This Chicken Cacciatore is made by slowly cooking chicken in a delicate white wine and San Marzano Tomato Sauce along with mushrooms, onions, red peppers, and asparagus.
The best thing about chicken cacciatore is the flavor that the chicken fat adds to the sauce. After being cooked together with the chicken on low heat for an hour, the sauce becomes thin and extra savory.
I prefer using cans of San Marzano tomatoes blended in a blender so that the sauce is smooth and super simple, and all the flavor comes from the fat from the chicken.
I added asparagus, which is not traditional for chicken cacciatore, but I always crave some added green vegetables, and asparagus fits really well. Feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed to make this Chicken Cacciatore Recipe and a few tips for each one.
- Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil if possible.
- Yellow Onion: Small dice, this way the pieces of onion melt into the sauce and "disappear" into the dish.
- White Mushrooms: I slice them into thick pieces so that those who don't like mushrooms can easily put them to the side.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic adds lots of flavor to the sauce.
- White Wine: Use a dry white wine that you wouldn't mind drinking on its own. If you prefer not to cook with wine, you can leave this out.
- San Marzano Tomatoes: These are by far the best canned tomatoes in terms of flavor (they get their flavor because they grow in the volcanic ash of Mt. Vesuvius, which we climbed when visiting!)
- Chicken: Use a whole chicken quartered, which is much easier than using an actual whole chicken. Alternatively, you can use a few chicken pieces as long as they are bone-in and skin-on.
- Oregano, Basil, Salt, Bay Leaves: Spices that add flavor and can be adjusted to your taste preference.
- Red Bell Peppers: Any color bell pepper works, but red peppers are slightly sweeter.
- Asparagus: Adds some green to the dish.
- For Serving: Pasta, Polenta, Farro, Rice, or Barley: These are all great options for serving along with the Chicken Cacciatore. We most often make whole wheat pasta (rigatoni is great if you can find it), or barley.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore
Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Chicken Cacciatore with San Marzano Tomato Sauce.
Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Step 1. Sauté the Onions: Bring a large Dutch Oven to medium heat. (This is a setting of "4" out of "10" on an electric stove or the equivalent on a gas stove.) Add the olive oil, allow to warm through for 1 minute, then add the onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.
Step 2. Add the Mushrooms: Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they start to release their juices.
Step 3. Add the Garlic: Add the garlic and additional olive oil if needed, and cook for another 1-2 minutes while stirring.
Step 4. Assemble the Dish: Blend the two cans of San Marzano tomatoes. Add about a cup of sauce to the bottom of the pot. Arrange the chicken pieces on top. Then add the remaining sauce and the spices. Shimmy gently to incorporate the spices.
Step 5. Slow Cook: Bring the pot to a simmer, cover, and simmer for roughly 1 hour or until the chicken is fully cooked and begins to fall off the bone.
Step 6. Shred the Chicken & Add the Peppers and Asparagus. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and dice/shred the meat, discarding the skin, excess fat, and bones.
Meanwhile, add the peppers and cook at a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for 3 to 5 more minutes until the asparagus is tender but still crisp. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir to combine with the sauce.
🍴How to Serve, Store, and Freeze
- To Serve: Serve over pasta, polenta, rice, farro, or barley. Or turn these Pull Apart Dinner Rolls into garlic bread to serve alongside the dish.
- To Store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. This dish is excellent for leftovers.
- To Freeze: Consider fishing out any peppers or asparagus before freezing this dish. Unlike the rest of the dish, these vegetables will not reheat well. Otherwise, store in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave or stovetop, or let thaw in the fridge overnight. Adding freshly cooked vegetables if desired.
✏️ Additional Notes:
- Bell Peppers: I like to add the red bell peppers in at the end so that they don't get mushy. I prefer a slightly soft, mostly crisp red pepper.
- Rao's Marinara Alternative: One way to shave a little bit of time off this recipe is to use a jar of Rao's marinara sauce. I like using San Marzano tomatoes and blending it into a smooth sauce because it is light, simple, and super flavorful. However, Rao's also has one of the simplest, best jarred tomato sauces (very few ingredients, very tasty sauce) and is a great alternative.
- Salad First: Consider serving this with a salad first to fit in plenty of green vegetables, like this Spanish Salad.
- Super Simplify: One final idea for making this SUPER simple: Add the chicken to a large pot. Pour over 1-2 jars of Rao's sauce, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook slowly until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over pasta. Done. You don't have to add any of the onions, mushrooms, or veggies. They definitely add flavor and depth, but in a pinch, when kids are jumping on the couch one room over and tackling each other, and your brain is a bit fuzzy, this is a good way to go.
💖 For More Dinner Recipes, You May Love These
If you've tried this Chicken Cacciatore Recipe or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Chicken Cacciatore with San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more if needed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 10 oz white mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 28oz cans San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 whole chicken, quartered, bone in, skin on
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut at an angle into 1 inch pieces
- pasta, polenta, farro, rice, or barley for serving
Instructions
- Add two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to a large pot or Dutch Oven at medium-low heat (a setting of "4" out of "10" on an electric stove or the equivalent on a gas stove). Sauté the onions for 3-5 minutes until soft and starting to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes until they start to release their juices.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup white wine and allow to simmer and cook off for about 5 minutes.
- Add the San Marzano tomatoes to a blender and blend until smooth, about 15 seconds. Add a small amount of the sauce to the Dutch Oven. Then layer on the chicken pieces and cover with the remaining sauce.
- Add the oregano, basil, salt, and bay leaves. Use a spatula to gently distribute the spices in the sauce.
- Cover, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 1 hour or until the meat begins to fall off the bone.
- Remove the chicken, shred into pieces adding the chicken back to the Dutch Oven, discarding the bones and skin.
- Add the peppers to the Dutch Oven and cook for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for 3-5 minutes depending on how thick the asparagus is.
- Serve over pasta, polenta, farro, rice, or barley, adding additional salt to taste.
Notes
- Yellow Onion: Small dice or even mince, this way the pieces of onion melt into the sauce and "disappear" into the dish.
- White Mushrooms: I slice them into thick pieces so that those who don't like mushrooms can easily put them to the side.
- White Wine: If you prefer not to cook with wine, you can leave this out. Use a dry white wine that you wouldn't mind drinking on its own.
- Rao's Marinara Alternative: One way to shave a little bit of time off this recipe is to use a jar of Rao's marinara sauce. I like using San Marzano tomatoes and blending them into a smooth sauce because it is light, simple, and super flavorful. However, Rao's also has one of the simplest, best jarred tomato sauces (very few ingredients, very tasty sauce)
- Bell Peppers: I like to add the red bell peppers in at the end so that they don't get mushy. I prefer a slightly soft, mostly crisp red pepper.
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