This Italian-inspired rustic hunter’s stew, Easy Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Sauce, uses simple ingredients and is ready in 35 minutes.
How to Make Quick and Easy Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
This recipe for Easy Chicken Cacciatore uses spaghetti sauce along with bell peppers, onions that’s simmered until rich and thick.
I’m trying to include more chicken into my family’s diet, so this recipe for Chicken Cacciatore is the perfect solution.
It offers a rich tomatoey sauce that offers chicken that is not only juicy but also loaded with fresh vegetables like onions, bell peppers and mushrooms, which are great for one’s waistline.
It’s a rustic hunter’s stew that has it’s roots with Italians. It was made originally with rabbit, but since I don’t have access to this meat, chicken will do.
Some traditional recipes include olives, carrots, capers, and wine. For simplicity’s sake, I’ve pared down the ingredients, although you can definitely include these in your own stew.
And, don’t forget to add some fresh herbs like basil, thyme or rosemary, if you’d like.
What I love about this dish is that it feeds two to a crowd, just by adding more ingredients. It’s also a potluck favorite.
To Make:
Start with skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. Cook first skin side down for approximately five minutes.
For this recipe, I like to use my Cuisinart Electric Skillet. Not only does it keep the temperature at a constant, it also provides a larger but deep pan to cook the stew down quicker than a standard fry pan.
After five minutes, turn the chicken thighs over and cook for another five minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, prep your vegetables into chunks. I like to place everything into a large bowl for ease of moving it from where I’m cutting to where I’m cooking.
This is a one pot meal, so everything goes into the skillet at the same time.
Time to add the marinara. Stir well to incorporate.
For this recipe, I recommend using Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce. You will need approximately 32 ounces (two jars) in total.
Cook the Chicken Cacciatore for 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and everything cook through.
Then, it’s time to serve.
To keep this recipe on the lean side (think low-carb), serve with spiralized zucchini, steamed vegetables, cauliflower rice or even cooked spaghetti squash. Otherwise, you could serve pasta, gnocchi or even cooked polenta—Yum!
For more delicious stew recipes, be sure to check out Wisconsin Homemaker’s Recipe Section.
Easy Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs (approx. 8 chicken thighs with skin on, bone in)**
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 large bell peppers seeded and sliced
- 2 cups bella mushrooms quartered
- 3 cups onion sliced
- 1/2 cup basil chopped, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped, loosely packed
- 3 garlic cloves sliced
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp oregano
- 32 oz marinara sauce Recommended Rao’s Marinara Sauce
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
- Cook first, skin side down for 5 minutes.
- Turn and finish cooking chicken thighs for another 5 minutes on medium high heat.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet, except the marinara sauce.
- Sauté the ingredients until mostly softened. Approximately 5 minutes.
- Then, add the marinara sauce and cook with pan covered for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve hot.
- Optional sides: cooked pasta, rice, spiralized steamed vegetables, or cooked spaghetti squash. Enjoy!
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