Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore is absolutely delightful. Ok, so we’re using one of my favorite ingredients again–tomatoes! I love tomatoes just about any way you make them and this recipe is no exception. This incredible recipe has an irresistible tomato base with fresh mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, garlic and sliced carrots adding texture and flavor. It’s healthy, low calorie, and if you use gluten free noodles, the dish can be gluten free as well.
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I make Chicken Cacciatore with fire-roasted diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes (which I break up with a fork) and tomato paste. I season the dish with oregano, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper, parsley and salt and pepper. I prefer my sauce on the thicker side rather than watery or soupy. When I cook up the spaghetti noodles, I drizzle olive oil over top of them rather than butter. That makes the recipe dairy free for those who are lactose intolerant. While I’ve used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts, you can use any kind of cut-up chicken pieces you desire.
I originally posted this recipe in September 2012 – early in my food blogging days. I remade the recipe in June 2014 but I wasn’t totally happy with the pictures or the consistency of this dish. My original recipe was based on a recipe given to me when we lived in Massachusetts in the 1990s. The sauce wasn’t thick enough for my taste, and I felt the dish could use some improvement.
I recently remade this recipe (June 2018) and made wholesale changes to the original recipe. Basically, I started again from scratch. My husband won’t eat chicken thighs or any other cut of chicken except chicken breasts. So I used both in this recipe. I added extra seasonings and veggies to this version and feel like I hit it out of the ballpark on all counts.
We served Chicken Cacciatore to our weekly Friday night care group. Without exception, everyone LOVED the entree. I had three skillets cooking simultaneously so I didn’t crowd the chicken too much while frying. I had enough to take over at least a third of it to our neighbors across the street. He recently underwent a kidney transplant (and his wife was the donor). She stopped me on Saturday as I was out walking in our neighborhood. She thanked us for the chicken declaring their family loved every bite of it.
While I made a double portion of the recipe, I’ve left the recipe card with the basic amount. Still, that’s enough for eight servings. The chicken does make great leftovers for lunches if you don’t have eight people you’re feeding at once. This recipe is so delicious I highly recommend for company dinners, Father’s Day or other special occasions. Seriously, even my pickiest eaters loved this Chicken Cacciatore.
Chicken Cacciatore is one scrumptious meal.
I used both chicken thighs and chicken breasts in the recipe. You can also use a whole cut-up chicken if you desire.
Chicken Cacciatore is healthy, low calorie and gluten free. Use gluten free spaghetti noodles for a completely gluten free dish.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients. This was enough for two batches. I also did not use the large can of petite diced tomatoes. I kept it in reserve but didn’t feel like I needed it.
Pour olive oil into the bottom of your skillet and heat on medium heat. Make sure you use enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet, otherwise the chicken will stick to the skillet.
Here’s a skillet of boneless chicken thighs.
Do the same thing with boneless chicken breasts if you’re using them. Saute chicken pieces until well-browned.
Turn chicken pieces over and cook until chicken is no longer pink. I was frying three skillets of chicken at once.
Remove chicken pieces to paper towel-lined plates.
While chicken is frying, cut up veggies. I was making a double batch so you can see two sets of veggies. However, I couldn’t fit all the chicken in two skillets, so I ended up dividing all of the chicken and veggies among three skillets.
Add a little more olive oil to the skillet. Add mushrooms, green peppers, red peppers, orange peppers, carrots, onions and garlic.
Saute veggies until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add whole tomatoes, then break them up with a fork. Add fire-roasted diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes.
Add tomato paste.
Add seasonings.
Cover and cook about 15 minutes over low to medium heat until everything is cooked through.
Add chicken pieces back to skillets. Spoon sauce over top. Cover with lid and simmer about 15-20 minutes or until chicken pieces are cooked through. The chicken breast pieces may take longer.
Serve Chicken Cacciatore over hot, cooked, buttered spaghetti.
Garnish with freshly chopped basil. Chicken Cacciatore is mouthwatering and succulent.
Chicken Cacciatore was a big hit with our company. Everyone loved it. This dish is really wonderful. You’ll be licking your lips after the first bite!
Here’s the recipe.
