Easy Italian Chicken Cacciatore recipe, an authentic Hunter Style Chicken Stew in Red Wine Sauce with Italian San Marzano Tomatoes and Wild Mushrooms! You can finish it on the stove top, bake it in the oven or the slow cooker.
You knew I was gonna bring an authentic, easy Italian Chicken Cacciatore recipe from Italy for you. How could I not, right ?! Especially because this is a regular at the shack, healthy, light, gluten free and so easy to make. Not to mention perfect for a crowd! There is no browning, no frying and no flour involved either you guys.
So what is chicken cacciatore and where did it originate from?
It is an authentic Italian hunter style chicken stew, which originally was made with whatever the peasants would hunt that day: pheasant, rabbit, wild stuff, you name it! But nowadays it is more commonly made with chicken, or hen and some type of wild mushrooms, in a wine tomato sauce with herbs and aromatics.
Which wine should you use? Your choice:
- a red wine sauce base
- in a white wine sauce
Being that I am using flavorful San Marzano tomatoes (<–amazon link) to create a thick sauce without any flour addition, I opted for the red wine in my recipe. Feel free to go for a dry white wine if your heart so desires. I’m particularly fond of red, and look at that beauty, right ? In any case, the more you reduce the wine sauce the more it will thicken.
I absolutely swear by this easy recipe, it is not just to die for delicious but it is also healthy. I skipped browning the meat and skipped on the flour. It really isn’t necessary and not all that healthy.
When you braise the drumsticks or thighs, you won’t end up with crispy skin regardless if you brown it or not, and that is fantastic news in a tender fall off the bone stew, right?!
Just trust me on this one, I’ll throw down with Mario Batali, Giada or Rachel Ray any day and not even worry about it !
Ideally served over creamy polenta, but egg noodles pasta, potatoes and rice are also common side dishes.
Tip for making the best Italian Chicken Cacciatore:
Splurge just a little bit on wild mushrooms at the market. Because flavor, flavor and more flavor!
These will change with the the seasons of course, but usually you can find some variety throughout the year. I love using the oysters as a base in this dish, however when I find wild chanterelles at a good price, I’m all over those.
Traditionally you would throw a few black olives on top just before serving, but you know how the BatMan is not on good terms with the olives, so I add some steamed artichokes as a final touch. Your call!
In any case, I know your Italian Chicken Cacciatore is gonna be the bomb, especially if you listen to me and serve it with lots of bruschetta and crostini to soak up that red wine tomato gravy. Or spoon it over a bed of creamy polenta, just because everything is better over polenta, right? Forget about it, Mangia! Florentina xo’s
- Chicken in White Wine Sauce
- Easy Chicken Stew (Grandma’s Recipe)
- Italian Beef Stew
- Rustic Chicken & Potato Soup
- Italian Vegetable Soup with Farro
Italian Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Ingredients
- 4.5 lb chicken legs drumsticks or thighs or a mix
- 1 oz x28 can San Marzano tomatoes lightly crushed
- 1 1/4 c red wine or dry white wine
- 1 lb oyster mushrooms
- 1/2 lb wild mushrooms mixed
- 1 large leek sliced
- 8 cloves garlic whole
- 1 bell pepper sliced
- 1 carrot chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp sea salt + more to taste
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes + more to taste
- 2 tbsp Sicilian oregano crumbled or 1 sprig rosemary 10 thyme sprigs
- 2 leaves bay
- 1/3 c Italian parsley roughly chopped
- 2 c Artichoke hearts steamed, optional
- 1 c black olives optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375”F
- Slice the leek in half lengthwise and then thinly slice it crosswise. Rinse well in a bowl of cold water, allowing all the dirt to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Gently scoop out all the leeks and lightly pad dry on paper towels.
- Heat up a large cast iron dutch oven over medium flame. Add the olive oil and the garlic cloves and sear them until golden all over. Add the leeks with a pinch of sea salt. Sautee for about 10 minutes then stir in the oyster mushrooms and carrots. Toss to coat and cook for a couple of more minutes to create layers of flavor.
- Add the chicken legs to the pot and sprinkle with the sea salt, then toss to coat well. Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Allow it to reduce a little, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced bell pepper, bay leaves, thyme, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cover with a tight lid.
Oven Method:
- After you brought the chicken cacciatore to a simmer on the stove top cover it with a tight lid.Transfer the pot to the preheated oven and cook for 50 minutes. Remove the lid and add in the remaining mixed wild mushroom. Adjust seasonings to your taste and cook an additional 20 minutes uncovered, until the gravy has reduced to your liking and the chicken falls of the bone, tender.
