Oven-Braised Chicken Cacciatore Stew

Name: Oven-Braised Chicken Cacciatore Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 54 min
Total time: 2 h 14 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 lb (8 thighs) (1360 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 oz / 170 g each), patted very dry with paper towels, excess fat trimmed; 2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, divided: 1½ tsp for the chicken, ½ tsp for the sauce (use half as much if using table salt); ½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 medium (400 g) medium yellow onions (about 200 g each), halved and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick slices; 2 large (400 g) large bell peppers, 1 red and 1 yellow, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide strips; 5 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano; ¼ tsp (½ g) crushed red pepper flakes (optional); 1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine; 28 oz can (794 g) whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, crushed by hand into rough ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces, juice kept; ½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; 2 sprigs (4 g) fresh rosemary sprigs (about 4 inches / 10 cm long); ¾ cup (110 g) pitted Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives, drained and halved; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Bone-in chicken thighs, sweet peppers, onions, red wine and briny olives slowly braise in the oven in a rich tomato sauce until the meat is silky and nearly falling off the bone. Serve it in bowls with crusty bread, polenta or pasta.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 54 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 2 hr 44 min
Makes: About 8 cups (6 generous bowls, 1 thigh each plus sauce)

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Ingredients

6 servings

3 lb (8 thighs) (1360 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 oz / 170 g each), patted very dry with paper towels, excess fat trimmed
2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, divided: 1½ tsp for the chicken, ½ tsp for the sauce (use half as much if using table salt)
½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium (400 g) medium yellow onions (about 200 g each), halved and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick slices
2 large (400 g) large bell peppers, 1 red and 1 yellow, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide strips
5 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
¼ tsp (0.5 g) crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine
28 oz can (794 g) whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, crushed by hand into rough ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces, juice kept
½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
2 sprigs (4 g) fresh rosemary sprigs (about 4 inches / 10 cm long)
¾ cup (110 g) pitted Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives, drained and halved
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped

Equipment (7)

5½- to 6-quart (5–5.5 L) oven-safe Dutch oven with lid
Tongs
Wooden spoon
Chef's knife and cutting board
Instant-read thermometer
Paper towels
Large spoon for skimming fat

Steps

Before you start

Take the chicken out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking and pat it very dry; wet skin will not brown.
Use a heavy 5½- to 6-quart oven-safe Dutch oven with a tight lid. The 8 thighs should fit in a snug single layer.
Pick a dry red wine you would happily drink, such as Chianti, Sangiovese or Merlot. Avoid anything labeled 'cooking wine'.
Choose olives with pits removed if possible. If the olives still have pits, warn your guests.
Plan for about 2 hours 45 minutes in total, most of it hands-off oven time.

1
Season the chickenOven 325°F / 165°C
- Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 325°F (165°C).
- Pat the thighs completely dry with paper towels.
- Season both sides with 1½ tsp of the kosher salt and all of the black pepper.
- Set them on a plate and leave at room temperature for 20 minutes while you slice the onions and peppers and crush the tomatoes.
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Ready when: Skin feels dry and tacky to the touch
Tip: Crush the tomatoes in a bowl with clean hands so the juice does not squirt onto you.
2
Sear the thighs
- Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Place the thighs skin-side down in a single layer, working in two batches if they crowd.
- Cook without moving for 6–7 minutes, then flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes.
- Move to a plate.
- Pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat from the pot.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden brown and releases easily from the pot; the chicken will still be raw inside
Tip: If the skin sticks, give it another minute. It will release once it is properly browned.
3
Soften onions and peppers
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the onions, bell peppers and the remaining ½ tsp salt.
- Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, for 8–10 minutes.
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Ready when: Onions are translucent and soft with golden edges, and peppers have begun to wilt
4
Toast garlic and paste
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and the red pepper flakes, if using.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes.
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Ready when: Tomato paste darkens to brick red and smells sweet and rich; garlic is fragrant but not browned
Tip: Lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown. Burnt garlic makes the stew bitter.
5
Reduce the wine
- Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any stuck bits.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer for 4–5 minutes.
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Ready when: Wine has reduced by about half and no longer smells sharply of alcohol
6
Assemble the stew
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes with their juice, the chicken broth, bay leaves and rosemary.
- Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Nestle the thighs into the sauce skin-side up, so the sauce comes about two-thirds of the way up the chicken and the skin stays above the liquid.
- Pour any juices from the plate into the pot.
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Ready when: Sauce is bubbling gently around the edges
Tip: Keep the skin out of the sauce so it stays browned and does not turn soggy.
7
Braise coveredOven 325°F / 165°C
- Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven at 325°F (165°C).
- Braise for 60 minutes without opening the lid.
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Ready when: Chicken is tender when pierced with a fork and the sauce is bubbling at the edges
Tip: Use oven mitts. The pot and lid handle are very hot.
8
Add olives, uncoverOven 325°F / 165°C
- Carefully remove the lid.
- Scatter the olives around the chicken, pressing them gently into the sauce without covering the skin.
- Return the pot to the oven at 325°F (165°C), uncovered, for 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and the skin is browned and slightly crisp; a thermometer in the thickest part of a thigh (not touching bone) reads at least 185°F (85°C)
Tip: Chicken is safe at 165°F (74°C), but thighs are most tender at 185–195°F (85–90°C).
9
Rest and finish
- Remove the pot from the oven and let it rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaves and rosemary stems.
- Skim any pooled orange fat from the surface with a large spoon.
- Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Sprinkle with the parsley and serve in wide bowls.
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Ready when: Sauce is glossy and the chicken holds its shape until touched with a spoon
Tip: Rosemary leaves may fall off into the stew; fish out the bare stems rather than hunting every leaf.

Good to know

Tips

Do not submerge the chicken skin in the sauce. Keeping it above the liquid helps it stay golden instead of rubbery.
Brown the chicken properly in step 2. The browned bits on the pot bottom give the sauce much of its flavor.
Skim excess fat before serving. Thighs release quite a lot, and removing it makes the sauce taste cleaner.
Serve with creamy polenta, buttered egg noodles or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Make ahead

The stew tastes even better made 1 day ahead. Cool completely, refrigerate in the pot or a covered container, and skim the solidified fat before reheating. Reheat covered at 300°F (150°C) for 25–30 minutes or gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C).

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat, covered, until it reaches 165°F (74°C), adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened too much.

Substitutions

dry red wine → additional chicken broth plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Use 1 cup (240 ml) broth plus the vinegar; the flavor will be a little less deep.
whole peeled tomatoes with their juice → canned crushed tomatoes. Use the same 28 oz (794 g) can; the sauce will be slightly smoother.
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 oz / 170 g each) → bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks. Use 8–10 drumsticks (about 3 lb / 1.36 kg) and keep the same braising times.
pitted Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives → 2 tbsp drained capers. Add with the olives' timing for a sharper, saltier finish; reduce the added salt in step 3 to a pinch.