Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian and refers to a dish cooked with onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, herbs, and sometimes wine. This Whole30 version doesn’t contain any wine and subs zucchini noodles for the standard wheat pasta or rice that is usually served with the chicken, but it still has amazingly rich flavor.
Serves 4
Prep: 25 minutes
Closed Pot: 25 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2¼ pounds)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 package (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
1 can (14.5 ounces) Whole30-compliant diced tomatoes, undrained
½ cup Whole30-compliant chicken broth or Chicken Bone Broth (page 294)
2 tablespoons Whole30-compliant tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package (10.7 ounces) zucchini noodles or 2 small zucchini, spiralized
Fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Season the chicken with the oregano, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Add the coconut oil to a 6-quart Instant Pot. Select Sauté and adjust to Normal/Medium. When the oil is hot, add half of the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 4 to 8 minutes. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Select Cancel. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to the pot. Add the chicken. Lock the lid in place.
Select Manual and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Use quick release.
Transfer the chicken to a plate; cover to keep warm. Select Sauté and adjust to Normal/Medium. When the sauce is simmering, add the zucchini noodles. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened and the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Select Cancel. Serve, topped with parsley if desired.