Julie Goodwin’s Simple Chicken Cacciatore

A Comforting and Economical Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Julie’s one-pan easy chicken cacciatore recipe is a richly flavoured dish that brings the essence of Italian cuisine to your kitchen. It features crushed tomatoes, oregano, red wine, and olives, creating a deep and aromatic sauce that pairs perfectly with tender chicken pieces. This Italian-style chicken stew is ideal for the cooler months of the year and is also a budget-friendly option that delivers big on taste.

“This is such a delicious dish, it’s hard to believe how economical it is,” says Julie. “The secret is allowing the sauce to simmer for long enough to become rich and fragrant.”

Ingredients

To prepare this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• 4 (1.5kg) chicken Marylands, jointed into drumsticks and thigh pieces
• ¼ cup (35g) plain flour
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large (200g) brown onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 800g can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup (125ml) red wine
• ⅓ cup (50g) Kalamata olives
• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped coarsely

Method

Follow these steps to create a mouth-watering chicken cacciatore:

1. Toss the chicken pieces in flour and shake off any excess.
2. Heat oil in a large fry pan or shallow enamel pot over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, place the floured chicken, skin-side down, in the pan and leave for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and brown on the other side for about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. Remove most of the fat in the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the onion, garlic, and oregano leaves and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and wine, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the chicken, skin-side down, in the pot and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn chicken over. Scatter olives over and simmer, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes. Serve topped with parsley and with crusty bread.

Can This Chicken Cacciatore Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, this chicken cacciatore recipe is suitable to be frozen. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to three months. When ready to use, thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently on the stove or in the oven.

What Are Chicken Marylands?

This chicken cacciatore recipe uses chicken Marylands. This flavoursome cut of chicken has the leg and thigh still connected in a single piece, with bones and skin intact. For this recipe, you will separate the chicken into drumstick and thigh pieces before cooking.

Chicken Cacciatore with Drumsticks

If you’d prefer a chicken cacciatore recipe that uses drumsticks, see Julie Goodwin’s chicken drumstick cacciatore.

Julie Goodwin’s chicken & leek pie with potato bake topping

Julie Goodwin’s one pan chicken pilaf

Julie Goodwin’s chicken stroganoff

Julie Goodwin’s Cape Malay curry chicken

Julie Goodwin’s creamy chicken & mushroom pasta

Julie Goodwin’s Spanish chicken

More Julie Goodwin Chicken Recipes

This recipe originally appeared in The Australian Women’s Weekly magazine in 2013 and was published online in 2026.