Italian

Chicken Cacciatore

Name: Chicken Cacciatore
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Instant pot
Ingredients: 6 slices bacon, diced; 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs; fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (optional); 2/3 cup dry red wine (or chicken stock); 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced; 2 medium bell peppers, diced (I used one yellow, one red); 1 large carrot, diced; 1 red onion, peeled and thickly sliced; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 1 cup pitted Kalamata or black olives; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; toppings: chopped fresh basil and/or freshly-grated Parmesan

Instant pot

6 servings

servings

20 minutes

active time

45 minutes

total time

Start Cooking

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, diced

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (optional)

2/3 cup dry red wine (or chicken stock)

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced

2 medium bell peppers, diced (I used one yellow, one red)

1 large carrot, diced

1 red onion, peeled and thickly sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup pitted Kalamata or black olives

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

toppings: chopped fresh basil and/or freshly-grated Parmesan

Directions

Fry the bacon

Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot. Then once it has heated, add the diced bacon and sauté, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a clean bowl and set aside, leaving the leftover bacon grease in the pot.

Sauté the chicken

While the bacon is frying, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Then lightly dredge the chicken in the flour until it is evenly coated on all sides. Once the bacon has been removed, add the chicken to the pot in a single layer. Sauté the chicken undisturbed for about 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned, then flip and repeat on the opposite side. (The chicken will not be completely cooked through.)

Add the remaining ingredients.

Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to briefly scrape the browned bits up from the bottom of the pot. Add the mushrooms, bell peppers, carrot, red onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, olives, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and cooked bacon. Briefly toss to combine.

Pressure cook.

Close and seal the lid. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes, followed by a quick release. Once the steam has released, carefully remove the lid.

Shred the chicken (optional).

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the cacciatore and give the mixture a gentle stir to combine.

Season.

Taste and season with extra salt, pepper, oregano and/or crushed red pepper flakes, as needed.

Serve.

Serve warm over pasta, polenta, rice, grains, or with a hunk of crusty bread, garnished with a sprinkling of fresh basil and Parmesan. Enjoy!