The Story in the Pot
Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. So this Italian chicken stew is a hunter’s stew recipe. I imagine a hunter coming home with a few birds. His wife would simmer them with what she had in the garden. That’s how the best comfort food recipes are born. They come from making do. My own garden gives me rosemary and bay leaves. I still laugh at that. I grow them in pots on my windowsill. Doesn’t that smell amazing? This matters because food tells our family stories. Every time you make this one pot chicken dinner, you’re adding to yours.Why We Brown the Chicken
Let’s talk about that first step. You brown the chicken skin in the pan. It sizzles and pops. This is not just for looks. It builds flavor right in the pot. That golden crust is pure taste. It makes the whole chicken thighs recipe richer. *Fun fact: That browning is called the Maillard reaction.* It’s a fancy name for a simple thing. Heat makes the chicken taste nutty and deep. This matters for your weeknight dinner ideas. A little patience at the start gives you big flavor later. Do you like that sizzle sound as much as I do?The Secret Little Fish
Now, about the anchovies. I see you looking at that ingredient. Do not skip them. I promise you won’t taste fish. My grandson made a face the first time too. Now he asks for my Pollo Cacciatore every visit. Those little fillets melt right into the sauce. They add a deep, savory flavor you can’t get from salt. This is the magic of an Italian stew with red wine. It layers flavors. Have you ever tried a “secret” ingredient that surprised you?Simmering It All Together
This is where the magic happens. After the browning and sautéing, everything goes into one pot. The wine, the tomatoes, the chicken. You let it bubble away. The smell fills your whole house. It feels like a hug. That long, slow simmer is key. It turns separate ingredients into a proper easy chicken stew. The chicken becomes so tender it falls off the bone. The sauce gets thick and cozy. This matters because good food cannot be rushed. What’s your favorite smell from the kitchen?Your Own Hunter’s Stew
This Hunter’s Stew recipe is a guide, not a rule. Don’t have mushrooms? Use a carrot. No red wine? Use more broth. The heart of Chicken Cacciatore is using what you have. That’s how hunters’ wives cooked. Serve it over soft mashed potatoes. The sauce soaks right in. It’s the perfect one pot chicken dinner for a chilly evening. Will you try it with polenta or potatoes first? I’d love to hear how your family makes it their own.Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on | 4 large (1 kg / 2 lb) | Note 1 |
| Chicken drumsticks | 4 | |
| Cooking salt / kosher salt | 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp | For seasoning & sauce |
| Black pepper | 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp | For seasoning & sauce |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | |
| Onion, halved & finely sliced | 1 | |
| Rosemary sprigs | 2 (15cm/6″) | or 1 tsp dried |
| Bay leaves | 2 | preferably fresh |
| Garlic cloves, finely minced | 3 | |
| Anchovy fillets (or paste) | 3 fillets (or 1 tsp) | optional, Note 2 |
| Mushrooms, sliced | 250g / 8 oz | |
| Red capsicum (bell pepper), sliced | 2 medium | |
| Tomato paste | 1/3 cup | |
| Pinot noir or dry red wine | 3/4 cup | Note 3 |
| Chicken stock/broth, low sodium | 2 cups | |
| Canned crushed tomato | 400g / 14 oz | |
| Kalamata olives, pitted | 16 whole | |
| Dried oregano | 1 tsp | |
| Mashed potato or polenta | for serving | |
| Parsley, finely chopped | for sprinkling | optional |
Instructions
Step 1: Season your chicken all over. This chicken thighs recipe uses bone-in pieces for the best flavor. Heat oil in a big pot. Brown the chicken skin until it’s golden and crispy. This step makes your Italian chicken stew so rich. (Tip: Don’t crowd the pan, do it in batches!)
Step 2: Pour out most of the fat. Cook the onion with rosemary and oregano. Your kitchen will smell amazing. Now, add the garlic and anchovies. Mash them in. They add a secret, savory depth to your Chicken Cacciatore without tasting fishy. Trust this old kitchen trick!
Step 3: Toss in the mushrooms and red pepper. Stir until they soften. Add tomato paste and cook for two full minutes. This cooks out the sour taste. Now, pour in the red wine for your Italian stew with red wine. Let it bubble and reduce. It makes the sauce special.
Step 4: Add the stock and canned tomato. Bring it to a happy simmer. Nestle all the chicken back into the pot, skin side up. Cover and let it cook for 20 minutes. This one pot chicken dinner is so easy. What’s your favorite comfort food recipes? Share below!
Step 5: Take off the lid. Add the olives. Let it simmer for 10 more minutes. The sauce will thicken into a perfect Hunter’s Stew recipe sauce. Serve your Pollo Cacciatore over mashed potatoes. It’s the ultimate weeknight dinner ideas for a cozy night in.
Creative Twists
Try it with sausage: Add some sliced Italian sausage when you brown the chicken. Make it creamy: Stir in a splash of cream at the very end. Go green: Add a handful of spinach with the olives. Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving & Pairing Ideas
This easy chicken stew loves a soft bed. Try it over creamy polenta or fluffy mashed potatoes. For a fresh side, a simple green salad is perfect. A crusty loaf of bread is a must for soaking up every bit of the delicious sauce. Which would you choose tonight?
Making It Last: Storing Your Hunter’s Stew
This Italian chicken stew is even better the next day. Let it cool completely first. Then pop it in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze it for three months. I use old yogurt containers for single servings. It makes a perfect quick lunch.
