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5 from 16 votes

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken cacciatore recipe made with seared chicken pieces braised in a super hearty and rustic tomato sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 medium onions sliced
  • 1 celery rib chopped
  • 2 bell peppers sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup green olives pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup black oil-cured olives rinsed, pitted and chopped
  • 28 ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
  • 3 ounces tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock or homemade chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat a large cast-iron pan or dutch oven to medium-high heat. Dry chicken pieces well with paper towels and season on all sides with salt and pepper.
  • To the pan, add the olive oil and sear chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes per side. Work in batches and do not crowd the chicken. Place seared chicken pieces on a plate and sprinkle with salt.
  • When finished with the chicken searing step, turn heat to medium and saute the peppers, onions, and celery until soft (about 7-10 minutes). Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
  • Next, add the white wine and scrape all the flavor bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook out for 2 minutes then add in the tomato paste, chicken stock, and plum tomatoes.
  • Stir the sauce together and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Arrange all the chicken pieces in the pan with the crispiest sides facing upwards. Turn heat to low and simmer covered with the lid slightly cracked open. Cook for 60 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
  • To finish add the chopped parsley and sprinkle the olives on top. Give it all a stir and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Dark meat chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks) are recommended.  They are more tender, juicy and flavorful than white meat.
  • Searing the chicken until crispy is a crucial step. 
  • Salting the chicken before and after searing is recommended.
  • If the sauce is too thin after an hour of cooking, remove chicken, and cook the sauce uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes more to thicken.
  • Black oil cured olives are very salty.  Rinse well before using them.
  • Red wine can be substituted.
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or the chicken cacciatore can be frozen for up to 3 months.  

Nutrition

Calories: 766kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.1g | Protein: 90.7g | Fat: 33.7g | Saturated Fat: 7.7g | Cholesterol: 269mg | Sodium: 1266mg | Potassium: 1308mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 10.8g | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 6mg