Easy to make chicken cacciatore with bacon, chicken, onions, garlic, mushrooms and herbs cooked in a rich hearty tomato sauce is served over spaghetti. This classic Italian recipe is rustic comfort food at its best!
Cacciatore makes an amazing everyday family weeknight meal and is also perfect to serve guests. Incredibly simple to make and super flavourful. While the cacciatore simmers it has an absolutely enticing aroma and your family will be hanging around just waiting for dinner!
Crisp bacon and tender chunks of chicken are braised in a sauce of onions, garlic, mushrooms, Rosemary and 100% Italian tomatoes. The balsamic vinegar in the sauce adds just the right amount of pleasant and sweet acidity that hits your taste buds in the right spot. The result is a satisfying meal with a great combination of delicious and earthy flavours.
To lighten up this dish, I opted for boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of the typical bone-in and skin-on chicken pieces that many other cacciatore recipes call for. Chicken breasts stay juicy and tender in this dish thanks to the simmering time in the savoury tomato sauce.
Ingredients needed
- Olive oil
- Bacon
- Boneless chicken breasts
- Onion and garlic
- Mushrooms
- Rosemary and parsley
- Balsamic vinegar
- 100% Italian canned tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Bay leaf
- Spaghetti
How to make cacciatore
- Brown the bacon pieces until crisp and golden, with a slotted spoon remove bacon to a plate, leave drippings in the skillet
- Brown the chicken pieces in two batches until golden-brown, remove chicken to the plate with the bacon
- Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and Rosemary and cook to tender, then add balsamic vinegar cooking until some evaporates
- Add tomatoes and bay leaf, return bacon and chicken pieces to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes
Once the cacciatore has simmered, it thickens and reduces. That’s when it’s time to cook the spaghetti in a large pot of lightly salted water. Drain spaghetti, ladle portions onto plates or bowls and top with the cacciatore sauce. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
What does cacciatore mean?
Cacciatore in Italian means “hunter”. Historically it’s said that hunters in Italy would return from their forage with wild ingredients like game and forest mushrooms and their wives would be waiting to cook up this hearty comfort food. Thankfully in these current times where we can get the required ingredients at our local grocery store no hunting is required!
What kind of tomatoes should be used
When it comes to canned tomatoes, domestic brands are very watery, acidic and often contain unripe tomatoes. This is why I advise using only imported 100% Italian tomatoes for this cacciatore. The extra price you pay for imported Italian canned tomatoes is definitely worth it when you see the difference in colour, texture and taste!
Can cacciatore be made ahead?
The cacciatore sauce can easily be made ahead early in the day or a day ahead and reheated when needed. In fact the flavours intensify when the cacciatore is stored and reheated. The sauce can also be frozen in a storage container or a large zipper bag. Thaw frozen cacciatore in the refrigerator overnight. This makes it convenient to serve this cacciatore on a busy night leaving only the spaghetti to be cooked.
What do I serve with cacciatore?
It’s recommended to serve the chicken cacciatore over spaghetti or you can even use egg noodles. However, to make this a gluten free meal, polenta, rice, or spiralized zucchini noodles are also a good choice. Whichever you choose, be sure and sprinkle on lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese!
Chicken cacciatore is one of the most satisfying and comforting Italian dishes you can make at home. For this reason you need this recipe in your repertoire! I hope you enjoy this perfect family meal.
Spaghetti Chicken Cacciatore
Classic Italian cacciatore made with bacon, chicken, onions, garlic, mushrooms and herbs cooked in a rich hearty tomato sauce is served over spaghetti.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 6 slices bacon chopped into small bits
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, approximately 450g cut into 1” chunks
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
- 1 large sweet onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 227 g cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Rosemary plus extra sprigs for garnish
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 796 mL tin 100% Italian whole or diced tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 450 g spaghetti pasta 6 portions
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
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In a 4 or 5 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add bacon and cook until browned and crisped. With a slotted spoon remove bacon to a medium bowl. Leave the drippings in the skillet.
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Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Cook the chicken in batches; add half of the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven and cook until golden brown. With a slotted spoon remove chicken pieces to the bowl with bacon. Repeat process with remaining chicken pieces.
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Leave any drippings in the Dutch oven and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms and Rosemary and cook while stirring until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
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Add balsamic vinegar and cook while stirring until some of the balsamic vinegar has evaporated, about 1 minute.
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Add tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaf to the Dutch oven along with the reserved bacon and chicken; stir to combine. Season the sauce with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium-high heat while stirring until the sauce bubbles. Let bubble for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened.
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Meanwhile, start boiling a large pot of lightly salted water. Add spaghetti and once it comes to a full boil, cook for 8 - 10 minutes until al a dente (or follow package directions). Drain spaghetti, ladle portions of spaghetti into serving plates or bowls and top with chicken cacciatore sauce. Garnish each serving with parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
Sharon Matheson says
just received this link today and I can’t wait to try some of these great recipes. Thanks
ThenKitchen Fairy says
I’m so excited to hear you’ll be trying some of mynrecipes. Enjoy and let me know the results!
Anne Drozda says
I made this dish last night and we loved it !!
I will definitely make it again soon.
Thanks Rita.
Anne
Rita says
Hi Anne: Thanks for trying the recipe and so glad
you loved it! It’s one of my favourites too!
Lysann says
I just made it and we liked it a lot!
Rita Jakobschuk says
Lysann: So glad you liked it a lot. It’s a great family weeknight meal and so satisfying too. Hope you’ll try many more recipes too!
Jessica Orika says
Oh my!!! This is my favorite so far. I have a soft spot for spaghetti ???