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Classic Chicken Cacciatore

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  • Prep 20 min
  • Total 1 hr 20 min
  • Servings 6
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Chicken cacciatore—or chicken in the style of the hunter—is a warm and hearty stewed dish from the Italian-American culinary canon. This dish typically features browned chicken, herbs, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms and other deeply flavorful vegetables. On a cold winter night, this chicken cacciatore recipe is perfectly wonderful and a total crowd pleaser!
By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Jul 1, 2019
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Ingredients

  • 3- to 3 1/2-lb cut-up whole chicken
  • 1/2 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 medium green bell pepper
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, if desired
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Steps

  • 1
    Coat chicken with flour. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 15 to 20 minutes or until brown on all sides; drain.
  • 2
    Cut bell pepper and onions crosswise in half; cut each half into fourths.
  • 3
    Stir bell pepper, onions and remaining ingredients except cheese into chicken in skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone (at least 165°F). Serve with cheese.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    Slow Cooker Directions: Remove skin from chicken. Decrease flour to 1/3 cup. Decrease oil to 2 tablespoons; omit tomato sauce. Use 1 jar (4.5 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained. Brown chicken as directed. Cut bell pepper and onions crosswise in half; cut each half into fourths. In 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker, place half of the chicken. Mix bell pepper, onions and remaining ingredients except cheese; spoon half of mixture over chicken. Add remaining chicken; top with remaining vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours. Serve with cheese.
  • tip 2
    One of the keys to making this recipe for chicken cacciatore as delicious as possible is to properly brown your chicken. To do this you start with an empty pan placed on a burner over medium-high heat. Do not add oil to the cold pan, instead leave it be and let it heat up for a minute or two. To see if the pan is hot enough to start cooking, run your fingers under the faucet and flick your fingers over the pot. If the water particles roll up into little balls and skitter across the bottom of the pan, it’s time to add oil. Add the oil and let it spread across the bottom of the pan. Then add chicken a few pieces at a time—don’t crowd the pan. Let each piece brown but keep an eye on the edges. When you see browning at the edges, try picking up the piece of meat with tongs, if it really sticks, it needs a little longer. If it comes up clean, with just a tug, it’s time to turn it. Browning becomes more intuitive with time and it’s well worth learning because the chemical reaction that comes with browning is what imparts your meat with tons of flavor.

Nutrition

400 Calories, 23g Total Fat, 30g Protein, 19g Total Carbohydrate, 6g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
400
Calories from Fat
200
Total Fat
23g
35%
Saturated Fat
5g
25%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
85mg
29%
Sodium
630mg
26%
Potassium
680mg
19%
Total Carbohydrate
19g
6%
Dietary Fiber
3g
11%
Sugars
6g
Protein
30g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
15%
15%
Vitamin C
30%
30%
Calcium
6%
6%
Iron
15%
15%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 3 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • Chicken cacciatore has become a classic Italian favorite and it’s no wonder why. The combination of chicken with vegetables, like peppers and tomatoes, makes this a warming and hearty dish. In fact, cacciatore is Italian for “hunter” so this dish roughly translates to chicken cooked in the style of the hunter. This does not mean the only authentic way to make this recipe is over a campfire in the woods, your stove will do just fine! Rather, the key to making this dish is properly browning your chicken. Classic chicken cacciatore involves lightly coating chicken in a flour mixture before cooking in an oil-slicked skillet over high heat. Browning meat adds tons of flavor. As your chicken cooks, the fat from the chicken renders, which provides a flavorful base in which to cook your vegetables. Though it is recommended to drain off the fat after browning the chicken, your pan will retain flavor, which will be soaked up by the onions, peppers and tomatoes. If you’ve never tried chicken cacciatore, this five-star recipe is the perfect place to start, or make it even easier with Betty’s Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe. Ready for more chicken recipes? Betty’s not out of ideas yet!
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