Weeknight Boneless Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

This Easy Boneless Chicken Cacciatore is a comforting, hearty dish that’s ideal for cooler evenings. It’s a modern, streamlined take on the classic Italian cacciatore—lighter on tomato and wine than some traditional versions and loaded with vegetables to make it a crowd-pleaser. I use boneless, skinless thighs and breasts to speed preparation and please picky eaters. The sauce is bright and flavorful, built from white wine, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and a touch of tomato paste. Serve with an antipasto or a simple green salad for a lovely family meal or a casual dinner party.

Chicken Cacciatore: Traditional vs. Modern

Cacciatore, which means “hunter” in Italian, is a rustic braised dish traditionally made with chicken or rabbit and a mix of vegetables, herbs and wine. Classic Italian versions vary by region and often use bone-in, skin-on poultry and red wine for a richer, deeper flavor. This modern version uses boneless, skinless chicken and white wine for a lighter sauce, plus extra vegetables to make it more weeknight-friendly while keeping plenty of depth and aroma from herbs like rosemary and bay leaf.

Ingredients for Easy Boneless Chicken Cacciatore

• 3 pounds chicken, skinless and boneless (combination of thighs and breasts; halve larger breasts)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms (white, cremini or baby Bellas), halved or quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice (Italian-style works well)
• 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste
• 1 cup pitted olives, green or black (Castelvetrano-style are great)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf, dry
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (1 tsp for chicken, 1 tsp for sauce)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Vegetable Prep

Chopping the vegetables takes a little time, but you can use pre-sliced produce to speed things up on busy nights. I usually chop the vegetables while browning the chicken; by the time the chicken is rested, the vegetables are ready to go.

• Bell peppers: remove seeds and membranes, cut into strips
• Mushrooms: wipe clean and halve or quarter, depending on size
• Onion: peel and cut into wedges or slices
• Garlic: peel and roughly chop
• Olives: pit and leave whole or halved

Stovetop method

• Prepare the vegetables: core and slice the peppers, slice the onion, clean and halve or quarter the mushrooms, and chop the garlic. Set aside.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the black pepper.
• Lightly dredge each piece in flour, shaking off any excess.
• Heat a large 5–7 quart braiser or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers.
• Brown the chicken on both sides until golden—this builds flavor but the chicken will finish cooking during braising. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the vegetables and garlic, adding a splash more oil if needed.
• Sauté for 2–3 minutes, until the vegetables brighten and soften slightly.
• Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits for about 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, olives, Italian seasoning, dried basil, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs, red pepper flakes, the remaining teaspoon of salt, and additional pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
• Return the chicken to the pan, nestling the pieces into the vegetables and sauce.
• Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded.
• Adjust seasoning if needed and serve with a starchy side and crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Slow cooker method for Chicken Cacciatore

This recipe adapts easily to a slow cooker. For the best flavor, brown the chicken first, then finish in a 6–8 quart slow cooker.

• Pat and season the chicken, then lightly dredge in flour.
• Brown the chicken pieces in a heavy pan with olive oil until golden; they need not be fully cooked.
• Transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker along with the chicken broth, white wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, olives, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Nestle the browned chicken into the mixture.
• Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce is well developed.

What to serve with Chicken Cacciatore

This chicken cacciatore is fantastic over creamy polenta—the polenta soaks up the sauce beautifully and balances the dish. Other excellent pairings include buttered tagliatelle, zucchini noodles, or mashed potatoes. A good crusty loaf is also ideal for sopping up the tomato-scented broth. Choose any starchy base you enjoy; the recipe is versatile.

How to store leftovers

Leftovers keep well and often taste even better the next day. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat in a covered pan until the chicken and vegetables are heated through. Add a splash of broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much.

If you make this, please leave a comment to let others know how it turned out—we appreciate your feedback!

All content and photographs © Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com

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