Chicken Cacciatore

This recipe is based off of Giada De Laurentiis' chicken cacciatore. The chicken was very juicy and the sauce was super yummy. I served the chicken with spaghetti and sauteed spinach with garlic.

Chicken Cacciatore

4 chicken thighs

2 chicken breasts (I used only thighs because that is all I had in the freezer)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons capers (I left them out)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Mix the salt, pepper and flour together on a plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

In a large heavy saute pan, the the olive oil over medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until just reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with thier juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces and 20 minutes for the thighs (after 30 minutes, my chicken thighs was still raw in the middle so make sure you cut into the chicken and check it before you serve it). 

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the fresh basil and serve!