Grilled Chicken Cacciatore

One of my favorite things to throw on the grill are vegetables, something magical and delicious happens when vegetables are grilled. One night, we were doing a bit of a fridge cleaning meal and ended up with ingredients for chicken cacciatore — mushrooms, peppers, chicken, etc. But, we wanted to use my Coyote Outdoor Grill, so Grilled Chicken Cacciatore was born.  I didn’t have 2 big enough grill-safe pots, so this entire recipe isn’t made on the grill, but it can be if you’d like!

(To see some of my other recipes I’ve made using my beloved grill, check them out here.)

I threw in some summer squash and zucchini too, because it’s summer and we had some in the fridge. Feel free to omit.

Ingredients:

For the grill:

• 2 bell peppers, any colors, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 (8 oz) container sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 summer squash, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 4 chicken breasts (or chicken tenders like I used)
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• olive oil, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the stovetop (unless you have oven-safe pots):

• 1 cup rice
• 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

Begin by chopping your vegetables and adding them to a vegetable basket. Toss to combine, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Season your chicken with salt and pepper, and brush with olive oil.

Add the drumsticks to the grill first over direct heat. Add the chicken breasts and vegetables to the grill.

After 5 minutes (or after grill marks appear) turn the drumsticks over. Flip the chicken breasts after 3 minutes. Stir the vegetables from time to time.

After another 3 minutes on the grill (or when cooked through) remove the chicken breasts and add to a plate. Move the drumsticks to indirect heat and close the grill.

Check on your vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes so they are evenly cooked.

After 15 minutes, remove the vegetables and drumsticks from the grill.

On your stovetop, add a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add in the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, wine, and spices, stirring to combine.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Add in the vegetables and chicken, cover, and let simmer while your rice cooks.

Add the rice and broth to a medium-sized pot over high heat. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Serve the chicken and vegetables over the rice. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

The grilled flavor of the chicken and vegetables comes through the sauce, which adds such a nice extra element to traditional chicken cacciatore.

The dish has a flavor of cooking all day, but this was on the table in about 45 minutes!

Related posts:

Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salad Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker Saucy Chicken Over Rice Jambalaya