Chicken Cacciatore is a delicious Italian hunter’s stew. I learned how to make it from a former boyfriend’s Italian mother. It’s one of my favorite chicken dishes. I’ve tweaked it over the years. It is a perfect dinner on a cold winter night.
Serve over pasta or rice with a side of seared lemon garlic broccoli and sop up the sauce with warm, toasted garlic bread. So good.
Chicken Cacciatore
From the kitchen of Priya Hutner
1 T olive oil
2 lbs. chicken thighs & drumsticks
1 large onion, diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 carrots, peeled & sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes with juice
1 C chicken stock
1 t fresh rosemary
3 to 5 fresh sage leaves
¼ C fresh basil
1 T fresh oregano
1 C red wine
1 T capers
1 C mushrooms, sliced (baby bellas, porcini or both)
2 t salt
1 t fresh ground pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
Pat chicken dry. Heat olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. Or use an Insta Pot on the sauté function.
Sear chicken on medium heat. Turn to sear on all sides, about 10 minutes. Set chicken aside on a plate.
Add onions, sauté for 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with the juice, chicken stock, capers, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper and simmer. Add chicken back into pan and mix with sauce. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
If using an Insta Pot, after sautéing the onions and garlic, add all remaining ingredients and cook on the stew function for 20 minutes.
Use a meat thermometer to gauge if chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F for either method. Serve over pasta or rice.
