A one-pan hunter-style chicken bake with peppers, tomatoes, olives, and white wine.
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.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Pat chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt.
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.
In the same pan, add peppers, onion, and garlic, cooking 3 minutes until just softened. Stir in crushed tomatoes, wine, olives, and oregano.
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.
Let the tray rest 5 minutes, then scatter torn basil over the top before serving straight from the pan.
Dry the chicken skin thoroughly with paper towels before searing so it actually crisps rather than steams.
Use bone-in thighs, not breasts — they stay juicy through the full roasting time.
A dry white wine like Vermentino gives the sauce a light acidity that balances the tomatoes.
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.
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.
Cacciatore-style braising dates to rural Italian hunting traditions where game was cooked slowly with whatever tomatoes, onions, and herbs were on hand; chicken became the standard protein as the dish spread through home kitchens and Italian-American restaurants.
You can, but reduce the roasting time to about 25 minutes since breasts dry out faster than thighs.
The skin was likely still wet when it hit the pan, or the oven wasn't fully preheated — both prevent proper browning.
Crusty bread, polenta, or a simple pasta all work well to soak up the tomato-wine sauce.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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