America’s Test Kitchen: This quick version of chicken cacciatore is ready fast on busy weeknights

Classic chicken cacciatore recipes are day-long stewed affairs, but this revised recipe is a quick weeknight dish that gets plenty of flavor from garlic, fresh basil, cremini mushrooms, and red pepper. We found that white or button mushrooms can be substituted for the cremini in our recipe. Be sure to scrape the browned bits of meat from the bottom of the skillet — they are full of flavor.

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 4

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped fine

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

8 ounces cremini mushroom, trimmed and quartered

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

2. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms to skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juice and wine, scraping up any browned bits, then add browned chicken along with any accumulated juices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.

3. Transfer chicken to platter and tent with foil. Simmer sauce, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

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