Chicken Cacciatore

You'll love this hearty, rustic chicken cacciatore recipe with mushrooms and bell peppers in a

flavorful tomato sauce. Fall apart tender chicken with all the comforting aromatic and Italian flavors the family loves. You can make it stovetop or in your crockpot. Serve it with crusty bread or on top of plain pasta, polenta or rice.

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/chicken-cacciatore-recipe/

Cuisine:              Italian

Course:               Main

Guests:                6

Total time:        60 minutes

Prep Time:        10 minutes

Cooking time:                 50 minutes        

INGREDIENTS

• 6 chicken thighs bone in, skin on, trimmed of excess fat

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion chopped

• 2 celery ribs chopped

• ½ red bell pepper chopped

• ½ green bell pepper chopped

• 8 ounces mushrooms (white or baby bella) cleaned and sliced

• 3 garlic cloves minced

• 1 tsp oregano

• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley more for later

• Pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 cup red wine

• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides and underneath the skin.

2.      In a large pan or braiser (with a lid), heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken, skin side down first. Cook until golden brown, then turn over to brown on the other side (about 8 minutes total). Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.

3.      In the same braiser, add the onions, celery, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, tossing regularly. Add kosher salt, pepper, oregano, fresh thyme, parsley and red pepper flakes. Allow the vegetables to cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.

4.      Add the red wine and cook for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by about ½, then add the tomatoes. Cook 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

5.      Now add the chicken pieces back to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and allow the chicken to cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

6.      Garnish with parsley.

NOTES

• Crockpot option. If you need to make this in your slow cooker or crock pot, brown the chicken first, then transfer it to the slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and set the crock pot on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours. 

• Leftovers & Storage. Bring cooked chicken cacciatore to room temperature before then store in tight-lid containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. 

• Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and spices.