Baked Chicken Cacciatore
This baked chicken cacciatore is a delectable Italian dish featuring tender chicken thighs in a rich tomato-based sauce filled with flavorful ingredients. This easy baked chicken cacciatore recipe is perfect for any weeknight dinner or special occasion, combining the best elements of homemade chicken cacciatore with wine for a truly satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray nonstick cooking spray
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 (4-ounce) skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1/2 cup red wine (or more, if needed)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes with juice
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a shallow bowl, mix flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge each chicken thigh in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté over medium heat until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, adding a little more olive oil if needed, until the mushrooms are tender.
- Pour in the 1/2 cup red wine and deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the wine reduces slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the stewed tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer the mixture for 1-2 minutes. If the sauce feels too thick, add extra wine as needed.
- Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken thighs in the baking dish, ensuring all the chicken is coated. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Serve hot with your favorite sides!
Notes
You can use skin-on chicken thighs if you'd like, instead of skinless, or a mixture of chicken thighs and legs. White wine or chicken broth can be used in place of red wine, if preferred. This can easily be made on the stovetop by adding the chicken back to the finished sauce, covering, and allowing it to simmer until the chicken is done, 30 to 45 minutes.