I remember my first big batch of this chicken stew. I froze half for a busy week. What a lifesaver it was! Reheat it gently on the stove with a splash of water or broth. This keeps your chicken thighs juicy and the sauce perfect.
Batch cooking this Pollo Cacciatore saves time and stress. It means a warm, home-cooked meal is always ready. That matters on tired nights. Have you ever tried storing it this way? Share below!
Simple Fixes for Common Stew Hiccups
Is your sauce too thin? Just simmer it without the lid a bit longer. This will thicken it right up. I once added my wine too early and the flavor was sharp. Letting it reduce fixes that.
Worried about the anchovies? Do not be! They melt right into this one pot chicken dinner. You will not taste fish. They just add a deep, savory flavor. Trust your grandma on this one.
If your chicken skin is not crispy enough, brown it well at the start. This builds flavor for the whole Italian stew with red wine. Getting these steps right builds your cooking confidence. It also makes the final comfort food taste amazing. Which of these problems have you run into before?
Your Quick Questions, Answered
What is hunter style chicken?
It is a rustic Italian chicken stew. We call it Chicken Cacciatore. It simmers chicken with tomatoes, wine, and herbs. It is a simple, hearty weeknight dinner idea.
What exactly is Hunter’s chicken?
It is the same delicious dish. Hunter’s chicken is another name for the stew. The hunter would make it with what he found.
What does “hunter style” mean?
It means cooked the way a hunter would. He used ingredients from the forest and field. Think mushrooms, herbs, and tomatoes. *Fun fact: “Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian!*
What is Hunter’s sauce made of?
The sauce starts with onion and garlic. Then add tomato paste, red wine, and crushed tomatoes. Herbs like rosemary and bay leaves make it special.
What is hunter’s style chicken?
It is our easy chicken stew recipe. You brown chicken pieces first. Then simmer them in that rich, herby tomato sauce. It fills your kitchen with the best smell.
Why do they call it hunters chicken?
Long ago, hunters made meals from their catch. This Hunter’s Stew recipe uses simple, available ingredients. It is a practical and tasty comfort food recipe. Which tip will you try first?
A Note from My Kitchen to Yours
I hope you love this Pollo Cacciatore as much as I do. It is a story in a pot, full of warmth and tradition. Cooking should be joyful, not fussy.
I would love to hear about your cooking adventure. Did your family enjoy it? What did you serve it with? Have you tried this recipe? Tell me all about it in the comments below.
Happy cooking! —Elowen Thorn.
Hunter-Style Braised Chicken
Description
A classic, rustic Italian braise with tender chicken, mushrooms, capsicum, and olives in a rich red wine and tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken (Note 1):
Cacciatore:
Serving
Instructions
- Season – Spread the chicken out on a tray. Sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Brown skin – Heat the oil over high heat in a large, deep, heavy based pan, preferably one with a lid (Note 4). Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, around 6 minutes. Turn and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute, then remove the chicken onto the same tray. Then add the drumsticks and brown each side as best you can, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side (the shape makes it awkward). Remove onto the tray.
- Onion – Pour off and discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Turn the heat down to medium and let the pan cool slightly. Add the onion, rosemary leaves, bay leaves and dried oregano. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is starting to soften.
- Garlic and anchovies – Clear a space in the middle of the pan. Add the anchovies and garlic, cooking, mashing up the anchovies, until the garlic is light golden, then stir it into the onion.
- Vegetables & tomato paste – Turn the heat back up to high. Add the mushroom and capsicum. Stir until softened – about 5 minutes (the mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate). Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the sour flavour – do not shortcut this.
- Sauce – Add the wine. Stir, bring to simmer then allow to reduce by around 75%. Add the stock, canned tomato, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer.
- Simmer – Then carefully place the chicken into the sauce (skin side up) and pour any juices on the tray in as well. When the liquid returns to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to medium then simmer energetically for 20 minutes. Remove lid, add olives, simmer for a further 10 minutes (no lid). This will reduce and thicken the sauce.
- Serve – Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce over mashed potato or polenta, sprinkled with parsley if desired.
Notes
- 1. Chicken – bone-in, skin-on chicken is best here so the flesh is beautifully juicy at the end of the simmering time and the sauce gets flavour from the fat rendered out of the chicken skin. Chicken marylands/quarters would also be ideal (use 4). Boneless cuts – If you opt to use boneless thighs instead, sear the surface briefly then add into the sauce for the last 10 minutes of simmering time. For chicken breast, use 4 to 6, pound to even 1.5cm / 0.6″ thickness, sear then and return into the sauce for the last 5 to 8 minutes of simmering time until the internal temperature is 67C/153F. Remove chicken from the sauce and rest for 3 minutes before serving with sauce.
2. Anchovies are a well documented provider of extra flavour into dishes, and when used correctly (like here!) you can’t taste any fishiness at all. Trust me! But, if you simply can’t do it, substitute with 2 tsp fish sauce (add with canned tomato) or as a last resort, add an extra 1/2 tsp salt into the sauce.
3. Wine – For non alcoholic, use more chicken stock.
4. The pot you see pictured is 30cm / 12″ wide, this Pyrolux (Australia). If you don’t have a lid, just pop a baking tray on the pan during the simmering phase. It’s ok if the chicken isn’t fully submerged, just do the best you can. Any exposed parts will steam-cook.
Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.