Italian Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
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 stovetop, bake it in the oven or slow cooker.
I brought us an easy, authentic Italian chicken cacciatore recipe straight from Italy. How could I not, right?! Especially since this is a regular at the shack, healthier, light, gluten free and oh so easy to make. Not to mention perfect for a crowd too! There Is no browning, no frying and no flour involved either.
What is Chicken Cacciatore and Where Did it Originate From?
In a nutshell it’s 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! Nowadays it is more commonly made with chicken or hen and some type of wild mushrooms, simmered down in a wine tomato sauce with herbs and aromatics.
About the Wine
- Option a) – A red wine sauce base
- Option b) – A white wine sauce.
Being that I’m using sweet flavorful San Marzano tomatoes 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 if your heart so desires. I’m particularly fond of red, and look at that beauty, right? Whatever the case, the more you reduce the wine sauce the more it will thicken.
I absolutely swear by this easy recipe, it’s not just delicious but also healthier. I skipped browning the meat and skipped on the flour, it really isn’t necessary and not at all that healthy.
When you braise the drumsticks or thighs, you won’t end up with crispy skin regardless if you brown it first or not. This is a tender fall of the bone stew after all.
Ideally this would be served over creamy polenta, but egg noodles pasta, potatoes and rice are also common side dishes.
Tips for Making the Best Chicken Cacciatore
- Mushrooms – Splurge just a little bit on wild mushrooms at the market. Because flavor, flavor and more flavor! These will change with the seasons of course, but usually you’ll be able to find some variety throughout the year. I like using the Oyster variety as a base as they are readily available year round, however on the rare occasions when I do find Chanterelles at a decent price, I’m all over those!
- Olives – Traditionally you would throw a handful of black olives on top just before serving, but you can add some steamed artichoke hearts instead as I did.
- Bruschetta – To take your Italian chicken cacciatore over the top you’ll want to serve it over creamy polenta with lots of garlic rubbed bruschetta to melt into that red wine tomato sauce. Forget about it! Mangia Bene!
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.
Going make this for 12—-can I use chicken thighs and finish it in a slow cooker?
Yes absolutely you can do that !
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.
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 😉
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
Made it last week. It was great! the aroma throughout the house was amazing!
I made this last night and it was delicious!
So happy to hear, that made my day 🙂 xo’s
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.
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.
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 makes me wanna just dig right in! Looks super yummy!!
I love all the flavor you got in this dish.
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 !
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 😉
This recipe looks amazing! I love mushrooms! So edible and delicious
look so yummy and delicious! love the color! perfect!
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 🙂
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
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 !
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 !
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
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 😉