Chicken cacciatore - pollo alla cacciatora - is a classic Italian recipe with chicken cooked in a umami-packed tomato sauce enriched with sturdy herbs and garlic.
The recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients, perfect for a dinner with family and friends.
Introduction
Some people make it with tomatoes, some without. Some use white wine, others red; some add olives and other capers.
In short, chicken cacciatore isn’t a strictly defined recipe—it varies from region to region.
For example, in Umbria and Tuscany in central Italy, this recipe is made with tomatoes. In Rome, on the other hand, it’s strictly without.
As for the wine, both dry white and red work well. Generally, in the north of Italy, they use white wine, while in the south, it’s red.
My recipe is my grandmother’s pollo alla cacciatora—she was from Umbria, in the center of Italy, and made it practically every week.
She used free-range chickens from the local farmer, the firm and lean kind that require a strong jaw to chew!
The only difference between my version and my grandmother’s is the type of tomatoes.
She used ripe fresh tomatoes, whereas I use canned peeled ones. Both work just fine!
I hope you enjoy this authentic recipe for chicken cacciatore!
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Recipe
Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2½ pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 rib celery
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 4 leaves sage
- 1 can (15 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup olives Taggiasche or Kalamata
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 2 twists black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS: Finely chop 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 1 rib celery, set aside.Finely chop 3 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 sprig rosemary, and 4 leaves sage. Set aside.
- SEAR THE CHICKEN: Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet with a heavy bottom that can snuggly fit the chicken. Add 2½ pounds chicken pieces, skin side down, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes without moving it.Turn pieces around with a spoon, season again, and cook for 3 more minutes.
- DEGLAZE WITH WINE: Add ⅓ cup dry white wine, cook 2 more minutes, then remove the chicken from the skillet and add it to a tray. Set aside.
- COOK VEGETABLES: If your chicken was very fat, you can remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes on medium-low heat.Add chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, and sage and sauté one more minute until fragrant.Add 1 can (15 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, ½ cup water, ⅓ cup olives and the chicken pieces.
- FINISH COOKING: Simmer on medium-low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes, then remove the lid and simmer 10-15 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Stir and turn the pieces occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the pan.Turn the heat off, add 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (chopped) then taste and adjust for salt.
- SERVING IDEAS: In Italy, this dish is served as a main with Tuscan bread or other local bread variations like "torta al testo". It's always sided with leafy greens like boiled and sautéed chard, spinach, or kale.
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