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Mary's Chicken Cacciatore — Fresh homemade recipe photo

Mary's Chicken Cacciatore

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I first made Mary's Chicken Cacciatore at a friend's house last winter when I'd forgotten what to bring. She ladled it over polenta with the kind of confidence that comes from years of making this dish, and something about the way the tomatoes clung to every piece of chicken told me immediately this was one worth learning.
What keeps it in my regular rotation isn't any fancy technique — it's that you can get dinner on the table without standing over a hot stove for an hour. I brown the chicken first, which builds flavor faster than most shortcuts, then toss everything together and let it simmer while I handle salad or bread. The sauce thickens beautifully on its own; I never bother reducing it further.
One small thing that made this click for me: don't skip browning the chicken pieces before adding them to the sauce. You'll get a richer, deeper flavor in about five extra minutes of active time. And if you have leftover sauce (which happens more often than not), stir it into pasta the next day — it's almost better as leftovers.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 380
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs total)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb chicken breasts cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 large breasts)
For the sauce
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 bell peppers any mix of red and green, sliced thin
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 6 fresh basil leaves torn

Method
 

  1. Season and brown the chicken. Pat chicken thighs and pieces completely dry with paper towels (this is crucial for good browning). Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown chicken thighs skin-side down for 4-5 minutes until golden, then flip and brown the other side for 2 more minutes. Remove to a plate.
  2. Build the sauce base. In the same pot, add diced onion and cook with a pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant — don't let it burn.
  3. Sauté vegetables. Add sliced bell peppers and mushrooms to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes until peppers begin to soften. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Deglaze. Pour in white wine (or broth) and stir vigorously for 30 seconds until most liquid has evaporated.
  5. Combine everything. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, rosemary sprigs, and torn basil leaves to the pot. Return browned chicken pieces back into the sauce. Stir gently to coat.
  6. Simmer. Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover loosely and cook for 25-30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest part of the chicken. The sauce should have thickened and reduced slightly — you'll see it clinging more to the sides than when you started.
  7. Finish. Remove rosemary sprigs before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve over polenta, rice, or pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 32gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 620mgPotassium: 780mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 85mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 4mg

Notes

Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth — it will loosen nicely. The sauce freezes well too; portion it into containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
Substitutions: Chicken breasts work great but cook faster (check at 20 minutes). You can use boneless thighs if you prefer less active cooking time — just reduce simmering to about 15-20 minutes. Sherry instead of white wine works beautifully, or skip the wine entirely and add more broth.
Serving suggestions: This pairs wonderfully with crusty bread for soaking up sauce, creamy polenta (which I always make when serving this), or simple egg pasta tossed in the extra sauce. A light green salad balances the richness nicely.

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