Pollo alla Cacciatora is a traditional Italian dish made of chicken stewed in a rich and earthy tomato sauce with various herbs like rosemary, bay leaf, sage, and thyme. Perfect to serve any day of the week or for special occasions, this recipe is made in a traditional Italian way!
The pollo alla cacciatora name comes from cacciatore which means “hunter” in Italian, and it reflects the idea of a rustic, hunter-style meal, that could be made with whatever ingredients were available in the countryside while on a hunt.
Over time, it has become a beloved and popular dish in Italian cuisine, served in many variations in households and restaurants worldwide.
The recipe I am sharing with you today comes from my Italian mamma (my mother-in-law) so is as authentic as can be, but it is also so easy to prepare in one pan and can be served any day of the week along with homemade bread or your favorite side.
Ingredients
- Chicken: In Italy, this dish is made traditionally with a whole chicken cut into pieces, but I made it using only chicken thighs and drumsticks for convenience.
- Tomato sauce: Homemade or good quality canned tomato sauce. Make sure is plain tomato sauce without seasonings.
- Wine: Red wine or white wine. You can also replace it with a splash of vinegar.
- Olives: Green or black doesn’t matter, but make sure to remove the pit.
- Soffritto: This is a key basic preparation for many authentic Italian recipes. It consists of finely chopped onions, carrots, and celery that bring tons of flavors.
- Herbs & aromatics: Classics like rosemary, bay leaves, sage, and thyme. Plus garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Oil: An excellent extra virgin olive oil is a must if you want to cook authentic Italian pollo alla cacciatora.
How to Make Pollo alla Cacciatora
Peel and wash the celery, onion, carrot, and garlic. Then chop everything with a knife, mezzaluna, or using a food processor to make the soffritto.
Heat the olive oil in a large cooking pan over medium-high. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Sear the chicken pieces for 10 minutes or until nicely browned on all sides.
Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and set them aside covered with foil to prevent it from drying out. Remove excess oil if you want to.
Add soffritto and the herbs bouquet to the pan. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until chopped vegetables are softened.
Pour in the wine (or use a splash of vinegar if you prefer) and let it simmer for 1 minute. Then add the tomato sauce, season with salt, and stir for 1 minute.
Return the chicken to the pan and pour enough water to slightly cover all pieces.
Bring to a simmer, place a lid on the pan, and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and flip the chicken.
If necessary, add more water to the pan and then keep cooking for another 15-20 minutes.
Add the olives and check the meat tenderness, adjust the stew with seasonings to taste, and keep cooking for another 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the pollo alla cacciatora stew sit for about 10 minutes before serving as suggested below.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- For the best flavor, use chicken legs or thighs, those are also the juiciest and make the best cacciatore chicken recipe.
- Soffritto is one of the best preparations to make authentic Italian recipes. It adds not only flavor but also texture to this dish, so don’t skip it!
- Keep it simple. I don’t find it necessary to add chicken stock, you will get all the flavor from the meat, soffritto, and herbs.
- Use a type of wine you’ll also drink and stay away from those called “cooking wine” as they’re usually low-quality.
- If you want to serve this dish to your kids, make sure you leave out the wine and use a splash of vinegar instead.
- There are two popular versions of the chicken cacciatora dish. One is the one I am sharing with you today: With tomato juice and olives. And the other is in a white sauce without tomato. Both recipes are equally delicious!
Serving Suggestions
Pollo alla cacciatora makes one of the most comforting and fulfilling meals for any day of the week. This is how I recommend serving it:
- On its own, with crusty bread to wipe out the flavorful tomato sauce.
- With a side of Italian-style roasted potatoes or with these zucchine gratinate.
- Over pasta, or with your favorite noodles.
- With polenta, just like they do in northern Italy!
- On top of rice. One of my favorite ways! You can use steamed white rice, brown rice, etc.
- Low carb, with a side of cauliflower rice or cicoria alla romana.
Store And Reheat
This Italian dish is one of my favorite prep meals and I make it often for busy days because is easy, budget-friendly, and everyone loves it! So, here are my recommendations for storing it:
Once the chicken cacciatora stew has cooled down, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in resealable bags or freeze-proof containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat.
For reheating, place the stew in a pan and add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce. Reheat over medium heat stirring from time to time.
More Italian Authentic Recipes
Video
Pollo alla Cacciatora
Ingredients
- 2.2 pounds chicken (thighs and drumsticks)
- 14.5 oz tomato sauce
- ½ cup white wine (or red, if preferred)
- 1 cup olives (pitted)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2 celery sticks (finely chopped)
- 1 large carrot (finely chopped)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 bunch fresh herbs (rosemary, bay leaves, sage, thyme)
- 3 Tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large cooking pan.
- Add chicken and season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the chicken for 10 minutes or until nicely browned on all sides.
- Remove chicken from the pan and place on a plate covered with foil.
- Remove excess oil from the pan leaving only a little bit.
- Add the soffritto (onion, celery, carrots, and garlic) and the herbs bouquet to the pan.
- Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until chopped vegetables are softened.
- Pour in the wine and let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato sauce, season with salt, and cook for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the pan and pour enough water to slightly cover all pieces.
- Bring to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and flip the chicken, then over again and keep cooking for another 15-20 minutes.
- Add the olives and check the meat tenderness, adjust the stew with seasonings to taste, and keep cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the stew sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For the best flavor, use chicken legs or thighs, those are also the juiciest and make the best cacciatore chicken recipe.
- Soffritto is one of the best preparations to make authentic Italian recipes. It adds not only flavor but also texture to this dish, so don’t skip it!
- Keep it simple. I don’t find it necessary to add chicken stock, you will get all the flavor from the meat, soffritto, and herbs.
- Use a type of wine you’ll also drink and stay away from those called “cooking wine” as they’re usually low-quality.
- You can replace wine with a splash of vinegar or just omit it.
Nutrition Information
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Delicious, thanks for the recipe.
chicken cacciatora seems delicious . I need to try it fast.