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You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Courses / Chicken / Weeknight Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Weeknight Easy Chicken Cacciatore

01/15/16 | Chicken, Easy Weeknight Meals, Healthy, Italian, Main Courses, Pasta, Recipes

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This Easy Chicken Cacciatore is boneless, skinless chicken thighs and mushrooms simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served over a bed of egg noodles for a fabulous weeknight meal.

Easy Chicken Cacciatore is one of my go-to simple weeknight dinners. | Easy Dinners | Easy Pasta | Chicken Pasta |

Looking for more easy pasta dishes? Try my Creamy Chicken Pasta With Bell Peppers and Chicken Asparagus Pasta for Two.

Chicken cacciatore is one of my mom’s best dishes (her Carrot Cake is another of them). Growing up, nights when we got to have it for dinner were a big deal. We were a busy family, and her recipe involved digging out the giant electric skillet, cutting up an entire chicken, and waiting for what seemed like hours for that to cook.

So between all the soccer games, play rehearsals, lessons, etc. of my childhood, we didn’t often have time for homemade chicken cacciatore, but when we did, it was happy times for all!

This Easy Chicken Cacciatore is the BEST weeknight dinner when you need something simple and delish! | Easy Dinners | Easy Pasta | Chicken Pasta |

When I moved away to go to college, I think I tried the original recipe twice before I declared it too much work for one person. It took too long, and it never tasted quite like Mom’s. But a while back, I had a hankering to give this childhood favorite another try.

After a little tinkering, not only did I take most of the work out of the recipe, but I think I’ve managed to improve on the original (sorry, Mom!). This Easy Chicken Cacciatore has gone from a weekend-only meal involving the dismembering of a dead animal to a quick and simple-to-prepare dinner, perfect for busy weeknights.

No longer must you cut up an entire chicken or dig out a giant electric skillet to cook it all in! This version uses boneless skinless chicken thighs, which means no cutting, the meat all fits in one pan, AND it lightens up the dish considerably. The prep takes all of 15 minutes and once you get the sauce simmering, it’s almost completely hands off until it’s time to eat.

This Easy Chicken Cacciatore is one of my favorite easy-to-make dinners! | Easy Dinners | Easy Pasta | Chicken Pasta |

If you’ve never had chicken cacciatore before, you’re in for a treat. The long (but not too long!) low simmer with the white wine and brandy (optional if you don’t have it around) makes the chicken thighs fall-apart tender and gives the entire dish a deep and wonderful richness you wouldn’t expect from something that contains no heavy cream or cheese.

And bonus, this is one healthy meal. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli and you have an entire dinner for under 500 calories.

I make this all the time on weeknights, but it’s also really fabulous if you have guests coming over. This dish is practically full-proof since it’s simmered in liquid for a set time (you’d have to try real hard to burn/over/under cook this chicken), and like with my Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken, your house will smell soooooooooooo good while it’s cooking.

Accompany it with some nice crusty bread and hearty vegetable side, and I guarantee you will have happy guests who are begging you for this Easy Chicken Cacciatore recipe when the night is over.

This Easy Chicken Cacciatore is boneless, skinless chicken thighs and mushrooms simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served over a bed of egg noodles for a fabulous weeknight meal. | Easy Dinners | Easy Pasta | Chicken Pasta |

More Easy Pasta Dishes

  • Creamy Sausage Pasta
  • Buttered Noodles
  • Chicken and Broccoli Orzo
  • Baked Ziti
This Easy Chicken Cacciatore is boneless, skinless chicken thighs and mushrooms simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served over a bed of egg noodles for a fabulous weeknight meal.

Weeknight Easy Chicken Cacciatore

This Easy Chicken Cacciatore is boneless, skinless chicken thighs and mushrooms simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served over a bed of egg noodles for a fabulous weeknight meal.
4.67 from 3 votes
Print
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 4
Calories: 461kcal
Author: Tracy

Ingredients

Dredge

  • 4 large boneless skinless chicken thighs *
  • 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour mixed with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Brown

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons diced green onions shallot or onion may also be used
  • 3 cloves garlic minced

Simmer

  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 2 cups (1 14.5-ounce can) chicken broth
  • 2 cups (8oz) mushrooms sliced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine*
  • 2 tablespoons brandy or 1/4 cup Muscatel optional

Sprinkle

  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Boil

  • 8 ounces egg noodles

Instructions

  • Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, coating completely.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the chicken. Brown the first side and flip. After you have flipped the chicken, add the green onions and garlic to the pan between the thighs and brown, being careful not to let the garlic burn (if it starts to burn, add a little of the chicken broth to the pan right away).
  • While the chicken and garlic are browning, spread a large dollop of tomato paste over each of the thighs, using the entire can. Once everything is browned, pour the chicken broth over the top, and add mushrooms, white wine, brandy, bay leaf, salt, basil, thyme, and pepper. When you add the spices, try to sprinkle them as evenly over the whole dish as possible.
  • Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure all of the mushrooms are cooking in the sauce and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. If the cooking liquid is still very soupy after 15 minutes, simmer uncovered for the remaining time. The dish is done when chicken is tender and sauce is thickened.
  • While chicken cooks, bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. I usually start boiling water once the chicken begins to simmer and dump the pasta in when there are 7 minutes or so left on the timer.
  • Divide pasta and cover with chicken and sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

