Hunter's Chicken With Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Hunter's Chicken With Tomatoes and Mushrooms

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Hunter’s chicken is a dish with roots in two European countries; France and Italy. In French, it is known as chicken chasseur. The Italian version is called pollo alla cacciatora. Traditionally it was prepared in the fall when hunters would bring home game meat and the mushrooms they foraged in the woods while hunting.

The combination of chicken, tomatoes, and mushrooms is excellent comfort food during the fall or winter.

This is a versatile recipe, ideally suited for a family or weeknight dinner. Instead of using chicken leg quarters, feel free to use bone-in chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a cut-up chicken in this recipe, and adjust the cooking time as needed.

For the mushrooms, you can either use one kind only, such as cremini mushrooms, or a combination of different mushrooms—button mushrooms and cremini would work well.

To add additional flavors to the dish, take your cues from the French or Italian cuisine. The French dish uses shallots instead of onions, and some recipes add thyme or tarragon. There are many regions in Italy that have their own versions and recipes incorporating garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, or chopped olives.

Serve this chicken dish with pasta, roasted potatoes, or for an Italian-style dinner, with polenta. Or to make it really easy, enjoy it with rustic bread to mop up the delicious sauce. For a hearty, complete meal, add a tossed salad.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for three to five days. Slowly reheat them on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken leg quarters (about 3 pounds)

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Dried leaf thyme, to taste

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil

  • 1/4 cup chopped onion

  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1/3 cup dry white wine

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Hunter's Chicken With Tomatoes and Mushrooms ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and thyme.

    Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and thyme on a plate

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning, to brown on all sides.

    chicken cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Leave about 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet and add the onion and mushrooms. Sauté, stirring, until mushrooms are tender.

    mushrooms cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until tender.

    mushrooms, garlic and wine added to the pan

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, then return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes longer.

    chicken and vegetables in a pan with broth

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  7. Arrange the chicken on a platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve with oven-roasted or baked potatoes or noodles.

    Hunter's Chicken With Tomatoes and Mushrooms on a platter

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
302 Calories
20g Fat
10g Carbs
18g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 302
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 708mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 20mg 100%
Calcium 66mg 5%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 647mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)