Chicken Cacciatore (Italian Chicken Stew)
, Updated Apr 21, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Chicken Cacciatore recipe – this traditional Italian hunter’s stew with chicken, peppers, tomatoes and olives simmered in a rich tomato sauce is hearty and packed with bold flavors. Serve with polenta or crusty bread to soak up that glorious sauce.
Love Italian flavors? Check out my Beef Braciole recipe!
Comfort food, Italian style! We are taking a swift hop from Greece (Chicken Kokkinisto) to Italy this week to add a classic chicken stew to our cozy dinners repertoire. Chicken Cacciatore is a beloved rustic Italian dish of braised chicken in tomato sauce with a powerhouse of aromatics and secret umami ingredients that REALLY bring the flavor!
“So delicious! Loved the strong combos of seasonings: bay leaves, garlic, rosemary, red wine etc… I added kalamata olives and subbed a little fish sauce for the anchovies and used tricolor peppers. Will make again soon.”
– Joanne
What is Cacciatore?
Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora) hails from central Italy, with “cacciatore” meaning “hunter.” As such, this rustic stew was often made with rabbit or game, but these days is most often made with chicken in a rich tomato sauce and a variety of vegetables.
The recipe has many regional variations and every family adds their own twist – you will find Cacciatore made with peppers and mushrooms or with soffritto as the base of the sauce; some cooks prefer red wine, others swear by white wine. Whichever version you make, you can be assured of one thing – this stew is anything but beige!
Here’s What You’ll Need
My version of Chicken Cacciatore cooks relatively quickly, for a stew at least! Once the chicken goes into the sauce, you will only need to simmer for about 30 minutes to achieve maximum tenderness!
- Chicken – I am using chicken leg quarters, the thigh and drumstick attached together, a cut which is also known as chicken Marylands. Dark meat is ideal – chicken thighs or thighs and drumsticks, skin-on and bone-in, are perfect for slow braising.
- Onions and garlic cloves – The aromatic backbone of our stew. The garlic is used whole with the peel on and then the mellow cooked flesh is added to the sauce at the end.
- Peppers – green and red bell peppers cook down to enrich the sauce.
- Tomatoes – I am using a mix of fresh cherry tomatoes and canned tomatoes plus tomato paste… Since these are a key ingredient, use good quality canned peeled or crushed tomatoes for best results.
- Red Wine – A healthy amount is added to add richness and complexity to the cacciatore sauce. Use a Chianti or another dry red.
- Anchovies – Ahhh, our secret flavor booster! Chopped anchovies add incredible flavor without making the stew taste “fishy”. They melt into the sauce and you won’t know they are there… but you will miss them if they are left out. Fans of Puttanesca will be familiar with their powers!
- Olives – Briny, savory black olives (I used Kalamata) cut through the richness and add yet another layer of complexity to the sauce.
- Rosemary – You need a ballsy herb to stand up to all these bold flavors! You can also experiment with other herbs such as oregano or sage.
- Bay leaves – for rich flavor and aroma.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore
Brown the chicken
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt, pepper and pinch crushed red pepper flakes. Dust the chicken with cornstarch (cornflour) and set aside for five minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet (I used my cast iron braiser). Place the chicken on the hot skillet skin-side down and cook over hight heat until golden, about 5-6 minutes. You may need to do this in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Flip over and cook for a minute longer then set aside onto a plate.
Make the sauce
- Turn the heat down and allow the pan to cool a little. Add the onions, whole garlic cloves and bay leaves. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for five minutes. Add the peppers and cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in the anchovies and tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the red wine, increase the heat to high and simmer until the wine is reduced by a third.
- Add the canned tomatoes, half the olives and rosemary sprigs. Stir well and bring to a rolling simmer. Place the chicken back into the pan with any juices released while it was resting. Cook with the pot partially covered for 20 minutes.
- Take the lid off and pick out the garlic cloves – the flesh should now be mellow tasting and very soft. Squeeze out of the skin, mash with a fork and add back into the sauce together with remaining olives. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick and chicken is cooked through.
- Discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Add the remaining olives and scatter with finely chopped rosemary, parsley or oregano. You should not need to add any salt but have a taste just in case.
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
This stew is well suited for the crockpot treatment, but don’t skip the browning! Start the recipe in a separate pan if needed (my slow cooker has a browning function so the entire recipe can be made in it).
Brown the chicken, cook the vegetables, reduce the wine then add everything to the slow cooker, using only ½- ½ cup / 80ml-120ml of red wine. Cook for 3-4 hours on HIGH or 5-6 hours on LOW, or until the chicken is 175°F (75°C) when checked with a meat thermometer.
If the sauce needs further thickening, take the lid off and cook for 30 minutes or stir in some cornstarch slurry.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- SUBSTITUTIONS If you don’t like using alcohol, simply replace the red wine with chicken stock. Anchovies really do add something special here, but if you are not a fan you can replace with a two teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar or fish sauce.
