The light chicken cacciatore or chicken with tomato sauce and vegetables is a tasty meat main course.
Light, skinless.
First cooked in an air fryer – if you don’t have an air fryer or prefer, you can cook it in the oven – and finished in the pan: in this way, the fats released during cooking do not end up in the sauce, making the dish more digestible, tender, and tasty.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Air Fryer, Electric Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Purchase of the yellow chicken.
Choose medium-small chicken thighs and ask the butcher to separate them into thighs and drumsticks and to remove the skin: chicken skin is very fatty, so it is advisable to remove it before cooking.
- 2 chicken thighs (yellow, skinless, separated into thighs and drumsticks)
- to taste white wine (or lemon juice)
- to taste mix of herbs and spices for roast (+ any other spices you prefer)
- 1/2 shallot
- to taste celery
- 12 green olives in brine (pitted)
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1/4 cup water
- tomato sauce (homemade)
- 1 broth cube (homemade vegetable [optional])
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- to taste chopped parsley
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (raw)
Suggested Tools
First cooked in an air fryer – if you don’t have an air fryer or prefer, you can cook it in the oven – and finished in the pan: in this way, the fats released during cooking do not end up in the sauce, making the dish more digestible, tender, and tasty.
- Air Fryer
- 1 Pan with glass lid, preferably
Preparation
1. Store the raw chicken in a sealed container in the coldest part of the fridge at a maximum temperature of 41°F and prevent its juices from dripping onto other foods.
2. Do not wash raw chicken: you might spread germs through water splashes.
3. After touching the chicken, thoroughly wash utensils, surfaces, and hands with hot water and soap to avoid cross-contamination.
4. Cook the chicken well.
How do I know if the chicken is cooked?
Cut into the thickest part: the meat should show no pink traces, and the juices should be completely clear.Place the chicken in a dish for marinating.
Drizzle the chicken thighs and drumsticks with white wine – or alternatively with lemon juice.Season with:
– a mix of herbs and spices for roast;
plus any other spices you prefer, such as:
– turmeric;
– red chili;
– mixed pepper;
and massage the thighs and drumsticks so that the seasoning is distributed evenly.Cover the dish with cling film or seal it inside a freezer bag and place in the fridge for at least an hour, making sure to turn the chicken pieces halfway through marinating.
One hour later
Remove the chicken from the fridge and proceed with cooking.Follow the instructions – program, temperature, and times – indicated in your appliance’s user manual.
Check the degree of cooking from time to time.Procedure with the Ariete Air Fryer – Fry Healthy [Eurospin].
– set the temperature to 392°F;
– preheat for 5 minutes;
– remove the cooking basket and place chicken thighs and drumsticks on the grill accessory, avoiding overlapping them;
– cook for 25 minutes;
– remove the cooking basket and check that the chicken is cooked internally;
– turn the chicken pieces;
continue cooking for 5 minutes until evenly golden.Or you can cook it in the oven
Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.
Place chicken thighs and drumsticks.
Preheat the oven.Medium-small chicken thighs
Cook in a convection oven at 356°F for 40 minutes and continue at 320°F for 20 minutes.Larger chicken thighs
Cook in a convection oven at 392°F for 40 minutes and continue at 356°F for 20 minutes.Clean and thoroughly wash the vegetables:
– shallot;
– celery stalks and leaves.Cut the shallot in half.
Separate the leaves and chop the celery stalks into pieces.Drain and rinse the olives.
In a pan, heat a sprinkle of garlic powder and the shallot.
Add 1/4 cup of water and let it gently stew.
Add the tomato sauce*.
* quantity depends on the diameter of the pan used.Add:
– a vegetable broth cube [optional];
– chopped celery;
– olives;
– a pinch of salt;
– a pinch of pepper;
heat to a boil and turn off the heat.Transfer the cooked chicken into the pan with the cacciatore sauce and turn it in the seasoning to flavor it.
Add the chopped parsley, cover with a lid and let it rest so that the chicken becomes softer and tastier.
Before serving, heat on a low flame.
Grind a little more pepper and drizzle with a dash of extra virgin olive oil.
Plate it.
Spread the cacciatore sauce over the chicken.Your light chicken cacciatore is ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Storage, tips and variations
For a tastier variant, add a handful of capers to the sauce.
Cooked chicken can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of water.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How do I know if the chicken is cooked?
Cut into the thickest part: the meat should show no pink traces, and the juices should be completely clear.
Which part of the chicken is lighter?
The breast without skin: it has less fat.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, but slightly reduce the cooking time to prevent it from drying out.
