From the roundup: 16 Easy Skillet Chicken Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights
Eight bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks fill a 12-inch skillet almost to the rim, and that is exactly what it takes to feed all seven of us when I serve skillet chicken cacciatore over a big pot of egg noodles. The active work is about 20 minutes, mostly browning the chicken in batches and scraping up those stuck-on bits before you add the tomatoes, and then the lid goes on and the sauce does the rest. I learned early on not to skip the tomato paste, because that one tablespoon is what gives the sauce its depth instead of tasting like canned tomatoes with herbs. Bone-in pieces are worth it here because they stay moist through the braise and contribute something to the sauce that boneless thighs just cannot match.
Why you will love this
- Active cook time is about 20 minutes. The rest is hands-off braising with the lid on.
- Bone-in thighs and drumsticks stay moist through the full 35 to 40 minute braise without drying out.
- One skillet from start to finish, so cleanup is straightforward.
- The sauce thickens on its own and tastes much more developed than the cook time suggests.
- Leftovers reheat well straight from the fridge and the flavor improves overnight.
Tips for success
- Pat the chicken completely dry before seasoning. Wet chicken steams in the pan instead of browning, and you lose the fond that flavors the whole sauce.
- Brown in batches and resist the urge to move the pieces. Let each batch cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes per side so the skin actually releases from the pan before you flip it.
- Stir the tomato paste for a full minute before adding the liquid. It should darken slightly and start to stick to the pan. That step is where a lot of the depth in the sauce comes from.
- If the sauce still looks thin when you check at 35 minutes, pull the lid off for the last 5 minutes of cooking. It reduces quickly once the lid is off.
If the sauce turns out thin or flat
- Thin sauce: remove the lid for the last 5 to 10 minutes and let it reduce uncovered over medium-low heat.
- Flat or one-note flavor: taste the sauce before you add the chicken back in and adjust salt. Canned tomatoes vary a lot in sodium and sweetness.
- Too much liquid at the end: pull the chicken out to a plate, crank the heat to medium, and simmer the sauce alone for 5 minutes before serving.
- Bitter finish: a small pinch of sugar stirred in at the end balances tomatoes that are on the acidic side.
Substitutions
Kalamata olives and green olives are interchangeable here. If olives are a hard no for your family, leave them out entirely and add a tablespoon of capers instead for a little brine, or skip that element altogether. Boneless skinless thighs can be used if that is what you have, but cut the braising time down to about 20 minutes and check the temperature early since they cook faster and can dry out.
Diced canned tomatoes work if you don’t have crushed, though the sauce will be chunkier and may need a few extra minutes to break down. For a little heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes added with the garlic is a small change that makes a noticeable difference for anyone who likes spice.
Make-ahead and storage
This is one of the better make-ahead dinners in my regular rotation. Cook it completely, let it cool, and refrigerate it in an airtight container. The sauce tightens up overnight and the flavor is noticeably better on day two. It keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat covered on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a small splash of water or broth if the sauce has gotten very thick.
Cacciatore freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stove. The chicken texture holds up fine after freezing as long as you don’t rush the reheat on high heat.
Skillet Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pat all the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Drying the chicken is important because moisture is the enemy of a good sear, and a good sear is where this dish starts to build its flavor.
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown the chicken in batches, skin side down first. Do not crowd the pan or the pieces will steam instead of brown. Cook each batch for 4 to 5 minutes per side until the skin is a deep golden brown. Transfer browned pieces to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and both bell peppers to the same skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and picked up a little color. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the olives, oregano, and dried basil. Stir to combine and taste the sauce for salt, adjusting as needed.
- Nestle all of the browned chicken pieces back into the skillet in a single layer, skin side up if possible. Spoon a little sauce over each piece. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet with a lid.
- Braise for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and reads 165 degrees F at the thickest part, and the sauce has thickened and deepened in color. Check once or twice and stir the sauce gently, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.
- Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes of cooking to let the sauce reduce a bit more if it seems too thin. Scatter fresh parsley over the top before serving. Serve over egg noodles, creamy polenta, or with thick slices of Italian bread to soak up the sauce.
Notes
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