- Serve hot garnished with the Italian parsley and sprinkled with the olives or steamed artichokes on top.
Stove Top Method:
- Continue cooking the chicken cacciatore covered, on low flame for 50 minutes. Remove the lid, add the remaining mushrooms and continue cooking an additional 20 minutes until the chicken falls off the bone and sauce has reduced to your liking.Taste and adjust seasonings and serve.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the chicken and mushrooms and continue reducing the sauce until concentrated to your liking. Adjust seasonings and serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
You’ll Also Love:
Easy Chicken Parmigiana Recipe
Ricotta Meatballs
Puttanesca Sauce
Italian Vegetable Farro Soup
We’ve got just enough cool weather to make a pot of your Italian chicken cacciatore before summer hits. I LOVE these photos and I’m very hungry now.
Thank you Maureen, I hope you get to make it soon, and please report back 😉
I made this dish last week for some dinner guests and they could not stop raving about how good it was. One even asked for the recipe and I gave it to them and also signed them up for the ciaoflorentino recipe newsletter. I could not find wild mushrooms or the oyster mushrooms so I substituted white button mushrooms and bella (young portebello) mushrooms. OUTSTANDING recipe.
I am doing the happy dance over here, I am so happy to hear. You made my day. I go for whatever mushrooms I can find at the market and that changes with the seasons which i find kind of nice actually. So glad you enjoyed it xo’s
Oh, my that looks really good. I’m with you on skipping the browning before braising since it’s going to be melt in the mouth soft and tender and…. aaaahhhh I’ll take a plate thank you.
Yes and also way easier and faster to make that way. I’m all about the short cuts !
It has been a long time since I made Chicken Cacciatore…..perhaps it’s something I should revisit soon. Sounds awesome!!
absolutely must dust off your cacciatore recipe. Fall is almost here !
This is one delicious looking pot of comfort food. I’m drooling and wish it was on my front burner! 😉
aww thank you, make it happen , i know you can do this xo’s
This sounds just in time for the cooler weather! I am going to try it next week. I will make sure to get a loaf of baguette to serve along with it. 🙂
yes gotta have the bread to soak up all that sauce. I wanna hear about it 🙂
look so yummy and delicious! love the color! perfect!
This recipe looks amazing! I love mushrooms! So edible and delicious
How have I still not made a Chicken Cacciatore?! It looks so delicious, just perfect for a cold Autumn evening!
Say whaaat ? Off you go to the store and make some today 😉
I could kill for a bowl of chicken cacciatore, with lots of bread to make “scarpetta” (dip in the sauce)! Looks wow!
I am with you 100% . That’s the right way to do this !
I love all the flavor you got in this dish.
This makes me wanna just dig right in! Looks super yummy!!
Florentine, this must be the most flavorful chicken recipe I have seen, OMG all that juicy sauce, I just need a loaf of garlic break to soak it all up.
Yes Katalina, garlic bread is mandatory with the chicken cacciatore, I pannick if I don’t have any lol
This reminds me so much of a stew my grandmother would make! and with crusty bread on the side, this looks so good Florentina! Your food looks so soulful, I love it!
aww thank you Sabrina, something about rustic food, so comforting.
Hi. I can’t wait to try this. Now. What type of red wine? And, What if I need to add a couplebof breasts? Do I add these at a later time so they don’t drybout ir will the juicy goodness keep them moist?
Hi Mirtha ! You can use whatever red wine you have leftover from the night before, something you actually like. Definitely not the most expensive wine, but certainly something you like to drink on its own. You can also add some chicken in there, but i would wait to add it until half way through cooking time. Using a bone in cut would also help keep that moisture during the long cooking time.
I made this last night and it was delicious!
So happy to hear, that made my day 🙂 xo’s
Made it last week. It was great! the aroma throughout the house was amazing!
Hello Florentina I was just subscribing to your newsletter and saw the chicken cacciatore recipe and was wondering can this meal be made in a crock-pot as I do not have a cast iron dutch oven I was going to do some of the beginning of the cooking in a saute pan then transfer the rest to the crock-pot and cook on high for, I would imagine 6-8 hours I am Italian and wanted to try my hand at some of your recipes they all sound delicious Thank you Sincerely Robert
Hello Florentina
can this recipe be done in a slow cooker I do not have a dutch oven yet
What setting would I set it to and for how long should I let it simmer
Thank you
Amanda
Hi Amanda, I suspect you could. Personally I don’t use a slow cooker but If I did, I would just cook it on the same setting you do a bone in chicken. Hope you give it a go, and any heavy bottom pot works her 😉
I don’t have a Dutch oven but I have a crock pot. Have you tried making this in the crockpot ever?
