🇮🇹 Italian · Main Dish
🍗 Pollo alla Cacciatora
Pollo alla Cacciatora
'Hunter-style' chicken braised with tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, and olives in a rustic, savory sauce — the sort of hearty, one-pot meal Italian hunters historically brought home to share.
Cacciatora varies considerably by region, with northern versions leaning white-wine-and-mushroom and southern versions favoring tomato, peppers, and olives, but the dish always shares its rustic, forage-based spirit — simple, seasonal, and built to feed a hungry table.
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with lid
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- Flour, for dredging
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 200 g (7 oz) mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine
- 400 g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 80 g (½ cup) black or green olives, pitted
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Season the chicken pieces and dredge lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.
- Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot and brown the chicken pieces well on all sides in batches, then set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the onion and bell peppers until softened, then add the mushrooms and cook until golden.
- Add the garlic and cook briefly, then pour in the wine and let it reduce slightly, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, olives, and rosemary, and return the chicken to the pot.
- Cover and simmer gently for 40–45 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Uncover for the final 10 minutes if the sauce needs to reduce further.
- Season to taste and serve hot, directly from the pot.
Chef Tips
- Browning the chicken thoroughly before braising builds essential depth of flavor in the final sauce.
- Using bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces gives more flavor and moisture than boneless cuts through the long braise.
- This dish improves with a day's rest, as the flavors continue to develop.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing the browning step, which skips an essential layer of flavor.
- Overcrowding the pot when browning, which steams rather than sears the chicken.
- Simmering uncovered too long, which can dry out the chicken before the sauce properly thickens.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein, with vegetables contributing fiber and vitamins.
Cultural Note
Cacciatora, meaning 'hunter-style,' reflects a long Italian tradition of rustic, resourceful cooking built around whatever ingredients a day of hunting and foraging might yield.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days; flavor improves the next day.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop, covered, until warmed through.
Serve with: Crusty bread or creamy polenta, A medium-bodied red wine