One Pot Chicken Cacciatore (THM E)

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission off of purchases made using these links. If you’re interested in fitness, the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle, or just living a more healthy life, please consider using one or more of the links below. The money made helps me feed my growing family and keeps this blog running with free recipes. Thank you!

Chicken cacciatore is one of my husband’s favorite meals, and it occurred to me recently that I almost never make this dish. Besides this time, I think I’ve made it one other time in the 10 years we’ve been together. Madness! I know.

If you haven’t had chicken cacciatore before, it’s basically a rustic Italian chicken stew with vegetables and tomatoes. This stew came together in about an hour. The chicken was perfectly tender, the sauce was rich and flavorful, and the veggies were wonderfully stewed.

I just picked up a new dutch oven yesterday, and I have no idea how I survived without one. Seriously! This big, heavy pot holds your meal, cooks it perfectly, and the clean up couldn’t be easier. With it being enameled cast iron, I know the temperature will hold and stay fairly constant throughout the cooking process.

Let’s start with the chicken. I used 1 pound each of chicken breasts and thighs for this meal. I know, thighs are typically a no-no for an E meal. However, the 1 pound of thighs only contains about 16g of fat and this recipe feeds about 8 people (maybe more), so you’re well within the limits of fat for an E.

For vegetables, I used onions, garlic, red bell peppers, diced tomatoes, and capers. If capers are unfamiliar to you, they are delicious little olive-like, briny pearls. They have a taste and texture similar to olives, but they don’t have any fat.

I seasoned the stew using dried oregano, white wine (something dry, like this pinot grigio), chicken stock, fresh parsley, and basil. The stewed tomatoes I used were also seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano, for a deep, herbal base.

At the end, I tossed in the capers and a handful of fresh parsley, then served with a few leaves of fresh basil.

You have a couple of E-friendly choices for serving up this stew: over brown rice, plan-approved pasta, or cooked quinoa. Or you can skip all those and serve it as is, with some crusty sourdough for dipping ^_~. I chose to serve it over rice, which my kids love, and it helps stretch the meal a little further. My husband enjoyed it as a stew without the rice, and BOY did he love it. He ate some the first night I made it, and then the following afternoon for lunch. He made sure to tell me each time he ate it that this recipe was a definite keeper. [SCORE!]

The beauty about cooking with dutch ovens is you can take this straight from the oven/burner right over  to the table for serving. Tada!

Get. In. My. Belly.

Serve this up as a quick weeknight meal with leftovers for lunch, or as an impressive, crowd-pleasing holiday dinner.

• Servings: 8+
• Time: 1 hour, 30 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Credit: Erin Murray, My Fling with Food

Ingredients

• 2lbs boneless skinless chicken, breasts only or 1lb breasts and 1lb thighs
• 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, or coconut oil
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic, oregano, and basil with juice
• 1 c chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 Tbsp capers, drained
• handful fresh parsley
• torn basil leaves for serving
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat with the butter.
2. In two batches, brown the chicken pieces on both sides. (You’re not looking to cook them completely.) Remove the chicken to a plate.
3. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and saute for 5-6 minutes until onions start to become translucent.
4. Add the dried oregano, then de-glaze the pan with the wine (using your spoon to pick up the bits off the bottom of the pan). Reduce the wine for about 5 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes with juice, chicken stock, and the browned chicken pieces (with any juice from the plate). Cover and simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes.
6. After simmering 30 minutes covered, take the lid off and simmer about another 30 minutes or until the liquid reduces by about 1/3.
7. Turn off the heat. Add the drained capers, fresh parsley, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
8. Serve with your choice of rice, pasta, quinoa, or bread, and sprinkle with torn fresh basil.