Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore

What is Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is also known as”hunter-style” Chicken (Italian: pollo alla cacciatora). It’s a classic traditional Italian braised chicken in a flavorful tomato-based sauce.

What is Cacciatore Sauce made of

Cacciatore Sauce is made of a rich blend of tomatoes, olives, capers, bell peppers, wine, onion, garlic and herbs. 

This flavor-bursting cacciatore sauce refreshes your taste buds and excites your appetite!

Flavors & Textures: Tender & juicy chicken in a tangy, tomato-y, savory, bright & refreshing sauce. The flavor profile is highlighted by the olive & capers with lingering flavors & aroma.

Serve: This flavorful chicken cacciatore is great with many side dishes. Such as rustic bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, polenta, and mashed potatoes.

Ease Level – Super Easy: You can make chicken cacciatore in Instant Pot with pantry ingredients and dry white wine. It requires basic cooking skills and simple equipment.

Cooking Time: You can finish making this chicken cacciatore in the Instant Pot in an hour.

Equipment: You need an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and some basic kitchen tools to make this Chicken Cacciatore!

What you need to make Chicken Cacciatore

There are many different variations of this Italian entrée. So, the ingredients may vary depending on the region. 

Here are the ingredients for cooking Chicken Cacciatore in Instant Pot:

Fire Roasted Tomatoes

The tomatoes form the base of the Cacciatore sauce. So, the quality of your chicken cacciatore highly depends on the quality of your tomatoes.

Different tomatoes will vary in taste, aroma, sweetness, acidity, or flavor development. So, make sure you balance your sauce’s flavors based on your tomatoes.

If your tomatoes are very acidic: you can balance the tart or tangy flavors with a bit of sugar.

If your tomatoes are mild and bland: you can add salt, fish sauce, or soy sauce to balance the flavors.

Capers & Olives

Capers add a bright burst of salty, tangy, lemony, olivey flavors & delicate texture to the dish.

We used small brined capers packaged in a jar. They can taste quite salty or acidic, so use sparingly.

Larger capers may differ in taste. So taste and adjust how much you need according to your personal preferences.

*Pro Tip: If you’re using brined capers, make sure to drain the liquid before adding them to the dish. You may rinse the capers to remove some of the salt or vinegar. Then pat them dry with a paper towel.

Try to use high-quality capers & olives if you can. They’ll elevate your chicken cacciatore!

Dry White Wine for Cacciatore Sauce

Dry white wine complements and brings out the flavors of the dish. It adds a good touch of refreshing, fruity, acidity to this chicken cacciatore.

Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris are excellent choices for this chicken Cacciatore recipe. For reference, we used Sauvignon Blanc to develop this recipe.

Fish Sauce and Soy Sauce

Originally, we crafted this Chicken Cacciatore recipe without the Fish Sauce or Soy Sauce.

After a side-by-side taste test comparison, we found that the Fish Sauce and Soy Sauce pair extremely well with this dish. So, we decided to include them in our final recipe.

They are optional ingredients. But we strongly recommend you use it to add flavor complexity and umami flavors to the final dish.

Tools for Cooking Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Wooden Spoon
• Pyrex Measuring Cups
• Kitchen Tongs

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Preparing Ingredients

There aren’t many ingredients to prepare for this tasty recipe!

Simply slice up the bell pepper, onions, and mince the garlic. Easy peasy~

Season & Dredge Chicken in Flour

First, season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper on both sides. 

Place ¼ cup (32g) all-purpose flour in a large bowl or plate.

Then, lightly coat the chicken thighs with flour on both sides.

Brown Chicken Thighs in Instant Pot

Press “Saute” button to “Sauté More” function to heat up Instant Pot. It will switch to “ON” on the screen.

Wait until it says “HOT” on the screen (takes roughly 8 minutes).

*Pro Tip: Make sure Instant Pot is as hot as it can be to induce a Maillard reaction.

Now, add 1½ tbsp (22.5ml) olive oil in the Instant Pot’s inner pot. Make sure you cover the whole bottom with oil.

Place the flour-coated chicken thighs in Instant Pot. Then, brown the skin side for 4 minutes and other side for 2.5 minutes.

*Pro Tip: If you’re cooking 6 chicken thighs, it’s best to brown them in two separate batches.

Then, set aside the browned chicken thighs.

Saute Onion & Spices

Now, saute onion slices in the Instant Pot for 3 minutes.

Then, add in 1 tsp (0.8g) dried oregano leaves, 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme, 1 tbsp (15ml) tomato paste, 2 bay leaves, and bell pepper slices. Saute for another minute.

*Pro Tip – Tomato Paste: If your Instant Pot is sensitive to the Burn Error, add the tomato paste on top of the fire-roasted tomatoes in Step 5.

Finally, add the minced garlic in Instant Pot, then saute for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Pour ½ cup (125ml) dry white wine in Instant Pot. Then, deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.

Let the mixture come to a boil, then boil for 1 minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate.

Pressure Cook Chicken Cacciatore

Add ¼ cup pitted black olives, 2 tbsp – ¼ cup (30g – 60g) drained capers, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce (optional), 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce (optional), and ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix.

Add the browned chicken thighs and all the meat juice (if any) in Instant Pot.

Finally, layer 1 (28oz) can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes on top. Do not mix.

*Friendly Reminder: If your Instant Pot is sensitive to the Burn Error, add the tomato paste on top. Also, do not mix it in.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position. Close the lid. Then, turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.

When the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Thicken & Adjust Seasoning

Give the Chicken Cacciatore a quick mix.

Place the chicken thighs on a serving plate.

Now, bring the Chicken Cacciatore sauce to a simmer with the “Saute” function.

Allow the flavorful sauce to simmer for 3 to 6 minutes to your desired thickness. 

Finally, taste and adjust the sauce with more salt and black pepper (if necessary).

*Pro Tip: If your tomatoes are very acidic, you may need to balance the sauce with a bit of sugar. For reference, we used ¼ tsp sugar to balance the sauce.

Turn off the heat (press “Cancel”) or switch to Keep Warm mode.

Serve Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Finally, drizzle the flavor-bursting Cacciatore sauce on your tender & juicy chicken.

Garnish with finely chopped Italian parsley, then serve with your favorite side dishes.

Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Cacciatore

This flavorful and appetizing Italian chicken dish goes well with many side dishes. Here are some tasty ideas for you:

• Michelin-Star Inspired Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Polenta
• Crusty Artisan Bread #15
• Instant Pot Quinoa
• Crisp Creamy Roasted Potatoes
• Instant Pot Rice

Enjoy your Italian Chicken Cacciatore in Instant Pot!

Other Italian-Inspired Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Marsala

Instant Pot Chicken Piccata