Quick Chicken Cacciatore - Family Food on the Table (2024)

Quick Chicken Cacciatore is a saucy, flavorful and cozy family dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes. Serve with spaghetti or rice and get ready to dig in to this delicious dish!

This post is sponsored by Harris Teeter. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

We are at the start of spring break week with the kiddos and a whole week off is sounding pretty fantastic!

Of course, it's not like we have some kind of wild plans. Just more staying home like we've been doing for a year now. BUT, we may get to pop down to the beach for a few days later this week.

The weather won't be great - some rain expected and highs just in the mid 60s - but it almost doesn't matter. A change of scenery is always welcome, and we'll find plenty of fun things to do. Plus, it's just nice to have a break and some down time.

So let's move right along to the food!

Today I’m excited to share with you this quick chicken cacciatore.

It’s something I’ve made for years. It was on the regular rotation until I somehow forgot about it and we went a long time without. Sad.

Thankfully, last year I rediscovered many of my old go-to recipes, and I’ve been bringing them to you as quickly as I can so you can share in the goodness as well.

Chicken cacciatore is saucy, flavorful, and warm and cozy all the way through.

It makes a fantastic family dinner that even my kids gobble up. That’s saying something!

AND, this recipe is ready in about 30 minutes.

(You might also want to check out this slow cooker chicken cacciatore for a hands-off version.)

We’re cutting the chicken pieces into strips so they cook more quickly and we’re building a delicious, but simple, sauce.

(All in the same pan. Easy clean-up for the win!)

Cause many nights, 30 minutes is about all I’m willing to give over to making dinner.

Anyone else feel me on that?

Some of our other favorite chicken recipes in under 30 minutes are this easy chicken Florentine, skillet salsa chicken and healthy chicken Alfredo with broccoli. Oh and this creamy Tuscan chicken is easy but impressive.

I even have a collection of chicken recipes in under 15 minutes. Cause, you know, Mondays. Or maybe Fridays.

Whatever mood I’m in though, we are definitely chicken dinner lovers through and through.

I’m also thrilled to be partnering with Harris Teeter for today’s recipe.

Harris Teeter is the grocery store I grew up with. My mom shopped there exclusively, and I was her frequent shopping buddy.

When I returned to live in Charlotte, N.C., as an adult, it became my go-to store as well.

It’s big, bright, clean and everyone is so friendly.

I love their huge selection of quality produce and meats, too.

Today, we’re celebrating my weekly purchase of the Harris Teeter brand chicken breasts. It’s affordable, well packaged and so reliable in terms of quality.

I typically buy the large packs that are about 6 breasts, but they also sell smaller packs if you don’t need as much.

Pro tip: If you order your chicken at the meat counter, you can get exactly how many breasts you need. It’s also often on sale and even less expensive than what is set out in the poultry section.

Harris Teeter also has added so many great convenience items over the years that help make dinnertime a breeze. I love getting a bag of Caesar salad that comes with everything you need in it.

It tastes great and it helps me get a healthy meal on the table with less fuss.

Oh, and don’t forget to grab a loaf of bread from the bakery. We’re partial to the "take and bake" whole wheat bread, but they have a ton of great choices.

Even with all those sides, this dinner meal can easily feed a family of 4 for under $30. Totally winning at life.

But back to today’s dish. Let’s get cooking!

I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make chicken cacciatore. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

First, let's clarify what we're talking about.

What is chicken cacciatore?

Cacciatore means a dish that is prepared "hunter-style" with onions, herbs, tomatoes, often bell peppers and sometimes wine. It’s usually made with braised chicken, but also sometimes with rabbit.

I’m thinking most of us don’t have easy access to rabbit, so chicken it is.

(Oh, and this version is made without wine since we’re skipping the hour-plus long simmer time. But feel free to pour yourself a glass to sip while cooking and eating!)

Notes on making quick chicken cacciatore:

• Chicken: We are cutting our chicken breasts into strips to help them cook more evenly - and more quickly. We’ll sear them in the skillet first and then return them to the pan later to finish cooking in the sauce.
• Butter:I love the flavor from the butter and olive oil together, but if you need this to be dairy-free, you can certainly use all olive oil.
• Tomatoes: A can of whole peeled tomatoes gives the texture and rustic vibe I love in this dish. I prefer to cut up the tomatoes while they are still in the can. I literally take a pair of kitchen shears and just chop them in the can as best I can. You can also break them up with a spoon while the sauce is simmering if you prefer.
• Tomato sub: Or you could substitute a can of diced tomatoes if you’d rather. You either need two 14.5 ounce cans or one large 28 ounce can.

The recipe below is written as a quick version and it’s ready in about 30 minutes.

However, you can let the sauce hang out and simmer away for longer if you’d like - up to a half hour or more. I’ve done this before and it works great.

Just wait to put the chicken back in to finish cooking until you’re 7-10 minutes from eating, so they chicken doesn’t get overcooked.

Alright, we’re ready to eat!

Serving Ideas:

• Serve over hot cooked spaghetti.
• Or pair with steamed brown or white rice.
• You could also serve this with creamy mashed potatoes or polenta.
• Or serve it with some crusty bread to dip into the sauce.

So many delicious ways to enjoy this dish!

Last thing, let’s talk leftovers. They keep well, so be sure to save them for a hot lunch another day!

How to store leftover chicken cacciatore:

- Store the leftover chicken and sauce, once cooled, in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

- Reheat the chicken on the stove or in the microwave.

- You can also freeze the leftover chicken and sauce. Store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 5-6 months. (Be sure to label and date it.)

- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

The last time I made this, I took some of the extras to my parents and they loved it, too! So it’s definitely a good one to take to family, friends or neighbors.

Saucy chicken is always a hit.

I hope you give it a try soon for an easy family dinner everyone will want to gobble up.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn