Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora)

Chicken Cacciatore reminds me how satisfying simple food can be. Bone-in chicken thighs are browned to build flavor, then slowly braised with tomatoes, wine, mushrooms, and a traditional soffritto of onion, celery, and carrot.

It’s not particularly complicated. What matters are the small decisions along the way—giving the chicken time to develop color, letting the vegetables soften and build flavor, reducing the wine before adding the tomatoes, and then letting everything come together in a slow oven braise.

Chicken Cacciatore isn’t new to me. I first made it years ago while working in an Italian restaurant, and returning to it reminded me why dishes like this have such staying power. No complicated techniques—just simple ingredients, treated well, with enough time to become something much more satisfying than the ingredient list might suggest.

Served over creamy polenta with plenty of that rich tomato sauce spooned over the tender chicken, that’s exactly where it ended up. I present to you: Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora).

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Cacciatore

• The chicken becomes exceptionally tender. Bone-in thighs are well suited to a slow braise, staying juicy while becoming tender enough to fall apart with a fork.
• Simple ingredients develop remarkable depth. Browning the chicken, cooking the soffritto and mushrooms, and reducing the wine build layers of flavor before the braise even begins.
• The Dutch oven does most of the work. Once everything is assembled, the covered pot goes into a low oven and time takes over.
• The sauce may be the best part. Tomatoes, wine, chicken drippings, vegetables, and mushrooms come together into a rich sauce that’s particularly good spooned over creamy polenta.

First Things First: Mise en Place

Before you start, let me share some kitchen wisdom that’s made cooking much easier over the years. It’s called Mise en Place—a French phrase that means “everything in its place.” It might sound fancy, but it’s just about setting yourself up for success: read the recipe all the way through, gather your tools, then prep and measure everything before the heat goes on.

This simple habit takes the guesswork out of cooking and minimizes surprises. Whether you’re new to the kitchen or have been cooking for decades, Mise en Place is a process that makes a big difference.

Curious to learn more? I recommend Everything in Its Place: The Power of Mise-En-Place to Organize Your Life, Work, and Mind—it’s a great read that goes way beyond the kitchen.

Ingredients for Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore uses familiar ingredients, but each one has a specific job. The chicken provides richness as it braises, the soffritto builds the aromatic foundation, and tomatoes and wine become the sauce that brings everything together.

Chicken

• Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs — Thighs are ideal for a slow braise. They remain juicy and tender during the longer cooking time, while the skin and bones contribute flavor and richness to the sauce.

• Extra-virgin olive oil — Used to brown the chicken and start building flavor in the Dutch oven.

Soffritto and Mushrooms

• Onion, celery, and carrot — This combination forms the soffritto, the dish’s aromatic foundation. Cook them gently until softened and beginning to develop color rather than rushing this step.

• Cremini mushrooms — Leave them whole. They’ll release moisture as they cook, then absorb some of the sauce’s flavors during the braise while retaining enough texture to stay distinct in the finished dish.

• Garlic — Added after the vegetables and mushrooms so it can become fragrant without spending enough time over direct heat to burn.

The Sauce

• Tomato paste — Cooking the tomato paste briefly before adding the wine deepens its flavor and removes some of its raw tomato character.
• Dry white wine — Pinot Grigio works well here. Reducing the wine by about half concentrates its flavor and cooks away some of the raw alcohol character before you add the tomatoes.

• Whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes — Crush them by hand before adding them to the Dutch oven. One 28-ounce can provides enough tomato for a generous sauce without overwhelming the chicken and vegetables.

• Fresh rosemary — One sprig perfumes the sauce during the braise without dominating it. Remove the sprig before serving.
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper — Season the chicken before browning, then taste the finished sauce and adjust as needed.
• Fresh parsley — An optional garnish that adds freshness and color just before serving.

How to Make Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore isn’t difficult, but don’t rush the early steps. Most of the flavor builds in the Dutch oven before the chicken even begins to braise.

Brown the Chicken

• Pat the chicken thighs dry and season them well with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then brown the thighs in batches if necessary.

• You’re not trying to cook the chicken through or create an exceptionally dark crust. The goal is to develop some color and leave flavorful browned bits behind in the Dutch oven. Once browned on both sides, transfer the thighs to a platter.

