room temperature. Properly stored, chicken cacciatore will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the dish is heated through, about 10-15 minutes.
More delicious chicken dinners…
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I can’t seem to find heavy cream anywhere, can something be substituted for that?
Depending on where you are located, whipping cream and half and half also work.
I used coconut milk to make it dairy free.
Whipping cream 35% is heavy cream
Half & half
Made this tonight for my son and daughter-in-laws able it was a success. Definitely a keeper….
Hi,
When you say ‘tomato sauce’ in the recipe what do you mean? Ketchu? Tomato Puree? I am a little confused on this as I am in the UK.
In the UK you call it passata.
Made this the other night and it was really good! I doubled the recipe and I used red wine instead. Everyone in my family loved it! Thanks for this recipe!
Hi,
Is it safe to eat chicken cacciatore that I cooked 4 days ago? Thanks.
No unless it was refrigerated !
You can always use the FRE cooking wines. There’s no alcohol in them. I usually use FRE Chardonnay. Some of the supermarkets sell them. Also Total Wine sells them.
I made this and it’s very good. I used chicken broth instead of wine since It wasn’t worth it to buy a whole bottle of wine for just a small amount here. Still good anyway. The cook times were perfect. I served with thick (paparelle?) noodles. I split into 6 containers to take to work each day. Leftovers are just as good.
I do not drink wine but I do cook with is so I buy the 4 pack of little bottles of wine. It works well for cooking
They sell little bottles of wine in four packs they have, screw off tops, perfect for cooking. they come in red and white. I get mine at luckys Also I use a small jar of store bought prepared spaghetti or mariana sauce to save time.
Can chicken breasts be used along with thighs in this recipe?
They have different cooking times so cooking them together could prove problematic.
This looks delicious! What kind of wine do you use?
I just used a plain old no name red cooking wine.
What kind of wine for this recipe? Sheila Brey
Use your favorite or just a plain old no name red cooking wine.
The rule of thumb when using wine to cook with is, Use a good wine that you like to drink. For this dish, I like to use a sweet red wine. It adds depth and flavor.