Easy Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore is an old rustic Italian recipe that dates back to the middle ages. Translated it means “chicken hunter style”. It was originally done with rabbits that the hunters caught and the veggies were wild onions and mushrooms.
Tomatoes hadn’t arrived from the “New World” yet.
The hunters used to bring wine along on their forays, Surprised? They carried the wine in the old flasks made of animal skin or bladders. And would add a bit of wine to the cacciatore.
It has become one of the most varied recipes of all time. Lots of people are very sure that their way is the only way.
When I was a little kid back in New Jersey our neighbor, “Nan” Paparella, and her big dog, “Baron”, used to day care my sister and I while our mom was at work. Nan would sing beautifully in Italian while she was cooking and Baron would follow us around making sure we were ok.
For cacciatore she would just fry the pieces of chicken in a skillet and when the second side was almost done she would add some onions, and sometimes some peppers, let them cook a little and add some canned tomatoes or some leftover marinara sauce . It was real good.
We had our granddaughter and our two great granddaughters over for dinner the other night…..
…….and I made us some chicken cacciatore.
And, like Sinatra sang, “I did it my way”
Let’s put this Easy Chicken Cacciatore together
What we need
- Chicken – breasts or thighs – Skinless and boneless or bone in skin on – whatever you have will work
- A large skillet
- olive oil
- Salt and papper
- Garlic powder
- mushrooms – fresh or canned
- basil – fresh or dried
- Onion
- garlic
- rosemary – fresh or dried
- capers
- wine – white or red
- tomato sauce – or canned tomatoes or chopped fresh
Put a large skillet or sauté pan on at medium high and swirl in enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces and fry them until done. About 3-5 minutes a side depending on how thick they are. Put them aside in a dish that will catch the drippings.
These are tonights veggies, etc. Mushrooms, capers, marinara sauce, wine, rosemary, basil, onions and garlic.
Put everything else, except the marinara sauce and the wine, in the skillet. Lightly sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Stir it all up with a wooden spoon scraping the bits off the bottom. Stir a couple of more times as it all cooks.
When the onions are starting to show signs of wilting a little add the wine – white or red – and let it simmer and reduce a little – about 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes – or sauce – stir it all together and put the chicken and the drippings back in. Turn the chicken pieces over a few times as they heat back up.
When the sauce has reduced and thickened up a little – about 3 minutes – serve and enjoy your Easy Chicken Cacciatore.
Bon Appetito!!!
Some Chianti and some of Poppop’s easy homemade bread of course!!
Easy Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or any other cuts of chicken will work
- salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- 1/2 medium onion cut into strips
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons dried
- 6 large chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons dried
- 6 large cloves fresh garlic very coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup wine white or red
- 2 cups marinara sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
Instructions
- Put a large skillet or sauté pan on at medium high and swirl in enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces and fry them until done. About 3-5 minutes a side depending on how thick they are. Put them aside in a dish that will catch the drippings.
- Put everything else, except the marinara sauce and the wine, in the skillet. Lightly sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Stir it all up with a wooden spoon scraping the bits off the bottom. Stir a couple of more times as it all cooks.When the onions are starting to show signs of wilting a little add the wine - white or red - and let it simmer and reduce a little - about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes - or sauce - stir it all together and put the chicken and the drippings back in. Turn the chicken pieces over a few times as they heat back up. When the sauce has reduced and thickened up a little - about 3 minutes - serve and enjoy your Easy Chicken Cacciatore.
