A rustic Italian braised chicken dish featuring tender chicken pieces simmered in a rich tomato sauce with bell peppers, onions, and aromatic herbs. This one-pan classic is a comforting, flavorful meal that's perfect for weeknight dinners or entertaining.
Serve over egg noodles, pappardelle, polenta, or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. For a lighter version, use skinless chicken breasts and reduce cooking time to 20-25 minutes.
Can be made 1-2 days ahead; flavors improve as it sits. Store covered in refrigerator.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 4 Skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 medium Yellow onion
- 1 Red bell pepper
- 1 Yellow bell pepper
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 28 oz Crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- ½ cup Dry white wine
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Dried basil
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 4 Skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 medium Yellow onion
- 1 Red bell pepper
- 1 Yellow bell pepper
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 28 oz Crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- ½ cup Dry white wine
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Dried basil
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives
Instructions
Prepare the chicken
Pat Skin-on chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
Season both sides generously with Salt and Black pepper.
Equipment: paper towels
Heat the oil
Heat Olive oil (2 tbsp) in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Equipment: large skillet, Dutch oven, Large skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch)
Brown the chicken
Working in batches if needed, place Skin-on chicken thighs skin-side down in the hot oil.
Cook until the skin is golden brown.
Flip and cook the other side until browned.
Transfer to a plate.
Equipment: large skillet, plate
Sauté the vegetables
Reduce heat to medium.
Add diced Yellow onion (1 medium) and Red bell pepper and Yellow bell pepper to the same skillet.
Sauté until softened.
Equipment: large skillet, Large skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch)
Add aromatics
Add minced Garlic (4 cloves) and Tomato paste (2 tbsp) to the skillet.
Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Equipment: large skillet, Large skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch)
Deglaze with wine
Pour in Dry white wine (½ cup).
Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to deglaze and release any browned bits.
Equipment: large skillet, wooden spoon, Large skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch), Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Add sauce ingredients
Add Crushed tomatoes (28 oz) Chicken broth (1 cup) Dried oregano (1 tsp) Dried basil (1 tsp) Red pepper flakes (½ tsp) and Bay leaf.
Stir to combine.
Equipment: large skillet
Return chicken and bring to simmer
Return Skin-on chicken thighs to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce.
Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Equipment: large skillet, Large skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch)
Simmer until cooked through
Reduce heat to low and cover partially with a lid.
Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender (165°F is the safe minimum; bone-in thighs are most tender at 175°F or higher).
Equipment: large skillet, lid
Finish and adjust seasoning
Stir in the Kalamata olives if using.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Remove the Bay leaf.
Equipment: large skillet
Garnish and serve
Garnish with Fresh parsley.
Serve hot over pasta, polenta, or with crusty bread.
Tomorrow's Meal
Chicken Cacciatore Melts
Leftover cacciatore chicken and sauce piled on rolls with provolone and toasted in a buttered skillet like a grilled sandwich.
You'll need to pick up:
Sandwich rolls or ciabattaSliced provolone or mozzarella1 tbsp butter
Quick overview:
- 1.Pull the leftover chicken off the bones and shred it, then warm it in a small skillet with a few spoonfuls of leftover sauce until steaming hot
- 2.Split the rolls and layer the chicken and sauce with sliced cheese
- 3.Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the sandwiches
- 4.Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bread is golden and the cheese melts
- 5.Slice in half and serve with extra warm sauce for dipping
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Can be made 1-2 days ahead; flavors improve as it sits. Store covered in refrigerator.
- • Serve over egg noodles, pappardelle, polenta, or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
- • For a lighter version, use skinless chicken breasts and reduce cooking time to 20-25 minutes.
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