This recipe for Baked Chicken Cacciatore is a quick and easy recipe, using chicken breast and ingredients you already have in your pantry. It's actually a really simple recipe, but it just feels fancy.
Chicken Cacciatore baked in the oven is a classic Italian dish, but it's a quick and easy meal that's perfect for any weeknight dinner, and special enough for company or a special occasion like birthdays, date night, or Valentine's Day. It pairs well with my Kale Salad with Cranberries and Feta. This Chicken Breast Cacciatore recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 1 WW point.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- 📖Substitutions & Variations
- 🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Baked Chicken Cacciatore in the Oven
- ⏲️ Baking time
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🔢WW Points
- 🥗What to eat with Chicken Cacciatore
- 🌡️Storage
- ❔ Recipe FAQ's
- 🐔More WW friendly Chicken Recipes
- 📋 Baked Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Dump and Bake. It's a super easy dump and bake recipe- only 3 steps.
- Pantry Ingredients. It's made with ingredients you're likely to have on hand.
- Light and Healthy. It's surprisingly lighter and healthier than you'd think (even ww friendly)!
- Feels Fancy! This chicken cacciatore is a quick and easy meal that's perfect for any weeknight dinner, but special enough for company or a special occasion like birthdays, date night, or Valentine's Day.
This dish was something my Mom made when I was growing up. She took the Chicken Cacciatora recipe from the Five Roses Cookbook and made it Weight Watchers friendlier (yay, Mom!). It's quick and easy to make with chicken and pantry ingredients.
🥘Ingredient Notes
- Boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Boneless skinless chicken breasts keep this recipe low-fat and absorb the delicious flavors! * I use frozen and thaw them overnight
- Canned diced tomatoes. I use canned diced tomatoes because they are convenient and economical.
- Pasta. I use spaghetti noodles because I always have them on hand.
- Celery seed. Gives a burst of flavor without having to chop up celery!
- White wine. Adds depth of flavor and authenticity to the sauce. * Any dry white wine (I use Vhino Verde, but you could use a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- Fresh cilantro garnish. This is optional, but fresh cilantro seals the deal!
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Substitutions & Variations
- Tomatoes- you can use crushed tomatoes instead of diced.
- Chicken- you can use skinless chicken breast, boneless skinless thighs, or chicken pieces (just be sure they are skinned)
- Bell peppers - you can add green bell peppers or red bell peppers - these are optional
- Pasta - I used vermicelli in the photos, but you could use any pasta or any type of rice (or a light WW pasta, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash)
- Wine - you can use any dry white wine or red wine instead * For white, I use a vhino verde because it's my favorite and I have it on hand. For red, a pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon works, as well as a shiraz. You can also use a non- alcoholic wine - Leitz is an excellent one! Or you can leave out the wine entirely.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes (red pepper flakes) while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
- Cilantro - if you're not a fan, then use fresh parsley as a garnish.
- Kid friendly - use non-alcoholic wine or leave it out (if you leave it out, the sauce will have a different taste and texture) *there's only ½ a cup of wine and a lot of the alcohol evaporates, so you can choose to use wine with alcohol as well *My kids LOVED this recipe with the wine
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Baked Chicken Cacciatore in the Oven
This Baked Chicken Cacciatore recipe is so easy to prep (in under 10 minutes) and make in only a few steps! Then let the oven do all the work!
PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175C and spray a large baking dish or roaster with non-stick cooking spray
- Step 1: If using defrosted frozen chicken, pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken on the bottom of the pan or baking dish/roaster.
- Step 2: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients.
- Step 3: Pour the sauce over chicken.
⏲️ Baking time
- Bake for 20 minutes, then turn chicken.
- Return to oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
HINT: Use a thermometer (affiliate link) to check that the internal temperature of your chicken has reached 165 degrees F/74 degrees C. It's the best way to check for doneness without overcooking! I use this instant-read thermometer (affiliate link), it's great for everything food-related!)
Expert Recipe Tips
- Thicken the sauce to your preference. If the chicken cacciatore sauce is a little too thin for your taste and you prefer a thicker sauce, thicken it with a roux (1 part oil to 1 part flour) *Simply put the sauce in pot on stovetop, over medium- low heat, whisk in the roux, and keep whisking for about 10 minutes until it reaches desired thickness. You can add more roux if needed. Return sauce to casserole dish and garnish as desired.
- Sear the chicken first for extra flavor. Quickly searing the chicken in a hot skillet before baking adds a deeper, caramelized flavor and helps lock in juices.
- Use bone-in chicken for a richer taste. Bone-in, skin-on chicken adds even more flavor to the sauce. Just remove the skin after baking if you prefer a leaner dish.
- Drain excess tomato liquid if needed. Some canned tomatoes release extra water. If you prefer a thicker sauce, drain a bit of the liquid before adding them, or bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
- Layer the flavors with fresh herbs. Add dried herbs before baking for depth, but toss in fresh basil or parsley just before serving to brighten the dish.
- Taste and adjust at the end. Tomatoes vary in acidity, so after baking, taste the sauce and adjust with a pinch of sugar or a splash of balsamic vinegar if it feels too tart.
- Don't overcook the chicken. Use a meat thermometer-165°F (74°C) is perfect. Overbaking can dry out chicken breasts, so check early if your oven runs hot.
- Let it rest before serving. Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes after baking. This helps the flavors meld and the sauce thicken slightly.
