Description
A classic Italian chicken dish featuring tender chicken wings and drumsticks simmered in a rich tomato sauce with bell peppers, mushrooms, Kalamata olives, and a splash of red wine, perfect served over noodles, rice, or polenta.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds chicken wings and drumsticks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 pound white mushrooms (cleaned and chopped)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper (chopped)
Seasonings & Liquids
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 3/4 cup Kalamata olives (pitted)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F to prepare for baking the chicken cacciatore.
- Brown Chicken: Heat olive oil and butter in a large oven-safe skillet with a lid until butter melts. Add chicken pieces, season generously with salt and pepper, and fry on both sides until golden, about 4 minutes per side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, add minced garlic and chopped onions. Sauté for 2 minutes until onions are translucent and garlic is aromatic.
- Cook Mushrooms: Add chopped mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until they release their moisture and begin to brown.
- Add Peppers: Stir in the chopped green, red, and yellow bell peppers. Cook for a couple more minutes until the peppers soften slightly.
- Add Seasonings and Liquids: Stir in turmeric, dried oregano, and bay leaves. Pour in the red wine, then add tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze and loosen browned bits for extra flavor.
- Bake in Oven: Return the browned chicken pieces back to the skillet, cover with the lid, and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from oven, top the dish with Kalamata olives and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve over noodles, rice, or polenta as preferred.
Notes
- Chicken: Using bone-in, skin-on pieces like wings and drumsticks adds depth of flavor, but thighs or other cuts work well too. Boneless will cook faster but with less flavor.
- Mushrooms First: Cooking mushrooms before adding peppers allows them to brown properly rather than steam, enhancing flavor.
- Wine Swaps: Substitute dry red wine like Chianti or Pinot Noir, or if you prefer non-alcoholic, use low-sodium chicken broth with a splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Make It Ahead: This dish stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days; flavors deepen and the sauce improves overnight.
- Deglaze Pan: When adding the wine and liquids, scrape the pan bottom to incorporate browned bits into the sauce for richer taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
