Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore, or Pollo alla Cacciatora, is one of the most comforting dishes in Italian home cooking. Chicken is slowly simmered with tomatoes, garlic, herbs and white wine until tender and full of flavour. Rustic, rich and deeply satisfying, it is a classic countryside recipe perfect served with bread or roasted potatoes.
Ingredients for Pollo alla Cacciatora (4 serves)
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
- 400 g peeled tomatoes or passata
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 150 ml white wine
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh sage
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan or casserole dish.
- Brown the chicken pieces on all sides until golden.
- Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same pan, gently cook the onion and garlic until soft.
- Add rosemary and sage.
- Return the chicken to the pan.
- Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
- Add the tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper.
- Cover and simmer gently for about 45–50 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce rich.
- Serve hot with bread, polenta or roasted potatoes.
Tips and Variations
- Brown the chicken properly
This builds flavour and gives the sauce a richer taste. - Cook slowly
Low and slow cooking keeps the chicken tender. - Use bone-in chicken
It gives more flavour to the sauce compared to boneless cuts. - Don’t rush the wine
Let the alcohol evaporate fully before adding tomatoes. - Even better the next day
Like many rustic Italian stews, the flavour improves after resting.
History of Tuscan stuffed lamb shoulder
The name alla cacciatora means “hunter-style”, a traditional Italian way of cooking meat with simple ingredients commonly found in rural kitchens: tomatoes, garlic, onions, herbs, olive oil and wine.
There are many regional versions across Italy. In Central Italy, especially in Tuscany and Umbria, the dish is often made with rosemary and white wine, while Southern versions may include olives, peppers or chilli. Like many traditional Italian recipes, Chicken Cacciatore was never about strict rules, but about using local ingredients and slow cooking to create a rich, comforting meal.
The dish reflects the heart of cucina rustica — simple cooking built around patience, flavour and good-quality ingredients.
Other amazing Tuscan recipes: Tuscan Bread Vegetable Soup and Tuscan Garlic Tomato Pasta.
