Giada's Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Giada de Laurentiis makes a mean chicken cacciatore, and if you follow her recipe precisely, so can you. But, you will need nearly an hour to cook up the dish as she lays it out, and that might be time you just do not have during a busy week. If you're looking for a meal that will thrill and impress all of your dinner guests or family, but isn't all that challenging and only takes about half the time, then this is most definitely the recipe for you, courtesy of chef and recipe developer Erin Johnson of Probably in the Kitchen. Johnson says this recipe for Giada's chicken cacciatore with a twist is super easy, as, "aside from chopping and stirring, there's little work involved here." Now that sounds like a win to us!

Sure, those who enjoy the meal you serve will think you were working on it for much longer, but that can be your little secret. (We won't tell your guests, either.) And to make the dish into a full meal, Johnson says, "I like to serve this over rice, but it is equally delicious in a bowl with a slice of warm, crusty bread, or even over pasta." There's always tomorrow to think about as well. "This keeps in the fridge and is great for a leftovers lunch," Johnson adds, so you could even plan ahead and make a larger batch than needed just for dinner.

This recipe calls for a number of ingredients, but as noted, the prep is refreshingly simple once the chopping and measuring is done. To prepare Giada's chicken cacciatore, you'll need a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast (cubed), salt, pepper, olive oil, a large onion (chopped), red bell pepper (chopped), garlic cloves (chopped), mushrooms (chopped), white wine, a large can of diced tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, capers (drained), dried oregano, and chopped fresh parsley or basil for garnish.

And note that Johnson says, "[The] wine can be omitted — just use more broth." And there is one more potential ingredient "twist" you'll see later on.

Trim and chop the chicken, then season the meat with salt and pepper. Then, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and once it's hot, add chicken in one layer. Be sure to spread out as evenly as possible.

Leave the chicken to cook without stirring for about four to five minutes, then stir and turn it to cook the meat on the other side for an additional five minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. You can slice a few pieces of chicken in half to check if they're fully cooked. You could also use a meat thermometer and check to see if it hits between 160 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once, it's cooked, remove the cooked chicken from the pan and set it aside.

In the same pan from which you removed the chicken, add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook for five minutes while stirring regularly. Next, add the wine and cook for three minutes more, remembering you can omit the wine and replace it with more broth, if desired.

After those three minutes have passed, add the tomatoes (with the fluid from the can), broth, capers, and oregano. Bring the pan to a boil and allow everything to cook for five minutes. Then, cut the heat and add the chicken back to the pan. Top it all with parsley or basil.

"The twist is that this uses boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of bone in pieces of chicken, which cuts the cook time by at least 15 minutes, [which makes] it possible to get this to the table in about 30 minutes, [so it's] a great weeknight meal," says Johnson.

Still not quick and easy enough for you? Well, then, you can twist it even more. According to Johnson, "If you want to make this even faster, use precooked or rotisserie chicken. Just make the sauce, and add the chicken." Now you're looking at less than 15 minutes spent cooking, yet you will still have an extremely delicious dish.