Italian cuisine isn’t always all about spaghetti and meatballs! Oh, no, no, no. There’s more to it! Take Rustic Chicken Cacciatore, for instance. It brings you a taste of Italy but with juicy chicken thighs in a tangy, savory, herby, and veggie-filled tomato sauce. Sure, you could still serve it all over a bed of your favorite pasta, but we’re just saying you don’t have to if you want to consider it Italian (but we understand why you’d want to do that)! Rustic Chicken Cacciatore takes you down a less touristy, but even more delicious path, and your tastebuds will be glad for it!
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skins removed
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 7 ounces Roma tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup pitted black olives, drained
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 -Season the chicken thighs with the salt and the pepper.
Step 3 -In a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil.
Step 4 -Sear the chicken thighs in the oil on both sides until they are golden, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Step 5 -Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Step 6 -Add the remaining oil and the onion to the skillet and sauté until the onions are transparent, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 7 -Add the garlic to the onions and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Step 8 -Add the yellow bell peppers, the red bell peppers, the carrots, the mushrooms, the thyme, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, 2 tablespoons of the basil, and the oregano to the onion-garlic mixture and cook until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step 9 -Pour the wine into the veggie mixture and cook, while scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the wine has reduced, about 2 minutes.
Step 10 -Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices, the tomato paste, the Roma tomatoes, the chili flakes, the salt, the pepper, and the seared chicken thighs to the veggie mixture and cover the skillet with a lid.
Step 11 -Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 50 minutes.
Step 12 -Uncover, add the olives to the skillet, and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, the meat is falling off the bone, and the sauce has reduced, about 20 minutes.
Step 13 -Serve.
