1. Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down for 4 to 5 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and sear 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add onion and garlic. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up browned bits.
4. Add sliced bell peppers. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
5. Pour in diced tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, and basil. Stir to combine.
6. Return chicken to the skillet, nestling into the sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
7. Add black olives and simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving)

• Calories: 420
• Carbohydrates: 14g
• Protein: 36g
• Fat: 24g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sodium: 780mg
• Vitamin C: 90mg (100% DV)
• Iron: 3.2mg (18% DV)

Note: Nutrition estimates are based on 4 servings without pasta or bread. Values will vary based on the chicken size and olive brand used.

Notes

• Let the chicken release naturally from the pan before flipping — forced early flipping tears the skin.
• Bone-in, skin-on thighs are essential — boneless breast will dry out, and boneless thighs produce a less rich sauce.
• Add olives only in the last 5 minutes — extended braising makes them soft and too dominant in the sauce.
• Kalamata olives produce a noticeably better result than standard canned black olives.

Storage Tips

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Flavor improves overnight.
• Reheating: Warm covered on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of broth if needed.
• Freezer: Freeze without pasta for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Add fresh parsley only when serving — never before storing.

Serving Suggestions

• Over wide pappardelle or rigatoni pasta
• With crusty Italian bread for soaking up the sauce
• Over soft polenta for a heartier, more rustic presentation
• With a simple arugula salad dressed with lemon and olive oil alongside

Mix It Up (Recipe Variations)

White Wine: Add 1/2 cup dry white wine after the peppers; reduce by half before adding tomatoes.

Mushroom: Add sliced cremini mushrooms with the bell peppers for earthy depth.

Spicy: Add crushed red pepper flakes with the herbs for a Southern Italian heat.

Capers and Olives: Add 2 tbsp capers with the olives for a sharper, more intensely briny finish.

What Makes This Recipe Special

Searing the chicken thighs in olive oil before building the sauce creates two essential elements simultaneously: a deeply golden skin that provides textural contrast and rendered fat, and the fond — the caramelized drippings left in the pan — that forms the savory foundation of the entire sauce. When the onions, garlic, and bell peppers are added to that fond-coated pan and cooked down, they absorb those concentrated chicken and olive oil flavors from the very start rather than simply sitting in an unbasted sauce. This is why cacciatore made in a single pan tastes fundamentally richer and more integrated than a version where the sauce is built separately and the chicken is added to it — the flavors are intertwined from the first moment of cooking.