Stovetop Chicken Cacciatore — Fork-Tender in One Hour

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Bone-in thighs braise in a concentrated tomato sauce with mushrooms, red bell pepper, and rosemary, all in one pan on the stovetop. The sauce thickens as the chicken cooks, picking up every bit of flavor left behind from browning. An hour from now, you’ll have something that tastes like it took most of the afternoon.

The same pan does all the work — you brown the chicken, coax the sauce together, and braise everything without touching a second burner. That depth of flavor is what makes this classic dish so memorable. The juices reduce to a thick, savory sauce you’ll want to spoon over everything on your plate (or swipe up with bread).

Growing up, I watched my Italian grandmother cook her version of this rustic dish, usually with rabbit and foraged wild mushrooms (that I was not adventurous enough to eat!). She simmered it for hours and hours, until the sauce was deep, dark red and the meat came away from the bone with the touch of a fork. If you love this kind of one-pan Italian braise, my chicken Marsala uses the same technique.

The ingredients that keep the sauce thick and the chicken from drying out

• Chicken parts: Bone-in, skin-on thighs are the cut to use for this braise — the bones add body to the sauce and the fat keeps the meat from toughening as it cooks. Boneless, skinless thighs work too — just reduce the covered cooking time to 15 minutes. Breasts are fine in a pinch but will dry out faster than dark meat, so watch the clock.
• Tomato paste: Not canned tomatoes, not crushed tomatoes. Most cacciatore recipes call for a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. I use a full ⅓ cup, cooked directly into the fat before any liquid goes in. That’s what gives the sauce its deep color and body — and what keeps it from becoming thin and watery as the chicken braises.
• Rosemary: Cacciatore is hunter’s chicken — and rosemary belongs in this sauce the way pine belongs in a forest. Fresh is worth it for its more intense flavor and fragrance; if you’re substituting dried, use half the amount.
• Balsamic vinegar: An all-in-one ingredient that adds both sweetness and acidity without opening a bottle of wine. A good aged balsamic gives the sauce a deeper, slightly sweet finish, while dry red or white wine keeps it brighter and more traditionally Italian. Either works.

One-pan method: Create the sauce as you cook

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Stovetop Chicken Cacciatore — Fork-Tender in One Hour

Karen Tedesco

Authentic chicken cacciatore cooks on the stovetop in one hour, with fork-tender chicken in a thick, savory tomato sauce with chunky mushrooms, bell peppers and rosemary. Don't forget pasta or polenta to capture every drop of the sauce!

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4.94 from 16 ratings

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Chicken

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 servings

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

12-inch saute pan

Recipe Video

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 pounds (1.35 kg) bone-in chicken thighs (6-8 pieces)
• ▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (15 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 thinly sliced shallots, (½ cup)
• ▢ 1 chopped red bell pepper, ( 2-inch pieces)
• ▢ ½ pound (225 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced ½-inch thick
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (15 g) sliced garlic
• ▢ ⅓ cup tomato paste
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) balsamic vinegar, or use a dry red or white wine like pinot noir or pinot grigio
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ▢ ¾ cup (175 ml) chicken broth

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

• Pat 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs (6-8 pieces) dry with a paper towel. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour on both sides, patting off any excess.
• Pour ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil into a large (12-inch) saute or braising pan and place over medium-high heat for a minute or two. When the oil begins to shimmer, arrange the chicken in the pan, skin-side down.
• Cook the chicken until the skin is golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Turn the pieces over and cook another 2 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
• Stir 2 thinly sliced shallots and 1 chopped red bell pepper into the fat in the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add ½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced ½-inch thick and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, 2-3 minutes.
• Add 1 tablespoon sliced garlic, ⅓ cup tomato paste, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary to the pan. Cook one minute, stirring to disperse the tomato paste into the cooking oil. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up over the vegetables. Pour in ¾ cup chicken brothand bring to a simmer.
• Cover the pan and cook 25 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a slow bubble without boiling. Turn the chicken over and cook, uncovered, 10 more minutes. The chicken should be very tender when prodded with a fork.
• Taste the sauce for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining tablespoon chopped rosemary and serve.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

• If substituting boneless, skinless chicken thighs, reduce the covered cooking time to 15 minutes, and proceed with 10 minutes cooking, uncovered.
• Prepared, refrigerated chicken cacciatore tastes delicious up to 3-5 days later.
• Freeze portions in sturdy, leakproof containers up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, or use the defrost function in a microwave.
• Reheat on the stovetop: Cover the pan and place over medium heat about 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 552kcal Carbohydrates: 11g Protein: 34g Fat: 41g Sodium: 381mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 6g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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• Chicken Thighs
• Italian
• Mushrooms
• Slow Cooked

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

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Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.