This recipe for Baked Chicken Cacciatore is a quick and easy recipe, using ingredients you already have in your pantry. It's actually a really simple recipe, but just feels fancy.
Chicken Cacciatore baked in the oven is a classic Italian recipe, but it's 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. It pairs well with my Spinach Salad with Honey Lime Cilantro Dressing. This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 1 WW point.
Jump to:
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.
🥘Ingredients
- boneless and skinless chicken breasts * I use frozen and thaw them overnight
- canned diced tomatoes
- tomato paste
- garlic
- onions
- dried oregano
- celery seed
- white wine * any dry white wine (I use Vhino Verde but you could use a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- fresh cilantro garnish (optional)
*See recipe card for quantities
🔪Instructions
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!*See recipe card for full instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175C and spray a large baking dish or roaster with non-stick cooking spray
- If using defrosted frozen chicken, pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken on bottom of pan or baking dish/roaster.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
- Pour 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 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!)
💭 Top tip
If the chicken cacciatore sauce is a little too thin for your taste, 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.
📖Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken- you can use skinless chicken breast, skinless chicken thighs, or chicken pieces (just be sure they are skinned)
- 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 * I use a vhino verde because it's my favorite and I have it on hand. You can also use a non- alcoholic wine
- Spicy - add chili pepper flake (red pepper flakes) while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
- Kid friendly - use non-alcoholic wine or leave 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
👪 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 blue 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.
🥗 Side Dishes
What to eat with Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore can be served over pasta or rice. I like to serve it with salad or bread. Here are a few recipes and ideas of what to serve it with.
- garden salad
- Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks
- Spinach Salad with Honey Lime Cilantro Dressing
- Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe (WW friendly) (pictured)
🍽Equipment
You can use a large 2.5 quart casserole dish (affiliate link) or a roaster for this recipe. It does not need to be covered when baked.
🌡️Storage
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. Good for 2-3 days.
This recipe freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
🦺Food Safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74°C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken cacciatore can be made up to 3 days in advance. It will keep well in a sealed container in the fridge.
If you are using chicken breasts, cook chicken cacciatore for 40 - 45 minutes in the oven or until chicken is no longer pink (internal temperature of 165 degrees F) *It's best to use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness and avoid overcooking the chicken.
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.
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!
⭐ Comments & Reviews
Did you know that commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you loved this recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings!
📋 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.
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!
nancy
i love your easy step by step instructions. It turned out perfectly!
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!
Colleen
This chicken cacciatore recipe is super easy, but so delicious. We loved it and will make it again. Thanks for sharing!