Chicken cacciatore is a traditional Italian chicken recipe, perfect for those who love dishes with bold aromas and flavors.
The chicken is slowly cooked in a tomato sauce with various herbs and vegetables, enriched with red wine and aromatic spices, offering a blend of flavors that “unfold” as the dish simmers.
Try this wonderful recipe by Chef Giorgos Tsoulis — it’s perfect for a cozy dinner or a special holiday meal.
Chicken Cacciatore
Giorgos Tsoulis
Rustic, hearty, and full of Mediterranean flavor, this Chicken Cacciatore combines tender chicken pieces with bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and herbs in a rich tomato-wine sauce. A classic Italian comfort dish perfect for a cozy dinner.
Sear the chicken: Heat olive oil in a large deep pan over high heat. Sauté the chicken pieces in batches, skin-side down first, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Once the chicken is browned, use tongs to transfer it to a plate. In the same pan, add the onion, garlic, peppers, and bacon, and sauté for about 2–3 minutes, until the peppers soften.
Add the mushrooms and continue sautéing for another 1–2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, continue cooking for 1 minute to develop the flavor., and then return the chicken to the pan.
Deglaze and simmer: Return the chicken to the pan. Deglaze with red wine and cook until the alcohol evaporates (1–2 minutes). Add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, bay leaf, rosemary, basil, and olives. Stir to combine.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 35–40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens.
Remove the bay leaf, adjust seasoning, and serve hot — ideally with crusty bread, pasta, or polenta.
Notes
Chef’s tip: Always brown the chicken in batches — it helps build deep flavor in the pan and prevents steaming
Celebrity Chef Giorgos Tsoulis specializes in modern Mediterranean cuisine and his recipes are widely appreciated not just in Greece and Cyprus but also around the world.
He has been the executive chef of numerous successful Greek restaurants, while at the same time hosting many popular culinary TV shows in Greece and Cyprus. Giorgos Tsoulis is passionate about educating his fans in more sustainable and healthy cooking and eating while making the most of the flavors of the ingredients.
As sustainable cuisine ambassador for WWF Hellas, he plays a key role in cooking activations that relate to the European #Eat4Change program, as well as the #Farm2Fork program.
