Chicken Cacciatore

A low FODMAP chicken cacciatore of bone-in thighs braised with crushed tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, capers, rosemary, and thyme.

Prep 15 min

Cook 55 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 lb / 1.1 kg total)
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
• 1/2 cup scallion greens, sliced (green tops only)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced (about 120 g, keeps each serve near 30 g)
• 1/2 cup canned mushrooms, drained (optional; or oyster mushrooms, see Tips)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white or red wine (optional)
• One 14 oz (400 g) can crushed tomatoes (splits to about 100 g per serving)
• 1/2 cup low-FODMAP chicken broth or water
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata or green olives, halved
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed (optional)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or basil, chopped, to finish

Instructions

Sear the Chicken

1. Pat the thighs dry and season all over with the salt and pepper.
2. Warm the garlic-infused oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. Add the thighs skin-side down and sear for 6 to 7 minutes, until the skin is golden. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, then move them to a plate. They will finish cooking in the sauce.

Build the Sauce

1. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the scallion greens, bell pepper, and mushrooms (if using). Cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it darkens.
3. Pour in the wine (if using) and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, olives, capers, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.

Braise

1. Nestle the chicken back into the pan skin-side up, along with any juices from the plate. Bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Cover partially and cook over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Uncover for the last 10 minutes if you want a thicker sauce.

Finish

1. Discard the bay leaf, rosemary stems, and thyme stems. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
2. Scatter the parsley or basil over the top. Serve over rice, polenta, or gluten-free pasta.

Tips & Substitutions

• Keep the canned tomatoes at the Monash serve. One 14 oz (400 g) can across 4 plates lands each serving right at the tested low-FODMAP serve of 1/2 cup (100 g). Before scaling the recipe up, look up canned tomatoes in the FODMAP Foods app to see how the rating changes with portion size.
• Choose the right mushrooms. Common button mushrooms are high-FODMAP because of mannitol, but canned mushrooms (drained) and oyster mushrooms are low-FODMAP at 75 g. Leave them out entirely if you are unsure.
• Olives and capers carry the briny depth. Both are low-FODMAP at these amounts and do the work that a jar of seasoned sauce would. Rinse the capers to cut the salt.
• Wine is optional. Half a cup for the whole pot works out to about 2 tablespoons per serving, which is low-FODMAP. Swap in extra broth or water if you skip it.
• Start with plain chicken. Bone-in thighs stay juicy through the braise. Avoid pre-marinated or seasoned chicken, which usually carries onion or garlic powder. Boneless thighs or breasts work too, with a shorter braise.
• Serve it over a low-FODMAP base. Steamed rice, soft polenta, mashed potato, or gluten-free pasta all soak up the sauce.

Why This Works

• Garlic-infused oil carries the flavor. The fructans in garlic are not oil-soluble, so infused oil gives you the garlic taste without the FODMAP that comes from the bulb.
• Scallion greens replace the onion. The green tops are low-FODMAP at this amount, while the white bulb is high in fructans, so the sliced greens add onion depth.
• Canned tomato at the tested serve. Canned tomatoes are low-FODMAP at 1/2 cup (100 g), and one can split four ways keeps each plate at that serve.
• Olives, capers, and herbs replace the jar. Bottled cacciatore and pasta sauces almost always hide onion and garlic, so building the braise from whole ingredients keeps it clean.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; the flavor deepens overnight. The braise freezes well for up to 3 months, so it is worth doubling while the pan is out. Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce.