Healthy Chicken Cacciatore is simple enough to prepare for a weeknight dinner, but also impressive for a dinner party. This post shows you how to make this super easy, tasty, and comforting recipe.
If you love rich and hearty chicken dishes, check out my Healthy Chicken Parmesan, my Healthy Chicken Marsala, or my Healthy Oven Roasted Chicken.
In This Post You'll Find:
I’m all about leveling up dishes to fit a clean-eating and healthy lifestyle. For me, the best dishes are packed with flavor, nutrients, and those that get the whole family together. So I’m psyched to share my version that I’m sure your whole fam and even guests will enjoy!
I often see Healthy Chicken Cacciatore served over some type of noodle, like egg noodles. But as a healthy twist, I like to serve it with Zucchini Noodles, but you could also swap for Spaghetti Squash Noodles by learning How To Cook Spaghetti Squash.
If you love Healthy Chicken Cacciatore for its rich, comforting flavors, you'll also enjoy my Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu for a crispy, cheesy twist on a classic dish.
Now for a flavorful dish with herbs, tomatoes, garlic, and juicy chicken thighs? Sign me up anytime!
Reasons You'll Love It
- Loaded with rich, savory flavor from slow-simmered chicken and tomatoes
- Made with simple, wholesome ingredients you likely have on hand
- Easy one-pan meal for minimal cleanup
- Packed with protein and nutrients for a satisfying dish
Ingredients For Healthy Chicken Cacciatore
Yellow onion: Since yellow onions have a relatively high starch content, it takes them longer to cook without falling apart. So it’s perfect for this Healthy Chicken Cacciatore where the simmer time takes 20-25 mins. (If you struggle cutting onions without crying, check out my post How To Cut An Onion Without Crying).
Mushrooms: Mushrooms bring a good earthy and rich flavor to Healthy Chicken Cacciatore. You could also add in zucchini, eggplant, or bell peppers, if desired.
Diced Tomatoes: I find high-quality canned diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes work well in this recipe, so the choice is yours.
Capers: If you don't love capers, you can swap for 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Personally, I can't get enough of them.
Fresh basil leaves (julienned): Oh — and please don’t forget the fresh basil on top! Trust me, the sweetness will balance out the tartness of the capers and the acidity of the tomatoes.
Step By Step Instructions
- Step 1: Season the chicken thighs with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Step 2: Mince fresh garlic into a paste for better flavor distribution.
- Step 3: Dice the onion into small pieces using a sharp knife on a cutting board.
- Step 4: Slice mushrooms into thin pieces and gather other ingredients like onions, capers, and olive oil for cooking.
- Step 5: Chop fresh basil into thin strips to use as a garnish for the finished dish.
- Step 6: In a large skillet, sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms until softened. Brown the chicken separately, then return it to the pan with tomatoes, capers, broth, and oregano. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
Healthy Chicken Cacciatore Goes Well With:
- Mashed Potatoes: Crockpot Mashed Potatoes (I’m just gonna say it straight up. These mashed potatoes are the bomb!)
- Rice: Brown rice (Imagine this soaking up all the flavor, the sauce and the chicken. Oh my word.) Cauliflower Rice (The healthier and lighter alternative to rice!)
- Light Salad: I think a nice and light Caprese Salad is the perfect side for this Chicken Cacciatore recipe.
Recipe FAQs
I keep this dish in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge to store it. You can also freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Check out my Ultimate Guide To The Best Meal Prep Containers post for what I recommend. Allow the Healthy Chicken Cacciatore to thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat on medium-low in a skillet on the stove. Don’t overheat or you may cook the chicken more and you don’t want that.
No, you do not need to use skin-on chicken thighs, though it does add a lot to the flavor. What I like to do is leave the skin on and then remove the skin later, if looking to remove some extra fat.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
Try these other healthy chicken recipes that prove chicken is anything but boring!
Healthy Chicken Cacciatore
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thighs skin-on
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to coat chicken
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper to coat chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 8-10 mushrooms quartered
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup low sodium chicken stock
- 28 oz diced tomatoes with juices 1 can
- 2 tablespoon capers drained
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves julienned
Instructions
- 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 6-8 minutes. Flip over and cook other side until golden. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Carefully pour out and discard ⅔ 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 6-8 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices, capers, chicken broth, 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.
Video
Notes
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken for the best flavor and tenderness, but remove the skin if you prefer a lighter option.
- Sear the chicken until golden brown before simmering to lock in moisture and add depth to the sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer uncovered to help it thicken naturally and develop a richer flavor.
- Adjust seasoning at the end since the sauce reduces while cooking, which can concentrate the saltiness.
- If the sauce is too thin after simmering, increase the heat and let it reduce for 5-10 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I regularly use and highly recommend.
Dustin
This sounds good again too.
Lacey Baier
Glad to hear that!
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Lacey Baier
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found the post helpful. I appreciate you bookmarking the site and following along—hope you enjoy more recipes!
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Lacey Baier
Thank you! I'm so glad you found the post helpful. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy more recipes!
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Lacey Baier
I totally understand! Some recipes can feel overwhelming at first, but once you break them down step by step, they become much easier. Let me know if you have any questions—I’m happy to help. Hope you give it a try!
Kara
The written recipe uses chicken broth but the video uses white wine. Which do you recommend? Thank you!
Lacey Baier
Great question! Both options work well, but they give slightly different flavors. Chicken broth keeps the dish rich and savory, while white wine adds a bit of acidity and depth. If you prefer a more traditional and bold taste, go with the wine. If you want a milder, comforting flavor, stick with the broth. Let me know which one you prefer!
Kara
The written recipe mentions chicken broth, but the video has white wine instead. Which do you recommend? which is better? Let me know - thank you!
Lacey Baier
Great question! Both options work well, but they give slightly different flavors. Chicken broth keeps the dish rich and savory, while white wine adds a bit of acidity and depth. If you prefer a more traditional and bold taste, go with the wine. If you want a milder, comforting flavor, stick with the broth. Let me know which one you prefer!
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Lacey Baier
I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe and the discussion
Andrev
My husband and I thought this was great. I did reduce the amount of crushed red pepper flakes, but otherwise made the recipe exactly as written. Unlike others, I did not need to add cornstarch to thicken the sauce. After 25 minutes of simmering, it had reduced to a lovely, syrupy consistency. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Lacey Baier
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂
Patti
Can I do without capers or is it imperative to the flavor? Also, How many zucchinis did you use for this dish? Thanks in advance, you dishes are great!
Lacey Baier
The capers aren't imperative to the flavor, especially if you don't like them. They do give a nice salty, briny flavor, though, to the dish. As for the zucchini, I used 4 or 5 medium zucchinis.
Valerie
Wow, what a great idea...turning zucchini into noodles! I love zucchini, but haven't quite figured out what else to do with it other than sauteing with some butter. This dish looks super yummy! I'll definitely be trying it!
Lacey Baier
I hope you like it, Valerie 🙂
Elodie Jane Amora
This a great recipe! I've made Chicken Cacciatore once before too 🙂
Lacey Baier
Thanks so much!
Chowstalker
Great Recipe Lacey! Thanks so much for sharing it on Chowstalker!
Lacey Baier
Thanks! Thank you for accepting it 🙂