CHICKEN CACCIATORE
(My own concoction)
Chicken Cacciatore
Equipment
- 1 large 14" skillet with lid
- 1 sharp knife to cut veggies
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 spatula
- 1 fork
Ingredients
- 8 boneless chicken thighs
- 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz. can whole tomatoes (use some of the juice)
- 15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste or more, if desired
- 1 large onion cut in half and then sliced
- 1/2 large green bell pepper cut in 1/2" strips
- 1/2 large red bell pepper cut in 1/2" strips
- 1/2 large orange bell pepper cut in 1/2" strips (or substitute yellow bell pepper)
- 8 oz. fresh mushrooms sliced
- 1 large ccarrot peeled and sliced
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano or more, if desired
- 3/4 tsp. dried basil or more, if desired
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme or more, if desired
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley or more, if desired
- dash red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. fresh basil chopped, for garnish
- 4 tbsp. olive oil or as needed
- 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. spaghetti cooked, drained and drizzled with olive oil (you can also use gluten free pasta)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium heat.
- Make sure the bottom of the skillet is totally covered with oil.
- Place chicken thighs in skillet.
- Brown chicken well on both sides and remove to paper towel-lined platter.
- Set aside.
- Drizzle more olive oil into skillet.
- Add carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion and garlic.
- Sauté a few minutes until veggies become tender, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, whole tomatoes with about half of the liquid, fire-roasted tomatoes and seasonings to the skillet.
- Cut the whole tomatoes up with a fork.
- Add about half of the liquid that's in the can from the whole tomatoes.
- Cover with lid and simmer about 10 minutes.
- Add chicken thighs.
- Cover with lid and heat through an additional 15 minutes until chicken is tender.
- Serve over cooked, drained, spaghetti that’s been tossed lightly with olive oil.
- Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 1 ½ to 2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
- 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, cut in half and then sliced
- 2 large green peppers, cut in ½” strips
- 16-oz. mushrooms, fresh
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic, from a jar
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. basil
- Olive oil
- 1 lb. spaghetti or gluten free spaghetti
- Fry bite-size pieces of chicken in hot olive oil in a large Dutch oven.
- Cook until firm – but not cooked all the way through.
- Add sliced mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and garlic.
- Sauté a few minutes.
- Add seasonings and tomatoes.
- Cover and cook about 45 minutes on medium heat until done.
- Serve over cooked, drained, buttered spaghetti noodles.
This is a great main dish for company, plus you get the benefits of a healthy meal as well as being hearty and filling.
The tomatoey flavors in Chicken Cacciatore spiced up with basil, thyme, oregano, parsley and crushed red pepper are marvelous.
Time to eat!
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Sauce
Roasted Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Tomatoes
Chicken Cacciatore
Equipment
- 1 large 14" skillet with lid
- 1 sharp knife to cut veggies
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 spatula
- 1 fork
Ingredients
- 8 boneless chicken thighs
- 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz. can whole tomatoes (use some of the juice)
- 15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste or more, if desired
- 1 large onion cut in half and then sliced
- 1/2 large green bell pepper cut in 1/2″ strips
- 1/2 large red bell pepper cut in 1/2″ strips
- 1/2 large orange bell pepper cut in 1/2″ strips (or substitute yellow bell pepper)
- 8 oz. fresh mushrooms sliced
- 1 large ccarrot peeled and sliced
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano or more, if desired
- 3/4 tsp. dried basil or more, if desired
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme or more, if desired
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley or more, if desired
- dash red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. fresh basil chopped, for garnish
- 4 tbsp. olive oil or as needed
- 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. spaghetti cooked, drained and drizzled with olive oil (you can also use gluten free pasta)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium heat.
- Make sure the bottom of the skillet is totally covered with oil.
- Place chicken thighs in skillet.
- Brown chicken well on both sides and remove to paper towel-lined platter.
- Set aside.
- Drizzle more olive oil into skillet.
- Add carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion and garlic.
- Sauté a few minutes until veggies become tender, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, whole tomatoes with about half of the liquid, fire-roasted tomatoes and seasonings to the skillet.
- Cut the whole tomatoes up with a fork.
- Add about half of the liquid that’s in the can from the whole tomatoes.
- Cover with lid and simmer about 10 minutes.
- Add chicken thighs.
- Cover with lid and heat through an additional 15 minutes until chicken is tender.
- Serve over cooked, drained, spaghetti that’s been tossed lightly with olive oil.
- Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
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