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This Whole30 chicken cacciatore produces incredibly tender chicken with so much flavor. A paleo recipe that’s super easy and just delicious over mashed potatoes! An Italian classic made Whole30 compliant.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone chicken in a thick, rich tomato sauce? Um, yes, please!
- It’s a simple meat & veggies one-pan meal that keeps things easy but looks super fancy. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us!
- This recipe combines authentic Italian flavors with Whole30 compliant ingredients for an indulgent, satisfying dish that won’t wreck your progress.
- It’s easy to throw together for a spur-of-the-moment meal, but it’s also great for meal prep and freezer meals! Refrigerate your cooled cacciatore in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months!
Key Ingredients
Chicken Thighs – These cuts of chicken are less likely than white meat to turn out dry or tough, and because the thighs are dark meat, they’re full of flavor. They’re also typically less popular than chicken breasts, which usually makes them a cheaper protein option.
Kalamata Olives – Beautiful dark purple Greek olives add so much flavor to this dish! Thanks to their antioxidants, they have a rich, slightly fruity taste, which partners beautifully with the tomato sauce.
Fun Fact: “Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian. You’re technically making chicken “alla cacciatora” – or chicken, “hunter-style”. Another super popular variation of this recipes uses braised rabbit instead of chicken.
How to Make It
Season your uncooked chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then sauté them in olive oil over medium-high heat. We’ll finish cooking them later – for now, you just want them a little brown on both sides.
Once you’ve set aside the chicken, sauté the veggies until the onions are tender and fragrant, then simmer with stock and vinegar. Add the remaining ingredients, return the chicken to the pan, and simmer everything for 20 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through.
Move the chicken to a plate and boil the sauce a little longer if necessary to achieve the desired thickness. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish with a little basil, and serve!
This Whole30 chicken cacciatore is great served with mashed potatoes, zucchini noodles, sautéed kale, or cauliflower rice. No traditional rice or quinoa on Whole30!
Chef’s Tips
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken will give this dish the most flavor (and keep the chicken juicy!) but you can absolutely use boneless, skinless chicken if you prefer. It’ll cook more quickly, so keep an eye on it as it simmers. Use a meat thermometer for best results – aim for 165° Fahrenheit internally, to ensure your chicken is cooked completely.
- Traditional chicken cacciatore calls for dry white wine in the sauce. We didn’t forget it – wine is not allowed in any form on the Whole30 diet! Our recipe intentionally leaves out the alcohol and uses chicken stock instead.
- Want to make this Whole30 chicken cacciatore in your slow cooker? Add all of your ingredients except the olives and mushrooms. Stir to combine, then cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Add the mushrooms and olives in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Always use fresh vegetables for the most flavor and best texture!
More Whole30 Recipes You’ll Love
- Whole30 Hibachi Chicken and Veggies with Cauliflower Fried Rice and Mustard Sauce
- Whole30 Fried Chicken and Mashed Potato Bowl with Gravy
- BBQ Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potatoes and Coleslaw (Whole30)
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Sweet Potato Rice
Whole30 Chicken Cacciatore
Equipment
- Sauté pan
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red bell pepper chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock divided
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ cup kalamata olives chopped
- ½ pound mushrooms sliced
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 3 tablespoons capers drained
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a large heavy sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs to pan and sauté until just brown, approximately 5 minutes per side. If all 8 thighs don't fit in pan, sauté in 2 batches. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside.
- Add bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan. Sauté over medium heat until onion is tender, approximately 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add ½ cup chicken stock and vinegar. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes with juice, remaining stock, capers, olives, and oregano.
- Return chicken to pan and coat in sauce. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until chicken is just cooked through, approximately 20 minutes.
- Using tongs, transfer chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil sauce until slightly thickened, approximately 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop sauce (see note). Spoon sauce over chicken, then sprinkle with basil and serve.
- If you don’t spoon off the excess fat, the sauce will be fairly greasy. We aren’t anti-fat, but it does pool quite a bit in this recipe.
- Keep it Low Carb: This chicken cacciatore is low carb on its own (and you can totally eat it solo!), but pairing it with zucchini noodles or mashed cauliflower will keep it low carb!
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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