Easiest Dump & Bake Oven Chicken Cacciatore

Easy oven baked chicken cacciatore recipe makes weeknight cooking a breeze! Dump chicken thighs, peppers, onions, and tomatoes in a baking dish and forget about it while your oven does all the work!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Author Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

1 ¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon salt divided
½ teaspoon pepper divided
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
3 cloves garlic minced
8 ounce mushrooms sliced
½ large onion halved and sliced thinly
2 bell peppers (any color) sliced
½ cup red wine (best), white wine or substitute chicken broth
1 bay leaf
14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
14 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
2 tablespoons capers drained
2-4 tablespoons tomato paste (optional, for thickening sauce)
For serving: (optional) crushed red pepper, grated parmesan cheese, cooked spaghetti, rice, polenta, or riced cauliflower

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a 9X13 inch baking dish.
1 ¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and minced garlic over the chicken.
3 cloves garlic
Layer the mushrooms, onions, and peppers over the chicken. Pour the wine or broth over the top and add bay leaf.
8 ounce mushrooms, ½ large onion, 2 bell peppers (any color), ½ cup red wine (best), white wine, 1 bay leaf
Top the veggies with crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and capers. Sprinkle remaining ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning over everything.
14 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons capers
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fall-apart tender and the sauce has reduced slightly.
If desired, thicken sauce by removing the chicken with a slotted spoon. Stir in 2-4 tablespoons tomato paste into the baking dish with the veggies, and add chicken back to the dish. Serve over cooked spaghetti, rice, polenta, or riced cauliflower.
2-4 tablespoons tomato paste

Notes

Substitutions / Modifications

Wine: Red (best flavor) or white wine for a more complex sauce, but chicken broth may be used in its place.
Veggies: Red peppers are recommended for sweeter flavor. Use any preferred mushrooms, such as white button or baby bella, or leave out.
Chicken: Chicken thighs adds the best flavor. I prefer boneless skinless, but bone-in chicken thighs may also be used. If substituting breasts, the cooking time will be about 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts.
Capers: These may be left out if you aren’t a fan!

Nutrition