This is our family favorite chicken cacciatore recipe I grew up eating on Sundays. Chicken thighs braise in rich, homemade tomato sauce with peppers.

I was really lucky growing up, almost all of my meals (breakfast, lunch AND dinner) were home-cooked. My mom did almost all of the cooking, but on weekends, my dad could be found by the stove making his famous chicken cacciatore.

I always loved helping my parents in the kitchen. My mom enjoys baking and breakfast foods, no one makes a better pancake, quick bread, or bundt cake. My dad loves Italian and Mediterranean flavors. You can usually find him by the grill with lots of protein and veggies, or slaving over some sort of pasta sauce.

My dad and I joke that there MUST be some secret Italian member of our family…but there’s not. We’re just a bunch of Irish blokes wishing our ancestors had more culinary expertise. We’re making up for it 🙂

Anywho, on Sunday nights, my dad usually gave my mom a night off in the kitchen. I’d walk downstairs from my room and Kenny G would be blaring from the speakers and he’d be moving around the kitchen. “What’s for dinner, daddy-o?”, I’d say. The reply was most often “chicken catch-my-tory” (aka chicken cacciatore in dad speak).

We love a good Italian dish in our home and in my opinion, these dishes can easily be elevated with venison. My Venison Pasta Bake or Venison Bolognese are two of my go-to recipes especially when hosting. The Tuscan Sausage Pasta is one of our family favorites and comes together so easily. One of my summer favorites is this Summer Pasta with Rosé and Tomatoes.

WHAT IS CHICKEN CACCIATORE?

Traditional chicken cacciatore is a rustic Italian dish made from braising chicken thighs in tomato sauce. Commonly, green peppers are involved. My dad always cubed our chicken and peppers, making everything bite-sized, which was probably easier when we were little. So, that’s still how I make it today.

INGREDIENTS AND KITCHEN TOOLS

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

Olive oil

Onion

Green bell peppers

Garlic cloves

Italian seasoning

Sugar

Salt

Pepper

Red wine

Diced tomatoes

Tomato sauce

Pasta or zoodles, for serving

Kitchen Tools:

For this recipe you are going to want a good wooden (for your veggies) and plastic cutting board (for cutting your chicken). You’re going to need a large skillet and measuring spoons and cups.

STEP BY STEP

Step 1: Once you have the chicken cubed into large bite-sized pieces, add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown it all over, this takes about 8-10 minutes.

Step 2: Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and add the onions and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes until they start to soften, and then add the garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.

Step 3: Deglaze the pan with the wine and allow it to cook down and cook out the alcohol for about 3 minutes. Then, add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix everything together well and add the chicken back to the pan.

Step 4: Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and turn it down to simmer for at least 20 minutes. And hour or two is better.

Step 5: When you’re ready to serve, ladle a heaping serving of the chicken, veggies and sauce over al-dente pasta, veggie noodles or a mixture of both.

HOW TO SERVE CHICKEN CACCIATORE

To my understanding, traditionally it is served on it’s own. Some recipes call for whole or breaded whole chicken thighs, so it’s really a great main dish as it.

But, we serve it over pasta. Because why not. I like rigatoni, but I’ve had this over just every pasta under the sun. Spaghetti is also especially good. So, we may move a bit from the traditional way of preparing and serving this hearty, healthy and filling dish, but it sure is easy…and crazy delicious. You could also serve it over rice!

STORING AND REHEATING CHICKEN CACCIATORE

This recipe stores super easily. Just allow it to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days!

OTHER EASY DINNER RECIPES

Dinner doesn’t have to be a challenge. If you are on the hunt for quick and easy dinner recipes I highly suggest my Venison stir fry or my Venison Egg Roll in a Bowl (which you can easily make with ground beef or turkey). Made in one pan, this dish comes together in no time. We also love taking taco Tuesday to the next level with these Venison fajitas or Venison tacos. Another quick and easy dinner that we can’t live without is my Venison stuffed peppers. For more inspo and amazing recipes, grab a copy of my bestselling cookbook, Venison Every Day!

Did you make this recipe? Come tag me and share a picture with me on Instagram!

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