Chicken Cacciatore
Quick answer
Chicken cacciatore is an Italian countryside dish where chicken pieces are seared hard in olive oil until deeply browned, then braised over low heat for forty minutes wit...
What makes this special
- Chicken pieces sear hard first, then braise forty minutes in tomatoes, red wine, olives, and capers until the sauce thickens.
- Deep sear on chicken pieces releases Maillard flavor into the tomato sauce
- Capers and black olives temper tomato acidity with brine
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Pat 1 kg chicken pieces very dry, then season evenly with salt and pepper.
- 2 Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat.
- 3 Add 1 sliced onion to the same pot and cook over medium heat for about 2 min...
Chicken cacciatore is an Italian countryside dish where chicken pieces are seared hard in olive oil until deeply browned, then braised over low heat for forty minutes with onion, garlic, canned tomatoes, black olives, capers, red wine, and thyme. The initial sear in a very hot pan triggers a Maillard reaction on the skin and surface of the meat; those browned flavors dissolve into the braising liquid and dramatically deepen the sauce as it simmers. Red wine is added and simmered for two minutes to cook off the alcohol before the remaining ingredients go in, leaving only the acidity and fruit character of the wine to layer with the tomato. The briny, savory taste of the olives and the tart, floral sharpness of the capers keep the sweetness of the canned tomatoes in check, while thyme runs as a steady, quiet herbal thread throughout. This dish improves substantially when reheated the next day, as the flavors penetrate further into the meat overnight. Leftover braising sauce is excellent tossed with pasta or spooned over soft polenta.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Pat 1 kg chicken pieces very dry, then season evenly with salt and pepper.
If the pieces are very cold, let them stand for about 10 minutes so they brown more evenly instead of cooling the pan.
- 2Control
Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken skin-side down first and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply browned, then remove it from the pot.
- 3Control
Add 1 sliced onion to the same pot and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits.
Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute more, stirring so the garlic softens without burning.
- 4Control
Pour in 150 ml red wine and boil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom as the wine reduces, and continue until the sharp alcohol smell softens.
- 5Season
Add 400 g canned tomatoes, 80 g black olives, 2 teaspoons capers, and 3 thyme sprigs.
Return the browned chicken to the pot, arranging the pieces so they sit about halfway submerged in the sauce.
- 6Finish
Braise over low heat for 40 minutes with the lid partly open, keeping the sauce at a gentle simmer.
When the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened, adjust with salt and pepper and finish with chopped parsley.
After the steps
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