This meal is so simple to make and creates such a complex balance of flavors.

Dustin even loved it and he hates capers. I mean hates. Like they wronged him in a previous life or something.

I often see Chicken Cacciatore served over some type of noodle, like egg noodles. But my current diet doesn’t allow noodles. Sniff.

So, I chose to serve them over some zucchini noodles.

That’s right — zucchini noodles (post coming soon!).

Chicken Cacciatore is also known as “Hunter-Style Chicken,” as Cacciatore means Hunter in Italian. I believe this is because the meal was made from whatever the hunter brought back from the hunt (though I’m not entirely sure on this). So, if you have extra ingredients you’d like to throw in, go for it. You can also add chicken breasts, bell peppers, zucchini, etc.

I made a simple combination of tomatoes, capers, mushrooms and onions and it turned out beautifully.

Oh — and please don’t forget the fresh basil on top! Trust me, the sweetness of the basil will balance out the tartness of the capers and the acidity of the tomatoes. If you don’t usually garnish, I highly recommend you try it on this one.

Chicken Cacciatore

makes 4-6 servings

4-6 chicken thighs, skin-on
pinch kosher salt to coat chicken
pinch ground black pepper to coat chicken
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8-10 mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine (I use a semi-dry Chardonnay)
28 oz. (1 can) diced tomatoes with juices
2 tbsp. capers, drained
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
5-6 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Directions

Lightly coat chicken with kosher salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden, about 5-8 minutes. Flip over and cook other side until golden. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Carefully pour out and discard 2/3 of the remaining oil and chicken drippings from the pan. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms to the same pan and cook over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, capers, wine and oregano and stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt or pepper if needed. Return the chicken to the pan. Bring to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Once chicken is cooked, remove and heat sauce on high to thicken for 5-10 minutes, if necessary. If very liquidy, boil until it reduces to desired amount.

Garnish with julienned basil and serve.

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