Hi Tamara, I don’t have a crockpot ha ! But the concept is the same, I have no doubt it would turn out just as good.
Going make this for 12—-can I use chicken thighs and finish it in a slow cooker?
Yes absolutely you can do that !
I just love meals like this. Everything in a casserole dish and it looks after itself. It really looks wonderful.
This looks really yummy and I like the idea of using wild / oyster mushrooms as I’ve not really seen that in a Cacciatore recipe before!
absolutely love this recipe and cento tomatoes.
I love dishes like this, as you can just throw everything in to the pot. It looks so full of flavour!
This sounds fantastic and easy! Also, I keep looking at the le cruset Dutch ovens, but haven’t spent the money on one yet. Maybe if I had recipe bookmarked before I shopped it would help!
haha, yes, I have all the motivation you need to treat yourself a Le Creuset dutch oven LOL ! I mean how about this chicken cacciatore for starters ? 😉 ~ Florentina
Hello,
So delighted I found your blog. The recipes all look delicious.
I would love to make this but my children will not eat any type of chicken apart from breasts – and skinless and boneless breasts to make things a little more challenging.
How would I make this gorgeous dish with chicken breasts…and to guard against them ending up like boot leather?
Many thanks,
Angela
Thank you so much Angela, and welcome, so happy you are here !
You can definitely make the chicken cacciatore with chicken breasts only. I would however cook them bone in and skin on to keep them from drying out, and once the chicken is cooked to your liking remove it from the sauce and discard the skin and bones before the kids sees it 😉
Continue to reduce the sauce until concentrated to your preference then add the chicken breast back into the pot. Let me know if that trick works ~ Florentina
We made this chicken cacciatore a few times now, the red wine gravy is my favorite. I like the white wine version too but the red wine has more depth in my opinion. I also added a bunch of black olives because we are olive lovers. Probably our most favorite recipe to date. Incredibly delicious!
O this sounds delicious, my friend! Totally a dish I know my family would love!
If I could reach through the screen with a spoon this would be gone.
Wow! Looks gorgeous. This reminds me I have to make some 7for my meat-a-holic soon. I made this Hunter Style Chicken several years ago once and he loved it!
One of my favourite dishes, everyone in our family loves chicken cacciatore. Love that the tomatoes thicken it without flour too.
This looks so rich and flavorful, like total comfort food!
I just adore peasant food. It’s always so rustic, comforting and economical. This looks incredible!
What a pretty dinner! Exactly my cup of tea.
What an amazing dish!! Its a family favorite!
Thanks Katerina, we can’t go wrong with a pot of chicken cacciatore.
I just love a good rustic Italian dish like this! 🙂 Looks & sounds amazing!
Glad the weather is cooling off soon so we can all make this!
Florentina,
This is the absolutely best recipe for chicken cacciatore that I have ever encountered. But, a question: if the batman liked olives, would you use green or black? And what about capers?
Yours faithfully,
B J
Awww you totally made my day you know that ? Thank you, I’m so glad to hear. Re: the olives, definitely black and salty. You can add some capers If you like as well, they add a nice little saltiness to the final pot of cacciatore. That is the beauty of this dish, you can make it your own. Thanks so much for stopping by with your great review, you rock ~ Florentina
do you use canned artichoke hearts?
Hi dave, you may use canned or steamed artichokes, I prefer the marinated ones myself 🙂 You can also go for the classic black olives instead.
Pleas can you tell me what I can substitute the wine with! Thanks
Hi janine, you could substitute with vegetable or chicken stock but honestly it won’t be the same. Chicken cacciatore gets its magic from that wine sauce reduction, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you without the wine 🙂
Great recipe! I made this for dinner the other night and used a red wine base and it turned out really well. I simmered it on low heat on the stove top as instructed and the sauce thickened even more as it cooled a bit. I would say it even tasted better the next night. I put it over some rice and my bf who is reluctant to eat anything with any kind of sauce loved it!
I do appreciate comments about saving time BUT, if you really want well-developed flavor I think it is essential to brown the chicken first. My Nonna always did that and I think it improves the recipe.
Glorious recipe. I love the artichokes instead of the olives, but still added a few black olives.
I’m with you on the no-flour, but I’ve made cacciatore (not your recipe, but close) with both unbrowned thighs and browned, and to my taste, the browned chicken has a rounder flavor in general because of the browning. It always does seem a waste to braise beautifully browned chicken, but I’ve found that browning always adds something. If you flour it does help thicken the sauce but I don’t need the carbs and reduction gives a better flavor.