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    Home / Recipes / Chicken

    One Pan Easy Chicken Cacciatore

    By Heather · Published: Mar 21, 2019 · Updated: Mar 22, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · See the privacy policy linked in my footer.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you're looking for a dinner that comes together super quick, has tons of flavor, and just a few ingredients, you're going to want to keep readin' about this easy chicken cacciatore! Easy Chicken Cacciatore cooked in a skillet with peppers and onions

    I didn't have this easy chicken cacciatore planned to share with you, but last night I asked the hubs what he wanted for dinner because I was all out of ideas and he quickly said "CHICKEN CACCIATORE!", thinking there was no way I'd oblige. Well, as it turned out, I had everything needed for this quick and easy version of boneless chicken cacciatore and the fam loved it served over our favorite perfect brown rice. I hope you enjoy it!

    What is Chicken Cacciatore?

    Traditional Chicken Cacciatore is a braised chicken and tomato based dish using bone-in chicken pieces, either baked in the oven or simmered on the stove. "Cacciatore" means "Hunter" in Italian and it uses ingredients hunters may have had while trecking through the forest, like mushrooms and onions. My easy chicken cacciatore recipe is an easier twist on the traditional dish.

    What Do You Eat Chicken Cacciatore With?

    We love eating this easy chicken cacciatore over rice, and I think that's the traditional way of eating it, but it's also great served over some buttered egg noodles or Garlic Parmesan Pasta. It would also be great with some Ricotta Gnocchi!

    Close up of easy chicken cacciatore in a tomato sauce with peppers, olives, and onions.

    How to Make Boneless Chicken Cacciatore:

    1. Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat and cook peppers and onion with salt until just barely tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute or until it is fragrant and smells delicious!
    2. Add canned tomatoes, pasta sauce, and some olives into the pan, stir the sauce and bring to a simmer.
    3. Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the sauce in the pan, submerging each breast entirely into the sauce. Bring the sauce and chicken back to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
    4. Remove from heat and take chicken breasts from the sauce. Shred the chicken if desired and return to the sauce, mixing to incorporate.
    5. Serve chicken and sauce over rice, pasta, or egg noodles with ample amounts of parmesan cheese.

    Chicken cacciatore made easy in one pan with olives, peppers and onions.

    Tips for Making The BEST One Pan Chicken Cacciatore

    • THAW YOUR CHICKEN If using frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts be sure that your chicken is completely thawed before placing in the sauce. Doing so will allow the chicken to cook faster and more evenly.
    • USE A LOW SUGAR TOMATO SAUCE This chicken cacciatore recipe does best when you use a tomato sauce that isn't overly sweet. Some prepared pasta sauces (I'm looking at you RAGU) have a lot of sugar in them, and I feel this recipe does better with a sauce that isn't as sweet.
    • JUST SIMMER For the most tender chicken, make sure to cook it only at a simmer over low. You want to see just small bubbles breaking at the surface. Cook it any higher, and you'll be quick-boiling the chicken which produces tough sometimes dry chicken.
    • COOK UNTIL TENDER No two chicken breasts are going to be the same size, so the cooking time will vary depending on the size of chicken breast you're using. Just cook until the chicken is very tender and is easily cut or shredded.

    Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like

    • Chicken lo mein recipe
    • Pesto Parmesan Chicken
    • Barbecue Chicken
    • Smothered Chicken Breast
    • Honey Dijon Chicken Thighs
    • garlic chicken thighs
    • Ranch Chicken Marinade
    • Simple Grilled Chicken Recipe
    • Chicken Keto Soup
    • Wingers Sticky Fingers
    • Sweet Chili Sauce Chicken
    • Oven Fried Chicken Breast
    • Chicken Ricotta
    • Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
    One Pan Easy Chicken Cacciatore

    One Pan Easy Chicken Cacciatore

    A quick and simple chicken cacciatore recipe that is easy enough for quick weeknight dinner and good enough for company. 
    By Heather Cheney
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 4 Servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 whole bell peppers sliced
    • 1 whole yellow onion sliced
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 28 ounces whole tomatoes drained and cut each tomato into fours
    • 24 ounces favorite pasta sauce (I LOVE Mezzetta Tomato and Sweet Basil)
    • 14 ounces black olives drained
    • 4 whole boneless skinless chicken breast halves

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook peppers and onion with salt until just barely tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
    • Pour cut tomatoes, pasta sauce, and drained olives into the pan, stir and bring to a simmer.
    • Place chicken breasts into the sauce, submerging each breast completely into the sauce. Bring back to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
    • Remove chicken breasts from sauce, shred, return to the sauce and serve over rice, pasta, or egg noodles with parmesan cheese.

    Chef's Notes:

    This recipe was originally published in April of 2016. I've updated the text and answered a few questions about the recipe here, but the recipe remains the same! 

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 253 kcal | Carbohydrates: 21 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 3011 mg | Potassium: 977 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 12 g | Vitamin A: 1375 IU | Vitamin C: 31.4 mg | Calcium: 138 mg | Iron: 4.1 mg

    Nutrition and Food Safety Disclosure

    ARE WE FRIENDS ON INSTAGRAM?Tag me @heatherlikesfood and use #heatherlikesfood so I can see what you're making and enjoying!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Edith Cartney says

      March 09, 2023 at 1:15 am

      5 stars
      This turned out to be a pretty tasty dish. I appreciated how easy and fast it was to prepare. Since I like to have some extra sauce to spread over the rice and this sauce was a touch on the thick side, the only thing I will change the next time I make it is to use sliced tomatoes from a can that also contains the tomato juice. Mathematical geeks will enjoy nerdle, a strategy game with a purely number focus.

      Reply
    2. Rebecca says

      April 14, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      That looks delicious, and you can't go wrong with easy! The new backdrop looks pretty stellar, but I think there should be video footage of the dance moves that won it. 😉

      Reply
      • Heather Cheney says

        April 15, 2016 at 12:24 pm

        Haha, those are reserved for the sorry souls that had to witness it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Heather! Want to become a rockstar cook? I’m a former chef, caterer, and culinary arts school graduate that just wants to help you make some killer food! I truly believe that with a little know-how anyone can totally rock their kitchen. Stick around for ultimate recipes of your favorite foods, cooking tips, guides, and more!

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