- TOP TIP: Poor quality canned tomatoes are often acidic. Have a taste and stir in a little sugar to balance the flavor if needed.
- WATCH THE SALT: The anchovies and olives will add a lot of saltiness so hold back on adding too much salt until you have a taste at the end.
- LEFTOVERS AND STORAGE: Cooled leftovers keep for 3-4 days in and airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze this stew for up to three months – I usually cut the chicken off the bone and shred it back into the sauce beforehand.
- REHEATING: Simmer gently on the stove until the chicken is heated through, adding a little water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Pollo Cacciatore is considered a second course in Italy (secondo piatto), traditionally a protein-based dish that follows the carbohydrate-rich primo piatto . Italians would probably never serve it with pasta – a vegetable side dish and crusty bread to mop up the sauce would be more authentic.
Buttery polenta, mashed or baked potatoes and rice are not as traditional, but they work well with the rich flavors. And if you want to serve over pasta I will never tell ; )
If you try my Chicken Cacciatore recipe, please drop a comment and rating below – it really helps more readers discover my site. Follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.
Chicken Cacciatore
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 chicken leg quarters (chicken marylands) or see note 1
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes or kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Cacciatore Sauce
- 1 onion , finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic , whole and unpeeled
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 green bell pepper , chopped
- 1 red bell pepper , chopped
- 1 lb (450g) cherry tomatoes , halved see note 2
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp anchovy paste) very finely chopped, see note 3
- ½ cup (250ml) dry red wine
- 14 oz (400g) canned crushed tomatoes or passata
- ½ cup (85g) pitted black olives , divided see note 4
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
To serve
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary or parsley , finely chopped, to garnish
- salt and black pepper , if needed
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt, pepper and pinch crushed red pepper flakes. Dust the chicken with cornstarch (cornflour) and set aside for five minutes.4 chicken leg quarters, 1 tsp sea salt flakes, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet (I used my cast iron braiser). Place the chicken on the hot skillet skin-side down and cook over hight heat until golden, about 5-6 minutes. You may need to do this in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Flip over and cook for a minute longer then set aside onto a plate.3 tbsp olive oil
- Turn the heat down and allow the pan to cool down a little. Add the onions, whole garlic cloves and bay leaves. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for five minutes. At this point you can add the peppers and cherry tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.1 onion, 5 cloves garlic, 4 bay leaves, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 lb (450g) cherry tomatoes
- Stir in the chopped anchovies and tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the red wine, increase the heat back to high and simmer until the wine is reduced slightly and the wine aroma dissipates.1 tbsp tomato paste, 4 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp anchovy paste) , ½ cup (250ml) dry red wine
- Add the canned tomatoes, half the olives, and rosemary sprigs. Stir well and bring to a rolling simmer. Place the chicken back into the pan with any juices released while it was resting. Cook with the pan partially covered for 20 minutes.14 oz (400g) canned crushed tomatoes, ½ cup (85g) pitted black olives, 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
- Take the lid off and pick out the garlic cloves – the flesh should now be mellow tasting and very soft. Squeeze out of the skin, mash with a fork and add back into the sauce together with remaining olives.
- Continue to simmer, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick and chicken is cooked through.
- Discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Add the remaining olives and scatter with finely chopped rosemary or parsley. You should not need to add any salt but have a taste just in case. Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes or simply with some crusty bread.1 tbsp fresh rosemary or parsley, salt and black pepper
Notes
- Note 1: use bone-in skin-on chicken pieces such as thighs and/or drumsticks instead of chicken leg quarters. Chicken breasts are not really suitable here.
- Note 2: You can replace the cherry tomatoes with a second can of crushed tomatoes (so use a total of 28oz / 800g). Add a spoonful of brown sugar if needed to balance the acidity.
- Note 3: Replace the anchovies with a two teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar or fish sauce.
- Note 4: You can use capers instead of the olives if you like.
- Leftovers and storage: Cooled leftovers keep for 3-4 days in airtight containers in the fridge. You can also freeze this stew for up to three months – I usually cut the chicken off the bone and shred it back into the sauce beforehand.
- Reheating instructions: Simmer gently on the stove until the chicken is heated through, adding a little water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Follow steps 1-4 but use minced garlic and ⅓–½ cup / 80ml-120ml of wine or stock. Cook for 3-4 hours on HIGH or 5-6 hours on LOW or until the chicken is 175°F (75°C) when checked with a meat thermometer. If the sauce needs further thickening you can take the lid off and cook for 30 minutes or stir in some cornstarch slurry.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
So delicious! Loved the strong combos of seasonings: bay leaves, garlic, rosemary, red wine etc… I added kalamata olives and subbed a little fish sauce for the anchovies and used tricolor peppers. Will make again soon.
Fantastic Joanne, that sounds perfect, thanks for the comment!