- Make it ahead for deeper flavor. Like many tomato-based dishes, this tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have time to develop. Store in the fridge and gently reheat.
- Pair it with the right sides. Serve over rice, pasta, or creamy polenta, or keep it light with a simple green salad and crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
👪 Serving Size
This Chicken Cacciatore in the oven recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This Easy Chicken Cacciatore recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 1 WW point. The noodles are not included in this calculation (that needs to be calculated separately). *If you use roux to thicken the sauce, be sure to calculate those WW points as well.
🥗What to eat with Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore can be served over pasta or rice. I like to serve it with salad or crusty bread like my Garlic Bread (from Baguette). It also pairs well with Italian Bread Machine Breadsticks. If you're looking for something lighter, try my WW Cloud Bread Recipe!
My favorite salad to serve this dish with is this Strawberry Spinach Pecan Salad (pictured above).
🌡️Storage
Refrigerator: Store the chicken and sauce separately from the noodles, rice, or whatever you are putting the chicken and sauce on top of. Store in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Leftover Chicken Cacciatore is good for 2-3 days.
Freezing: This Oven Chicken Cacciatore recipe freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Prep ahead: Place all of the raw ingredients in the dish, as instructed, cover, and refrigerate overnight before baking.
❔ Recipe FAQ's
Yes, chicken cacciatore can be made up to 3 days in advance. It will keep well in a sealed container in the fridge.
The best way to reheat chicken cacciatore is in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes until warmed through. You can also freeze it and reheat it, as you would a casserole by following these steps. TO REHEAT: I love using this casserole reheating technique - it prevents the dish from drying out.
Yes! After sautéing onions and garlic, add tomatoes, herbs, and chicken to a deep skillet. Cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165 °F/74°C. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water or broth if the sauce thickens too much.
This can happen if your tomatoes are extra juicy. To fix:
Uncover the dish for the last 10 minutes of baking to reduce liquid, or
Remove chicken when done, then simmer sauce on the stovetop until thickened before returning the chicken.
If you're looking for an easy chicken recipe for oven-baked chicken cacciatore, you'll love this one. It's sure to become a family favorite!
🐔More WW friendly Chicken Recipes
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📋 Baked Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs chicken breast -about 8 medium sized breasts * you can substitute chicken thighs or pieces (skinned)
- 2 medium onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 28 oz -can of diced tomatoes
- 5 ½ ounce - can of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ cup dry white wine * use non-alcoholic if you don't want to use alcohol
Garnish (optional)
- fresh cilantro
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 175C and spray a large baking dish or roaster with non-stick cooking spray
- Place chicken on bottom of baking dish/roaster.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, then pour over chicken.
- Bake uncovered, for 20 minutes, then turn chicken.
- Return to oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. *If sauce is too thin for your liking, thicken with roux (see top tip below)
Garnish
- Garnish with cilantro and parmesan cheese, as desired. Serve over noodles or rice.
Notes
-
- Thicken the sauce to your preference. If the chicken cacciatore sauce is a little too thin for your taste and you prefer a thicker sauce, thicken it with a roux (1 part oil to 1 part flour) *Simply put the sauce in pot on stovetop, over medium- low heat, whisk in the roux, and keep whisking for about 10 minutes until it reaches desired thickness. You can add more roux if needed. Return sauce to casserole dish and garnish as desired.
-
- Sear the chicken first for extra flavor. Quickly searing the chicken in a hot skillet before baking adds a deeper, caramelized flavor and helps lock in juices.
-
- Use bone-in chicken for a richer taste. Bone-in, skin-on chicken adds even more flavor to the sauce. Just remove the skin after baking if you prefer a leaner dish.
-
- Drain excess tomato liquid if needed. Some canned tomatoes release extra water. If you prefer a thicker sauce, drain a bit of the liquid before adding them, or bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
-
- Layer the flavors with fresh herbs. Add dried herbs before baking for depth, but toss in fresh basil or parsley just before serving to brighten the dish.
-
- Taste and adjust at the end. Tomatoes vary in acidity, so after baking, taste the sauce and adjust with a pinch of sugar or splash of balsamic vinegar if it feels too tart.
-
- Don't overcook the chicken. Use a meat thermometer-165°F (74°C) is perfect. Overbaking can dry out chicken breasts, so check early if your oven runs hot.
-
- Let it rest before serving. Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes after baking. This helps the flavors meld and the sauce thicken slightly.
-
- Make it ahead for deeper flavor. Like many tomato-based dishes, this tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have time to develop. Store in the fridge and gently reheat.
-
- Pair it with the right sides. Serve over rice, pasta, or creamy polenta, or keep it light with a simple green salad and crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
doris
what can you use if ya don't have wine
Terri Gilson
Hi Doris,
Just leave it out! You don’t have to replace the wine tastwith anything. I’ve made it in the past like that and it’s tasted great.
Enjoy!
Terri
Colleen
This chicken cacciatore recipe is super easy, but so delicious. We loved it and will make it again. Thanks for sharing!
Bernice
This cacciatore looks amazing! I used to make something very similar when all the kids were home. They always loved it and it makes enough for leftovers the next day. Thanks for the memories!
nancy
i love your easy step by step instructions. It turned out perfectly!
Vanessa
I love how easily this comes together! The oven does most of the work which left me time to make the sides and prep my kids lunches for the next day!