Chicken cacciatore is a stew of chicken and vegetables simmered in a delicious tomato and wine sauce. Following this basic recipe outline there are tons of possible variations. This is the version we’ve come up with and it’s our favorite so far.

Our version is lighter than a lot of recipes because it doesn’t involve breading the chicken before cooking it. The chicken is cooked in a little olive oil and then added back in later. The tomatoes and wine create such a flavorful sauce that the little bit of extra flavor from browning the meat isn’t necessary. Plus it makes the dish gluten-free.

I love all of the vegetables in this stew. It’s packed with carrots, peppers, sweet onions and mushrooms. They add so much flavor and color to the dish plus nutrients too. Oregano and garlic add an extra boost of savoriness that deliciously complements all of the vegetables and the chicken too.

This makes a big pot of stew so if you aren’t a fan of leftovers or you aren’t feeding a crowd make sure to cut the recipe in half. This is great served with pasta or polenta. I’ll be posting my easy polenta recipe soon. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

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Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken and vegetables simmered in a tomato and wine sauce.

Servings: 14 cups

Ingredients

• 4 pounds chicken cut into ¼ inch strips
• 2 large sweet onions diced
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 3 cups sliced carrots, 6 - 8 carrots depending on size
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 ½ cups dry red wine
• 1- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 20 ounces sliced white mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, optional
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the chicken (in at least a 6 quart Dutch oven) over medium heat with a little extra virgin olive oil until it’s cooked.
2. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
3. Add the onions to the pot and cook a few minutes, adding a little more oil if necessary.
4. Add the carrots and peppers and cook until the onions are slightly brown.
5. Add the oregano and garlic and cook 1 minute.
6. Add the wine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

7. Add the chicken, tomatoes and black pepper and simmer over medium low heat for 30 - 40 minutes.

8. Add the mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes.
9. If the sauce is thin mix the cornstarch with a little water and add to the pot, cooking about 5 more minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
10. Salt to taste