Easy One Pot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Cacciatore means hunter in Italian but in the cooking world it’s a style of cooking that brings together several basic ingredients like onions, tomatoes and peppers. Chicken Cacciatore is one of my all time favorites and we have tried many recipes along the way.

I say we because I wasn’t always the one doing the cooking since I can’t really cook…very well. Don’t be scared, because since I love this meal sooo much, I have finally found a combination of ingredients that are easy enough for me to pull together with my “can’t cook” self, toss into one pot, and place in the oven for several hours on low.

When I say easy, I mean easy. This also happens to be another more or less recipe, meaning one can use slightly more or less of most of the ingredients and the recipe will still turn out. I mean it, you can’t mess this up!

Easy one pot chicken Cacciatore recipe

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless chicken breast

Olive olive

14.5 oz can chicken broth

1/2 Jar spaghetti sauce (I used Paul Newman’s Tomato Basil)

1 Green pepper – chopped

1 Small onion – chopped

1 Cup fresh mushrooms – chopped

2 Cloves garlic – minced

1 Tsp Italian Seasoning

1/8 Tsp salt, or to taste (I used sea salt from a grinder)

1/8 Tsp pepper, or to taste (I used pepper from a grinder)

To be prepared separately

1 Package pasta  (linguine – or – spaghetti – or angel hair)

To add on top when serving

Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese goes on top when serving

Directions

Using a pot that has a lid such as a Pyrex baking dish or dutch oven, add about a table spoon to the pot and grease the pot well.

Add the chicken and only HALF of the jar of spaghetti sauce. (Yes, you only use half of the jar, so you can freeze the rest, or heat and serve with the meal on the side for those who like it more robust.)

Next add all the other ingredients one by one, topping it off with the salt and pepper.

No need to stir, just cover and place in the oven on about 300 to 325 F (160 C).

Over all you’ll want to cook for about 3 hours, but check the dish after about an hour and stir at that point. Then stir again an hour later.

After 3 hours (or so) remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then use a fork to break up the chicken pieces. They should fall right apart and if they do not, then it probably needs to cook longer.

Cook pasta per package instructions.

Serve over pasta with grated cheese and French bread.

What I love most about this recipe is that it has a broth base with a light tomato flavor, so it isn’t a heavy dish but rather a nice meal for spring, summer or fall.

Suggestions for changing this recipe up a bit:  

Cook in a crock pot instead.

Cook on a lower oven temp for a longer period of time.

Use more or less of any of the ingredients.

Omit or add an ingredient (I don’t put onions in mine, but I have thought of adding carrots.)

Make with bone-in chicken.

Chop up the green pepper, mushrooms, and onions into tiny pieces and kids won’t know they’re there!

Stir in 1/4 cup of white or red wine.

Everyone in my family loves when I cook this…but they don’t always love when I cook, so if you are looking for an easy meal that you can throw together quickly and put in the over while at home working on projects this is one dish I really think most of you would like.

And if I can make it…most anyone else can 😉

Here area few more easy one pot meals that you might like:

(You can click on the link or the photo to see the recipe.)

Leftover Grilled Steak Soup

Crock Pot Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

Who else likes the ol’ one dish meal recipes idea?

Thanks for stopping by ~ Amy