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Chicken Cacciatore is a hearty, rustic, Italian stew that’s absolutely brimming with flavour. It’s a one-pan meal that’s perfect for the Fall months when you crave something warm and a bit more filling, but not too heavy. The best part? It’s Whole30 compliant and easy enough to make on a weeknight.
Chicken cacciatore is by far the more popular version of “alla cacciatore” recipes. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can use rabbit – equally delicious. In a nutshell, “Cacciatore” means hunter in Italian and the recipe that bears its name usually consist of braising meat (chicken or rabbit are more common) in a rich tomato sauce, with sautéed vegetables, herbs and wine.
Here, I’ve fortified the classic Italian chicken stew with some fingerling potatoes and chopped kale. The result is an even heartier chicken cacciatore that can easily feed a crowd or be scaled down to serve two. The kale adds a lot of nutrition and a pop of colour. The potatoes make the dish feel more like a meal.
To keep things Whole30 compliant, I substitute chicken stock for the wine and don’t bother dredging the chicken in any flour before browning.
Whole30 Chicken Cacciatore with Kale and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 chicken quarters, cut into legs and thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1 medium red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 115 gr brown or white mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 398 ml crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
- ½ cup Kalamata olives
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- ½ pound fingerling potatoes, sliced in half
- 3 cups chopped kale
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Preheat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and cook, skin side down first, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a tray and set aside.
- Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan and return it to medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onion and season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
- Add the chicken stock and cook, scraping any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until reduced by one quarter in volume. Add the crushed tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, olives, capers, and potatoes, and season with ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring liquid to a steady simmer and return the chicken to the pan, submerging it only half way.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and cook 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender and the thickest part of the chicken registers 185F on a meat thermometer.
- Transfer chicken to a plate and stir in the kale. Cover with a lid and let sit until the kale is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as desired. Return the chicken to the pan and serve.
About the Author
Hi, i'm Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
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This was excellent though I switched out eggplant for the potatoes. Wonderful flavor and the olives really make it sing. Bottom line is it is a total keeper recipe and thank you for sharing it 🙂
Amazing! Glad to hear you enjoyed!
Tried it tonight – delicious. No capers so doubled the olives.
So glad to hear you enjoyed!
My oven is not working at this time, can I complete dish just using stove top?
Yup! Should turn out similarly.