Fun Facts about Chicken Cacciatore
“Everyone here likes chicken cacciatore” is a line from Road to Rio, a 1947 movie starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour.
The word Cacciatore originated in Italy and means “hunter”. Hunter-style is most often prepared with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and sometimes wine.
Chicken Cacciatore is a meal from the Tuscany region in northern Italy.
Everyone in my house loves this low sodium chicken cacciatore that is made “hunter-style”. I think you will love it, too!
What Makes This Recipe Heart Healthy?
Traditional Chicken Cacciatore is prepared with a whole chicken, including the skin. Not so good if you want to reduce the saturated fat. Here, I used boneless and skinless chicken breasts that are browned on the stovetop and finished in the oven. The finished chicken is still juicy, but without all the fat.
Many store bought pasta sauces contain a lot of sodium and really are not good for a cardiac diet. You can look for “No Salt Added” brands, or make your own using our No Salt Added Italian Cooking Sauce. Typical store bought No Salt Added Pasta Sauce contains 50 milligrams of sodium per cup. Compare that to only 33 milligrams per cup when you make your own.
Low Sodium Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- ½ cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 3 cups No Salt Added Italian Cooking Sauce thawed
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13" x 9" baking dish with cooking oil. Set aside.Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking oil and heat over medium-high. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Add chicken pieces a few at a time to bag, shake to coat, and place in hot skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from skillet. Drain on paper towels. Cook chicken in batches so as not to overcrowd skillet.Once all chicken is browned and paper towel drained, place in prepared baking dish. Pour Italian cooking sauce evenly over chicken. Cover with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F internally.
Plate and Serve
- Divide chicken and sauce evenly between 8 plates. Serve with your choice of sides.
Freezer or Meal Prep
- Any extra servings of chicken can be stored in airtight containers for another dinner or lunch. Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.