Classic Chicken Cacciatore

An authentic Italian recipe for chicken braised in a rustic tomato sauce so tender it falls off the bone perfect over pasta or risotto. 

We so grown.

That’s what Husband and I keep saying to each other these days. Like yesterday when I popped out back to clip some of the fresh herbs we actually grew. I walked by and said Oh, what’s that? Yeah, I’m just out here harvesting some of this basil I grew all by myself to use on this amazing chicken cacciatore I’m cooking.

And Husband proudly said, we so grown.

I tossed the pasta with the sauce and threw it all back in the pan to serve this family-style

I look at us on the weekends now happily working on the house and yard, shuttling the kids to and from sports and activities and think man, we are so grown up now.

Our weekends used to be about sleeping in and going out and now we’re so… domestic. We get excited about perennials and little league.

And I get really excited about putting something like this on the table! The chicken stews in the tomato sauce and literally falls off the bone. It’s a perfect Sunday dinner because you can throw it in the oven (or crock pot!) and forget about it.

Then we can go do something awesome like go to the dump. That’s our new “us time”. We load up his truck with the carnage of all our yard work and ride to the dump together with the windows rolled down listening to the hair band mix CD we bought at the gas station.

Ahhh… good times.

And p.s… I’m always so impressed with the amount of heavy limbs and debris he can muckle onto and heave around with his big ol’ muscles and strong self. I always stand back and think that’s right, y’all, look at that sexy man! He’s a beast! And he’s all mine! At the dump with Skid Row playing in the background.

We so grown.

Classic Chicken Cacciatore

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

prep time: 15 Mcook time: 1 H & 30 Mtotal time: 1 H & 45 M

An authentic Italian recipe for chicken braised a rustic tomato sauce so tender it falls off the bone perfect over pasta or risotto.

ingredients:

• 8-10 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and legs
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

instructions:

How to cook Classic Chicken Cacciatore

1. Season chicken pieces liberally with salt and pepper. Add enough olive oil to a large skillet to coat the bottom then heat over medium-high heat. Do NOT use a cast iron skillet for this as it will react to the red wine and possibly tomatoes. Once the oil is hot, add chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Cook in batches so not to overcrowd the pan. Set browned chicken pieces aside.
2. Add green pepper and onion to pan then sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste and garlic then continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add red wine to deglaze the pan and cook for about 7-8 minutes or until wine is reduced by half.
3. Add tomatoes (undrained), sugar, Italian seasoning, oregano and red pepper and stir well. Continue cooking until bubbly then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired. If your pan is oven-proof and large enough, add chicken pieces (if not, simply pour the sauce into a baking dish then add chicken) cover with aluminum foil then bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove foil, baste chicken with sauce then continue cooking for 30-45 minutes or until skin has absorbed the sauce and started to crisp.
4. Let dish rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
5. Serve with pasta. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil if desired. I serve mine family-style by removing the chicken from the sauce, stirring the pasta into the sauce then replacing the chicken to the dish atop the pasta.

NOTES:

You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts if desired (not boneless, skinless as they will overcook and be dry) but reduce initial cook time to 45 minutes.
You can finish this in a crock pot if desired. Instead of placing the dish in the oven, finish cooking in the crock pot for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2015/05/chicken-cacciatore.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth

chicken, cacciatore, italian, rustic, authentic, traditional, best, braised, slow cooker, crock pot, baked, wine, thighs, legs, how to, recipe

Supper, Dinner, Chicken

Italian

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This recipe was shared at the Weekend Potluck!

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