Few dishes capture the heart of rustic Italian cooking quite like chicken cacciatore. Tender chicken is simmered in a rich tomato sauce with mushrooms, peppers, garlic and fragrant herbs, creating a comforting one-pan meal that’s packed with flavour. Perfect for busy weeknights or slow Sunday lunches, serve this Italian classic with creamy polenta, pasta or plenty of crusty bread to soak up every last drop of the sauce.
Chicken cacciatore
Ingredients
- The chicken
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 8 chicken pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- The sauce
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- 150 ml white wine
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried origanum
- 1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
Instructions
For the chicken
Mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Toss the chicken through the seasoned flour until evenly coated.
Heat a large pot over medium-high and add the olive oil and butter. Once bubbling, add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to rest.
For the sauce
Heat some olive oil in the same pot and gently fry the onion until lightly browned. Then add the garlic, rosemary, yellow and red peppers, carrots and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, until slightly softened.
Add the wine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly reduced.
Add the tomatoes, origanum, chilli and chicken pieces. Cover and allow to cook over low heat for 45 minutes, until the chicken is falling off the bone.
To serve
Stir through the olives, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh parsley.
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Also See: Slow cooker chicken recipe
Slow-cooker chicken with white wine and herbs
Recipes & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz
A food stylist and recipe developer, contributing to Food & Home and other esteemed magazines under Habari Media. I love for creating mouthwatering recipes, I bring culinary visions to life through my work.