Pollo alla
Cacciatora
Tuscan-style chicken braised with tomato & wine
Bone-in chicken braises with tomato, red wine and aromatic vegetables, with olives added near the end of this Tuscan-style version.
Chicken, tomato & olives, with yellow pepper additionsChicken in the pan,
a Tuscan household braise.
Pollo alla cacciatora means hunter-style chicken, a pan-braised dish with many Italian household versions. Browned chicken cooks slowly in a savory sauce, often with wine, herbs and tomato. It is a second course, with bread or another side ordered separately.
The Tuscan preparation chosen here uses onion, carrot, celery, rosemary, sage and red wine, with black olives near the end. Other kitchens make white versions without tomato or use different vegetables. There is no single national formula. The photograph includes yellow pepper pieces and a green garnish; the home recipe follows the tomato-and-olive version without peppers.
Explore by food: Meat
Let’s make pollo alla cacciatora.
Four main portions from bone-in thighs and drumsticks. This Tuscan-style tomato, red-wine and olive preparation omits the peppers visible in the photograph.
Four main portions: eight bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks totaling about 1.4 kg.
What you’ll need
- 1.4 kgbone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 150 gonion, thinly sliced
- 80 gcarrot, finely diced
- 60 gcelery, finely diced
- 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 smallrosemary sprig
- 3sage leaves
- 200 mldry red wine
- 500 gcanned peeled tomatoes, crushed
- 150 mlwater, plus up to 100 ml more if needed
- 60 gpitted black olives, drained
- to tastefine salt and black pepper
The cooking allowance includes browning in batches and a gentle braise; larger pieces may need longer. Use a thermometer and tenderness together. The pepper pieces and chopped green garnish in the photograph are additions outside this version.
How to make it
- 01
Brown the chicken
Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a wide heavy lidded pan. Brown chicken in two batches over medium heat for about 15 minutes total, turning to color both sides. Transfer to a plate.
- 02
Soften the vegetables
Leave about 2 tbsp fat in the pan, spooning off excess. Cook onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring. Add garlic, rosemary and sage for the final minute.
- 03
Add wine and braise
Return chicken and any plate juices. Add wine and simmer for 5 minutes, scraping the base. Add tomatoes and 150 ml water. Cover and simmer gently for 35–45 minutes, turning once, until meat is tender and the thickest part reaches at least 74°C/165°F away from bone. Add measured extra water in small amounts if the sauce dries.
- 04
Finish with olives
Uncover, stir in olives and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce coats the chicken. Remove herb stems and sage leaves. Taste for salt and pepper and serve hot, spooning sauce over each portion.
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