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chicken cacciatore mary berry

Mary Berry’s Rustic Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

This chicken cacciatore Mary Berry recipe transforms simple ingredients into a rich, comforting Italian hunter's stew with tender chicken, tomatoes, peppers, and aromatic herbs simmered to perfection. It's a foolproof one-pot wonder that delivers restaurant-quality flavour with minimal fuss – perfect for weeknight dinners or impressing guests without breaking a sweat.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 540
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 small chicken portions 4 legs and 4 breasts or 8 thighs
  • All-purpose flour for dusting
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 3 –4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 ounces 90g thick-cut bacon or pancetta, cut into strips
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper halved, seeded, and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 8 ounces 250g mushrooms, quartered
  • ½ cup red or white wine
  • 1 × 14-ounce 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • ⅓ cup tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons capers chopped
  • Fresh sage leaves for garnish

Method
 

  1. Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Coat the chicken pieces lightly in seasoned flour (salt and pepper), then tap off any extra.
  2. Warm half the oil in a large frying pan and add the bacon or pancetta along with the chicken. Cook for 10–12 minutes, turning until golden brown on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to transfer everything to a Dutch oven, then drain the fat from the pan.
  3. Add the remaining oil to the same pan and sauté the onion, green bell pepper, and half the garlic for 5 minutes until softened but not colored. Transfer to the Dutch oven using a slotted spoon. Toss in the mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes, then add them to the pot as well.
  4. Pour the wine into the pan and let it bubble until reduced to roughly ¼ cup. Add this to the pot along with the tomatoes, tomato paste, and sage. Cover and bake for 45 minutes until the chicken is fork-tender.
  5. Mix the remaining garlic with parsley, lemon zest, and capers. Stir this mixture into the pot and adjust seasoning. Serve hot over mashed potatoes, garnished with fresh sage leaves.