Description
Chicken Cacciatore is a classic Italian dish featuring tender chicken wings and drumsticks simmered in a rich, flavorful tomato sauce with bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and red wine. Perfectly browned chicken pieces are baked with aromatic herbs and spices, creating a hearty meal best served over noodles, rice, or polenta.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds chicken wings and drumsticks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 pound white mushrooms (cleaned and chopped)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper (chopped)
Seasonings and Liquids
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 3/4 cup Kalamata olives (pitted)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F to prepare for baking the chicken cacciatore.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large oven-safe skillet with a lid over medium heat until the butter melts. Season the chicken wings and drumsticks generously with salt and pepper. Fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked at this point. Remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and chopped onions. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the onions become translucent and the garlic is aromatic.
- Cook Mushrooms: Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until they reduce and develop flavor.
- Add Peppers: Stir in the chopped green, red, and yellow bell peppers. Cook for a couple more minutes until the peppers soften slightly.
- Add Seasonings and Liquids: Sprinkle in turmeric, dried oregano, and add the bay leaves. Pour in the red wine, then add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil while scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits for added flavor.
- Combine and Bake: Return the browned chicken pieces to the skillet, cover with the lid, and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the skillet from the oven. Top the chicken cacciatore with pitted Kalamata olives and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve hot over noodles, rice, or polenta.
Notes
- Chicken: Using a mix of wings and drumsticks adds great flavor; however, bone-in, skin-on thighs are also excellent alternatives. Boneless chicken will cook faster but lacks depth of flavor.
- Mushrooms First: Cooking the mushrooms before adding the peppers allows them to brown nicely instead of steaming, enhancing their flavor.
- Wine Swaps: Substitutes like Chianti, Pinot Noir, or other dry reds work well. If avoiding wine, use low-sodium chicken broth with a splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Make It Ahead: This dish stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen overnight, making it perfect for meal prep.
- Deglaze the Pan: When adding wine and liquids, scrape the pan's bottom to release browned bits—this intensifies the sauce's flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
