Chicken Cacciatore

When it comes to Italian cuisine, people usually eat the common dishes such as pasta or pizza etc. We tend to focus more on the cheese, pesto and olives rather than the tangy and tomato infused meat based dishes.

Diversify your palette with this easy and delicious Italian recipe and impress your friends and family with your flair in Italian cookery. Chicken Cacciatore recipe tastes best when it is hot. Store it in a casserole to keep it warm for hours together.

Health benefits

Chicken cacciatore is a very healthy dish as it contains protein, vitamins and minerals abundantly found in the ingredients. You have braised chicken, tomatoes, fresh herbs all cooked in olive oil, which is a huge part of Italian cuisine and almost every dish contains it. Olives have anti-inflammatory properties that are good for the heart. Tomatoes are an integral part of this dish and they contain lycopene which is an essential nutrient for maintaining eye health. Each serving of this dish contains 250 calories.

Ingredients

chicken breasts (boneless and halved): 2

chicken thighs: 4

salt: 2 tsp

tsp ground black pepper: 1

large red bell pepper (chopped): 1

chopped onion: 1

cup all-purpose flour: 1/2

tbsp olive oil: 3

cup apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar: 1/2

garlic cloves, minced: 3

can of diced tomatoes with their juice: 1

cup chicken broth: 3/4

tsp dried oregano leaves: 1 1/2

cup fresh basil: 1/4

tbsp capers: 3

How To Make Chicken Cacciatore

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. You can add more and adjust according to your taste.
2. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to have a light coating.
3. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high flame.
4. Add the chickenand sauté it until it is slightly brown.
5. Transfer the sautéed chicken to a plate and set it aside.
6. In the same pan, add the garlic, bell pepper and onion and sauté over medium heat. Continuesautéing for 5 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add the apple cider vinegar/balsamic vinegar to the pan and simmer it until it is reduced to half.
8. Add in the tomatoes along with their juice and stir well.
9. Add in the chicken broth along with oregano and capers. Stir well until all flavors are infused together.
10. Add in the chicken pieces and let the chicken simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat.
11. Take out the chicken using tongs and place them in a plate.
12. Let the sauce thicken a little for around 2-3 minutes.
13. Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken
14. Garnish with basil.
15. Serve and enjoy! 

Trivia

1. Cacciatore means ‘hunter’ in Italian. Therefore it generally means to cook in ‘hunter style’ along with herbs and tomato sauce. The base of this dish must always have garlic, onions and tomatoes.
2. Chicken is not usually used with pasta in Italian cuisines generally and you would often find meat-based dishes on their own in some sauce in authentic Italian cookery.