Chicken Cacciatore – a classic Italian chicken dish in a rich and rustic red sauce oozing with comforting, warm flavors and lovely aroma. This is the kind of recipe that the entire family would look froward to! PLUS a sneak peek of my new Cafe Appliances.

It was just EXACTLY what I wanted – stylish and chic! I can’t wait to get it everything together. I know it’s a work in progress, but will get it functional very soon. So stay tuned.

You probably know by now that I spend most of my time in my kitchen preparing meals for my small family, savoring some “me-and-my-food” downtime, and doing blog-related stuff. It’s my kind of my “playground” and office at the same time!

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel more pumped up when my work area somehow connects with me. Café Appliances’ easy kitchen appliance customization lets modern day women create their dream kitchen space that matches their personality and usage.

For a slick and stylish feel, I went with matte black and brushed bronze combination. A pop of bronze in each appliances makes it even more classy yet fun. Heck, you can easily match your OOTD with your kitchen’s when entertaining. 

These are just two of the kitchens we toured in Louisville… MY dream kitchen! Goals!!

(I’m already planning out my outfits when entertaining this Holiday Season). Yep! Customizing your appliances according to your personal style has never been this easy.

Stay tune in the coming weeks  as I share with you photos and videos of my new appliances (you’ll get to see behind-the-scenes for the VERY first time 🙂 ) which I’ll be sharing here on the blog and on my social media channels. To check out more stunning kitchen designs and modern appliances, please visit Café Appliances official website at www.cafeappliances.com or follow them on Instagram and on Pinterest.

For the meantime, let’s dig in with these classic and easy Italian chicken dish.

What is chicken cacciatore?

This rustic chicken cacciatore dish is one of those easy to prepare  meals that could easily bring a family together. Just by it’s warm aroma, you’ll know this dish is seriously good. 

Cacciatore (pronounced as kattʃaˈtoːre) means “hunter” in Italian. In cuisines, alla cacciatora is a meal cooked in a “hunter-style” with onions, herbs, tomatoes, bell peppers and sometimes wine. 

It starts by browning the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side, followed by sauteing onion, garlic, oregano, mushrooms and Italian Seasoning. Some recipes don’t use tomatoes for the sauce, but I just find it richer to combine the tomatoes with the dry wine and chicken stock.

You’ll get juicy and tender chicken simmered and soaked in an extraordinaire tomato cacciatore sauce.

Baked Chicken Cacciatore

There are two ways to cook this easy-to-throw-together meal. You can let it simmer and cooked through on a stove top or bake it in the oven for a total of an hour and plus. What matters here is that you never skip the browning part as it helps build big flavors when you braise it into the savory tomato-based sauce. Pure classic comfort food!

I happen to use chicken thighs for this recipe because, oh well, I simply love them. But you can easily switch it up with whole cut up chicken or a mix of your favorite chicken parts. Just make sure you leave that skin on or you’ll miss some good nuggets in there. 😉

What to serve with chicken cacciatore?

Chicken cacciatore is a perfect weekend meal that is so versatile. You can serve it with warm rice (oohhh..that thickened sauce soaking the rice is heaven!), with some pasta, mashed potatoes or serve it on top of a polenta.

A little sprinkling of grated Parmesan won’t hurt, too. For a healthier option, you may serve this over zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice or steamed veggies. Go with whatever suits your preference just like Café Appliances mix-and-match kitchen appliances.

Enjoy!

 

Tips and Notes:

1. You may substitute chicken thighs here with whole cut up chicken or a mix of your favorite chicken part.
2. Make sure to squeeze or break up whole canned tomatoes OR you can replace it with the diced variety.
3. You can absolutely make this chicken cacciatore a day ahead. Actually, it taste better the following day. Simply cook it as per directions, cool it down completely and store in the fridge covered. Then reheat over low-medium heat the next day.
4. It’s also freezer-friendly, too, just like most soups and stews. After it has cooled down completely, transfer it in an airtight container and freeze. Just don’t forget to thaw it out and bring to room temperature on the day of serving. Then transfre it to a skillet and reheat on low-medium heat.

This post  is sponsored by Cafe Appliances – Customizable appliances for Modern Day Cooks -Design your appliances around your style  

 

 

How to Make Chicken Cacciatore

Wipe chicken thighs with paper napkin, then season with salt and Italian seasoning. Heat a large cast iron or skillet (I used 12 inch skillet), over medium-high heat, add the oil. As soon as oil heats up add chicken chicken skin side up and brown for about 3-4 minutes each on each side, be very careful with the chicken, it shouldn’t burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add about 1 tablespoon more oil, if desired, then add onions saute for about 2 minutes scraping any brown bits of chicken from the pan.

Next add minced garlic, oregano, mushrooms and Italian seasoning continue, cooking for about 3-4 minutes.

Stir in wine, tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. 

Then return chicken with all it’s juice back to the skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Simmer for about and 35 minutes , then add bell pepper, pitted olives and cook , covered for about 20 minutes or more , until cooked through.

Remove and serve with pasta , then garnish with parsley or basil. (See recipe box for the Oven-Method).