Chicken Cacciatore with Peppers and Mushrooms
A rustic Italian braise — chicken thighs simmered down with peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Written
Method
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Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper.
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Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high and sear the thighs skin-side down until deeply browned, about 6 minutes, then flip and brown the other side, 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
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Add the onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the fat left behind and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
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Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and simmer until reduced by half.
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Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, oregano, and bay leaf, then nestle the chicken back in skin-side up.
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Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.
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Stir in the olives and capers and simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes.
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Discard the bay leaf, scatter with parsley, and serve.
Notes
The sear is what separates this from a plain stew — don’t rush past it, since the fond left in the pot is most of the sauce’s depth once the wine deglazes it. Thighs hold up to the simmer far better than breasts would, which turn stringy well before the sauce has thickened.
Serve over soft polenta or wide egg noodles to catch the sauce, with crusty bread for what’s left on the plate. It keeps and improves for a few days in the fridge — reheat gently and taste before adding salt, since the olives and capers cure with it.