Baked Chicken Cacciatore

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on

21 Comments

4.86 from 7 votes
6 servings
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
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Baked Chicken Cacciatore is a tasty easy weeknight dinner with chicken thighs baked in a thick homemade tomato sauce with garlic, bell peppers and celery.

Easy Baked Chicken Thighs are a delicious weeknight dinner that you can make in less than an hour. This Italian Recipe is a tasty way to make a family favorite even better.

Baked Chicken Cacciatore close up view

BAKED CHICKEN CACCIATORE

The only thing better than traditional Italian food is when you can make those delicious recipes a little easier on yourself. This easy Baked Chicken Cacciatore is made in just a pan and a baking dish, starting on the stove top and then finishing in the oven. You still get all the lovely flavor from braising the chicken with less clean up and time.

Baked Chicken Cacciatore has all the authentic ingredients you normally find in this classic Italian dish. A hearty well seasoned homemade marinara, or thick tomato sauce, braises the bone-in chicken thighs so they are tender and flavorful. Quickly searing the chicken before gives this dish an even richer flavor.

The tomato sauce for Baked Chicken Cacciatore is super easy thanks to canned tomatoes. These inexpensive pantry staples are great to have on hand whenever you are craving Italian food. With a little bit of extra seasoning, olive oil, and garlic, you have a rich sauce without all the preservatives in a jar of pasta sauce.

EASY SIDE DISH RECIPES TO SERVE WITH BAKED CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Traditional Baked Chicken Cacciatore uses wine in the sauce, either a dry red or white wine. If you would rather not cook with wine, you can substitute chicken stock or beef stock. If you want to use red wine, go with Pinot Noir or Merlot. For dry white wine, use Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

This delicious Italian dish goes best with starchy sides, aka grains or pasta, that can soak up that extra sauce. Serve your Baked Chicken Cacciatore with White Rice, Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Polenta, or a lightly buttered pasta. For an easy side that brings out the mushroom flavors of this dish, try it with Slow Cooker Mushroom Rice!

Baked Chicken Cacciatore top-down view in baking dish

VARIATIONS ON BAKED CHICKEN CACCIATORE

  • Chicken: If you want to use a whole fryer chicken (cut into pieces), increase the ingredients by another third so there is enough sauce. Bone-in, skin-on chicken is best for this recipe. Chicken Breasts take longer to cook, so make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
  • Meat: Try this dish with beef roast or pork loin. Just make sure the meat has a higher fat content so it stays juicy when searing.
  • Veggies: Use your favorite fresh veggies in Baked Chicken Cacciatore. Try chopped zucchini, carrots, summer squash, eggplant, or mushrooms. 
  • Olives: Try adding kalamata olives, green olives, or ripe black olives when you add in the tomatoes. If you like them, add 1 tablespoon of capers when you add the olives.
  • Pasta Sauce: To make this recipe even easier, simply use 2 cups pasta sauce or this Easy Marinara instead of the canned tomato ingredients and the Italian seasoning.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

To make Chicken Cacciatore in the crockpot, place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. You can brown them if you want in the slow cooker with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot, covering the chicken thighs. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.

MORE DELICIOUS ITALIAN MAIN DISH RECIPES

HOW TO STORE BAKED CHICKEN CACCIATORE

  • Serve: Baked Chicken Cacciatore can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it should be refrigerated.
  • Store: Cool chicken and then place in an airtight container. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze: You can freeze Baked Chicken Cacciatore for up to 3 months in a sealed container.

Oven Roasted Chicken Cacciatore in baking dish

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Dinner, then Dessert

Baked Chicken Cacciatore

Baked Chicken Cacciatore is a tasty easy weeknight dinner with chicken thighs baked in a thick homemade tomato sauce with garlic, bell peppers and celery.
Yield 6 servings
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Author Sabrina Snyder
Baked Chicken Cacciatore close up view
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided
  • 6 chicken thighs , bone in skin on
  • 1/2 green bell pepper , thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper , thinly sliced
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper , thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks celery , thinly sliced
  • 1/2 yellow onion , thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 15 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan on medium-high heat.
  • Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan skin-side down, for 5-6 minutes.
  • Flip chicken and cook an additional 5-6 minutes.
  • Remove chicken from pan and place into a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Scatter the bell peppers, celery, onion and garlic around the chicken.
  • In a large bowl mix the wine, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until combined.
  • Pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  • Uncover and bake an additional 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 885mg | Potassium: 733mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 707IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg

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Chicken Cacciatore collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I’ve made this twice now. Followed the instructions except of using white wine ( didn’t have any) I used 3/4 cup chicken broth and 1/4 white vinegar. Served it over fettuccine and both the boyfriend and I practically liked our plates clean. Absolutely delicious and I’ve given the recipe to a friend who’s wife is Italian (He does most of the cooking!!)

    Reply

  2. Cook time doesn’t add up

    Recipe description
    Cook Time: 35 minutes

    Recipe instructions:
    Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
    Uncover and bake an additional 25-30 minutes.

    Reply

    1. There seems to be a glitch in the total timing at the top. Please follow the instructions in the recipe card. Thank you for your patience while I try to get it resolved.

      Reply

  3. Question: recipe says total time 1 hour: 25 min. prep. and 35 min. cook, but instructions say bake covered for 25 to 35 min. and uncovered for 25 to 35 min. How long do I really bake it covered and uncovered??

    Reply

    1. The recipe card is correct in the instructions. I think there’s a glitch in the timing at the top. Hopefully I can get that fixed. Enjoy!

      Reply

      1. I will use my own time. The recipe is confusing about time. I have made my own version of this dish and do know when it is done.

        Reply

        1. Okay, whatever makes sense to you. I’m sorry, you find this confusing but thank you for trying this recipe!

          Reply

  6. Chicken cacciatore is my husband’s favorite and this is his favorite version!!! So easy to make in the oven!

    Reply

  9. Delicioso, after eliminating one of the cans of tomatoes. 2 large cans were waaay too much (too tomatoey). Very good, otherwise.

    Reply

        1. Covered for 25-30 minutes and then take the aluminum foil cover off and bake an additional 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

          Reply