Build the Flavor Base

• Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook the vegetables until softened and starting to color, scraping up any browned bits from the chicken.

• Add the whole cremini mushrooms and cook until they’ve released some moisture and begun to brown.

• Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste for another minute or two in the hot Dutch oven. It should darken slightly and become fragrant before you move on.

Deglaze With the Wine

• Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven to lift anything stuck to it. Those browned bits belong in the sauce, not on the bottom of the pot.
• Let the wine simmer until it has reduced by about half. This concentrates the flavor before you add the tomatoes.

Assemble the Braise

• Add the hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes and rosemary and stir everything together.

• Return the browned chicken thighs to the Dutch oven, nestling them into the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the thighs before covering the pot.

• Don’t worry about keeping the skin crisp. This is a braise. The goal is tender, juicy chicken surrounded by a rich sauce, and spooning the sauce over the thighs helps the flavors come together as they cook.

Braise the Chicken

• Cover the Dutch oven and transfer it to a 325°F oven. Braise for about 45 minutes, then check the chicken for tenderness.
• Remove the lid and skim away any excessive rendered fat from the surface of the sauce. Return the Dutch oven to the oven, uncovered, for another 10–15 minutes, or until the thighs are very tender and the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

• The thermometer gives you useful information, but don’t let the clock or temperature alone decide. The chicken should feel tender when pierced and yield easily when you cut into it.
• Remove the rosemary sprig, taste the sauce, and adjust the salt and pepper before serving.

Serve

• Serve the Chicken Cacciatore over creamy polenta or Parmesan risotto, with garlic focaccia alongside to soak up every bit of the rich tomato sauce.

How to Store Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore stores and reheats particularly well because the chicken remains surrounded by the braising sauce, helping it stay moist as it reheats.

Refrigerate

Let the cacciatore cool, then transfer the chicken and sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Keeping the chicken in the sauce helps protect it from drying out.

Reheat

Warm the chicken gently with the sauce in a covered pan over low heat or in a covered Dutch oven in a low oven until heated through. Avoid high heat, which can unnecessarily cook the already-tender chicken further.

Freeze

Chicken Cacciatore can be frozen with its sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently.

If you’ve made polenta to serve alongside it, store that separately. Freshly made polenta will give you the creamiest texture when serving the leftovers.

Serving Suggestions

• Creamy polenta is my first choice for serving Chicken Cacciatore. Its mild flavor and creamy texture make it an ideal base for the tender chicken and rich tomato gravy.
• Parmesan risotto is another good option. It’s a little richer than polenta, but its creamy texture works just as well with the slow-braised chicken and tomato gravy.

Whichever you choose, serve some crusty Italian bread or garlic focaccia alongside. You’ll want something for the gravy left on the plate.

The Empty Plate

Chicken Cacciatore (pollo alla cacciatora)

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Tender chicken thighs slowly braised with tomatoes, white wine, mushrooms, and a classic soffritto for a rich, comforting Chicken Cacciatore that’s especially good served over creamy polenta.

• Author: Scott Kubinski
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Browning Chicken: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
• Category: Poultry, Entree
• Method: Stovetop, Oven
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 bone-in, skin-on thighs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 8 ounces whole cremini mushrooms, cleaned
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, brown the chicken skin-side down until deeply golden, then turn and brown the second side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and repeat with the remaining pieces.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 8–10 minutes.
5. Add the cremini mushrooms and continue cooking until they release their moisture and begin to brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes, until it darkens slightly and becomes fragrant.
7. Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to release the browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half.
8. Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and rosemary sprig, stirring to combine.
9. Nestle the browned chicken into the sauce and spoon some of the sauce over the chicken.
10. Cover and transfer the Dutch oven to the oven. Braise for 45 minutes, then check the chicken for tenderness. Remove the lid and skim any excess rendered fat from the surface of the sauce. Continue cooking uncovered until the chicken is very tender and registers about 180°F in the thickest part, about 10–15 minutes more.
11. Remove the rosemary sprig and taste the sauce, adjusting the salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot with crusty Italian bread, creamy polenta, or parmesan risotto.