*The rule of thumb is usually two thighs per person, but since this is served over noodles, I find one to be plenty unless you have big eaters or are cooking with very small thighs.
*Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio & Sauvignon Blanc are all good options.
Small-yield Instructions: No cooking or preparation changes needed to cut the recipe in half or quarters. This recipe halves cleanly. You can freeze the extra chicken broth and tomato paste in an ice cube tray to use at a later date.
Make-ahead Instructions: This dish has very little prep, but the mushrooms, onions, and garlic can be cut and stored in an air-tight container up to two days in advance. (Your mushrooms might look a little wilted but they cook down in the sauce, so you won’t be able to tell after cooking.)
Freezer Instructions: The chicken and sauce can be frozen in an air-tight container or freezer bag for up to four months. I prefer not to freeze pasta when I don’t have to. For this dish, it’s best to just make a new pot of noodles when you are ready to eat them.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

Nutritional Information 
Adapted from: Joy of Cooking

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.

This Easy Chicken Cacciatore is boneless, skinless chicken thighs and mushrooms simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served over a bed of egg noodles for a fabulous weeknight meal. | Easy Dinners | Easy Pasta | Chicken Pasta | Chicken Thighs |

Comments | 19 comments

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Comments

  1. teachermrw says

    February 17, 2019 at 4:15 pm

    4 stars
    This was good. It came together per the instructions. My dad and brother liked it. To me, it could have had a bit more flavor. Is there a reason why it is prepared with a white wine, and not a red? Normally, red sauces are prepared with a red wine.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      February 19, 2019 at 11:40 am

      Glad your dad and brother enjoyed it! You can definitely try it with red wine to see if it gives you more of the flavor you are looking for. Lots of cacciatore recipes do use red. You can also throw in some chopped bell peppers if that’s a flavor you like in your chicken cacciatore. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Noel says

    January 23, 2016 at 6:25 am

    There’s a comfort food that’s easy to make! I love that I can have this dish for supper on a weeknight!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 23, 2016 at 12:22 pm

      Thanks! It’s definitely a weeknight favorite around here!

      Reply
      • Koejex says

        February 12, 2016 at 6:09 am

        I remember hviang this recipe for the first time a few years ago. I had completely forgotten about it until I saw this post, thanks for the reminder of a great recipe, it’ll be on my menu this week Cathy Pieroz at Ray White Alexandra Hills

  3. Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says

    January 23, 2016 at 5:10 am

    WOW! Chicken Cacciatore for less than 500 calories I didn’t think that was possible. Such a tasty dish. I love how you’ve taken a lot of the fuss out of this classic dish. Well done!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 23, 2016 at 12:21 pm

      I know! When I calculated the calories, I went back and double checked them just to be sure. I love that I feel like I’m indulging when I eat this, but I’m totally not.

      Reply
  4. Kavey says

    January 23, 2016 at 1:44 am

    Love the classics and an easy version is always welcome. Really like how you separate your ingredients out, so clear and easy to follow.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 23, 2016 at 12:20 pm

      Thank you, Kavey. I have such a problem following long blocks of ingredient lists. It’s so much easier for me to read if I space or break them up a bit! I figured I couldn’t be the only one with that problem. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Mark, CompassandFork says

    January 23, 2016 at 12:29 am

    Glad you made it with chicken thighs, so much juicier than breast fillets! A classic and a great looking dish.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 23, 2016 at 12:17 pm

      Thanks Mark! And agreed. I love chicken breasts, but thighs are really the way to go with this dish!

      Reply
  6. Elisha says

    January 20, 2016 at 9:45 am

    Mica male, mi è stato molto utile!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 20, 2016 at 10:03 am

      Grazie Elicia. È molto gentile da parte sua!

      Reply
  7. Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says

    January 16, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    I love chicken cacciatore! And boneless chicken thighs are definitely the way to go. 🙂 Lots of flavor and not nearly as much work.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 16, 2016 at 3:01 pm

      Seriously! When I made the switch, I was like, we could have saved so much time and effort over the years if we had done this sooner!!

      Reply
  8. Meghan | Fox and Briar says

    January 16, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    Yes! I love boneless skinless chicken thighs! They are so flavorful and easy to work with. I didn’t grow up eating chicken cacciatore but I have made it a few times as an adult and it is usually so much work I love that this is mostly hands off, that is my kind of meal!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 16, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      Agreed! The less work, the better. My kitchen always gets super clean when I make this since it’s basically just let simmer and wait. 😉

      Reply
  9. Natasha @ Salt and Lavender says

    January 15, 2016 at 1:23 pm

    Yum, these kinds of dishes are my favorite. Easy and comforting – the best.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 15, 2016 at 9:45 pm

      Thanks, Natasha! I agree. Sometimes you just want to eat some old-fashioned comfort food. Even better when it’s a family recipe with tons of memories attached to it!

      Reply
4.67 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Welcome!


Hi, I'm Tracy! Welcome to Baking Mischief, where we realize that not everyone is cooking every night for a family of four. We have delicious sweet and savory recipes, mostly scaled for one or two, and we love our pop culture around here, so keep an eye out for film, book, and TV-inspired treats as well! Read more»
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