This authentic turkey cacciatore recipe is easy to make in under an hour. It includes simple ingredients like lean turkey, mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes. Together they cook into a rustic, delicious, and satisfying Italian stew. It's the perfect comfort food meal for any night of the week!
Here is a tasty twist on traditional chicken cacciatore. Turkey cacciatore is slightly healthier than the original. But wow there is so much flavor in this dish! Also try my slow cooker rabbit cacciatore recipe, you will not be dissapointed.
My Italian inspired recipe is easy to make with one pot in less than an hour. Lean turkey breast or thighs (your choice!) quickly sear for only 5 minutes. Then cook onions and bell peppers, garlic, wine, tomatoes, mushrooms, and seasonings in layers. Lastly, simmer for 10 minutes. And you are done!
This bold and saucy stew-like main dish is inviting, comforting, and simply delicious. Enjoy with pasta or rice for a hearty meal!
Recipe ingredients
Turkey breast or thighs. Boneless, skinless, and thawed.
Oil. Whichever high-heat oil you like. Olive, avocado, and canola oil are great options.
Onion. Classic aromatic to use in savory dishes.
Green pepper. Fresh and bright with an almost sweet flavor.
Garlic cloves. Basically a must-have in most savory Italian recipes.
White wine. A traditional cacciatore ingredient. You can sub with broth for a non-alcoholic dish.
Cremini mushrooms. Small brown mushrooms with earthy flavor.
Oregano. Also a common ingredient in Italian cooking.
Thyme. Adds a bright pop of sweet earthiness.
Pitted olives. Large lack olives make this an authentic turkey cacciatore recipe. They are a bit brine-y with a great slightly firm texture.
Crushed tomatoes. To make a true Italian tomato sauce.
Salt. Adds a finishing touch of flavor.
How to make turkey cacciatore
Start with defrosting your turkey. It could be turkey thighs, turkey breast or turkey tenderloin (that's what i used). Or even leftover turkey! More on that later in the post. They are all equally delicious in this recipe.
Heat oil in the large skillet or heavy bottom pot. If using turkey breast, slice it in about 6 even pieces. If using thighs, de-bone them, remove the skin and slice in half. Turkey tenderloin should be cut in 4 pieces.
Add flour to the flat plate. We are going to lightly dredge meat in flour before searing. It will help to seal all the turkey juices inside. Brown turkey in the oiled heavy bottom pot for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove it and set aside.
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Add chopped onions and chopped green peppers. Saute for three minutes and add minced or finely chopped garlic. Add wine and scrape every little piece of the bottom of the pot.
Add tomatoes, mushrooms and seasonings. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring. Return turkey in to the pot, add black or green olives and cook for another 10 minutes or until the turkey is cooked all the way through.
What does cacciatore mean
The name loosely means "hunter stew." Cacciatore was originally made by Italian hunters with ingredients on hand. Typically this would be game birds, tomatoes, mushrooms or other veggies, and olives. Plus classic Italian seasonings like garlic and oregano that are easy to carry.
Proteins and vegetables sometimes vary. However, nearly all cacciatore recipes include these staple ingredients!
Variations
- You can make this cacciatore recipe with precooked leftover turkey. Instead of searing the meat, skip right to step #3. Then add cooked chopped turkey at the end of the recipe.
- It is easy to make cacciatore without alcohol. Substitute the wine with chicken broth for a non-alcoholic recipe.
- Use this recipe to make authentic chicken cacciatore. Simply swap the turkey for boneless and skinless chicken breast or thighs.
- Additionally, you can make seafood cacciatore! Quickly sear peeled shrimp or scallops just until slightly opaque. Remove from the pan per the recipe. Then add the partially cooked seafood back to the pan when the stew is ready to simmer.
Frequently asked questions
Although most popular at Thanksgiving, turkey is easy to buy all year! So yes you can purchase turkey breast or thighs at most grocery stores.
While both turkey and chicken are healthy proteins, turkey is a bit leaner. It has fewer calories and less fat than chicken.
The best sauce is made with crushed tomatoes, fresh mushrooms and green pepper, and pitted black olives. These are cooked with aromatic onions, garlic, white wine, and Italian seasonings.
Light red or white wine is traditional. I prefer white wine in this recipe. Since there is a lot of saltiness in the dish, a slightly sweet white wine is perfect to balance all the flavors.
Chicken Parmesan is made with breaded and fried chicken breasts. They are smothered in marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. On the other hand, chicken or turkey cacciatore is a simmered stew with veggies.
Turkey cacciatore with leftover turkey
Yes you can make turkey caciatore with leftover turkey! Its actually very easy. Just add turkey in the last step and simmer it with everything else for just 5 minutes since turkey is already fully cooked. Delicious!
Side dishes
Creamy polenta is an ultimate side dish for this recipe! Also try noddles, white or brown rice or potatoes. Potatoes could be mashed or roasted.
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge either right in the pot you used to cook it in or in the air tight container. We had a lot of leftovers and it stayed fresh in the fridge for 5 days no problem.
Reheat right in the pot for a few minutes or in the container or a plate in the microwave. Depending on the type of microwave you have, it should take between 1 and 2 minutes for the dish to get hot.
Freezer. Make sure that the dish is completely cooled. Transfer in the freezer safe zip lock bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Other turkey recipes
- Instant pot turkey thighs
- Air fryer turkey thighs
- Turkey bacon wrapped asparagus
- Baked turkey steaks
- Turkey pigs in a blanket
- Ninja Foodi turkey tenderloin
- Ninja Foodi frozen turkey breast
- Turkey gizzards recipe
Turkey Cacciatore
This authentic turkey cacciatore recipe is easy to make in under an hour. It includes simple ingredients like lean turkey, mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes. Together they cook into a rustic, delicious, and satisfying Italian stew. It's the perfect comfort food meal for any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 2 lb turkey breast ( or 2 turkey thighs, or turkey tenderloin) OR leftover turkey, see notes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 cup pitted olives
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 green bell pepper, cubed
- ½ cup flour
Instructions
- Heat oil in the large skillet or heavy bottom pot. If using turkey breast, slice it in about 6 even pieces. If using thighs, de-bone them, remove the skin and slice in half. Tenderloin should be sliced in 4-6 pieces.
- Add flour to the flat plate. Dredge each turkey piece in flour, shake it a bit and place in the pot and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Turkey doesn't need to be cooked all the way.
- Remove turkey to the plate and add onions and bell pepper to the pot or skillet. Saute for 3 minutes, the add garlic and wine. Stir and deglaze the pot.
- Add tomatoes, mushrooms and seasonings. Let in simmer for 10 minutes, stirring.
- Add turkey back, olives and simmer for 10 minutes or until turkey i cooked through.
Notes
Store leftovers in the fridge either right in the pot you used to cook it in or in the air tight container. It will be fresh for up to 5 days.
Reheat right in the pot for a few minutes or in the container or a plate in the microwave. Depending on the type of microwave you have, it should take between 1 and 2 minutes for the dish to get hot.
Freezer. Make sure that the dish is completely cooled. Transfer in the freezer safe zip lock bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Leftover turkey. Add leftover turkey (any parts, chopped, shredded or whole pieces) in the last step and simmer it with everything else for just 5 minutes since turkey is already fully cooked. Delicious!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 345Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 672mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 48g
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