Chicken Cacciatore Traybake

About This Recipe

Cacciatore means "hunter-style" in Italian, and the dish traditionally uses whatever the hunter brought home, braised slowly with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and wine. This traybake version keeps the same flavors but simplifies the process into one oven pan, letting the chicken thighs render their fat directly into the vegetables below. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are key here: they crisp on top in the oven's dry heat while the vegetables underneath stew in tomato and wine juices, becoming soft and deeply savory by the time the chicken is done.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2bell peppers(sliced)
• 1yellow onion(sliced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(smashed)
• 400 gcanned crushed tomatoes
• 0.5 cupdry white wine
• 0.5 cupgreen olives(pitted)
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.25 cupfresh basil(torn, for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat and season

   Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Pat chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt.

2. 2

   Sear the chicken skin

   Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Sear thighs skin-side down for 5 minutes until deep golden, then flip briefly and remove.

3. 3

   Build the vegetable base

   In the same pan, add peppers, onion, and garlic, cooking 3 minutes until just softened. Stir in crushed tomatoes, wine, olives, and oregano.

4. 4

   Roast together

   Nestle the chicken thighs skin-side up into the vegetables. Roast for 35-40 minutes until the chicken skin is crisp and juices run clear.

   Check internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part.

5. 5

   Rest and finish

   Let the tray rest 5 minutes, then scatter torn basil over the top before serving straight from the pan.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced mushrooms with the peppers for an earthier, more rustic version.

• •

  Use red wine instead of white for a deeper, slightly sweeter sauce.

• •

  Swap green olives for Kalamata for a saltier, more pungent finish.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat in a covered dish in a 180°C oven until warmed through to keep the skin from going soggy in the microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions