Are you looking for the ultimate hot sandwich? A hearty, satisfying, and incredibly flavorful meal that is loaded with tender chicken, savory vegetables, and a glorious blanket of gooey, melted cheese? This incredible, from-scratch Chicken Cacciatore Sub is that perfect sandwich. It takes all the beloved, rustic flavors of a classic Italian “hunter’s-style” chicken and piles it onto a perfectly toasted roll for a truly unforgettable and deeply comforting experience.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s your guide to a new family favorite. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breast and a quick, from-scratch, and deeply flavorful cacciatore-style sauce. This is the kind of crowd-pleasing meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight, a game day gathering, or any time you’re craving a seriously delicious and satisfying sandwich.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Hearty Hot Sandwich
What makes this Chicken Cacciatore Sub so spectacularly delicious is its rich, from-scratch filling and its classic, comforting flavors. This is a brilliant deconstruction of the classic Italian dish, Chicken Cacciatore. The recipe features tender, seasoned chicken breasts that are grilled or pan-fried to juicy perfection. They are then sliced and combined with a quick and rustic pan sauce, loaded with savory sautéed peppers, onions, and portobello mushrooms, and finished with a splash of red wine and crushed tomatoes. Piled high on a toasted sub roll and topped with gooey, melted provolone, this is a true two-handed sandwich that eats like a complete meal.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 40 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 subs |
The Essential Ingredients for This Show-Stopping Sub
This recipe uses a handful of fresh, high-impact ingredients to create its signature savory and rustic flavor.
- The Chicken:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: Lean and healthy, chicken breasts are the perfect canvas for the bold flavors of the sauce. For the best, most tender result and a faster cooking time, it is a great idea to pound the chicken breasts to an even, 1/2-inch thickness.
- The “Cacciatore” Vegetables: A classic, hearty, and colorful combination.
- Peppers & Onions: The absolute classic base for any cacciatore or “Philly-style” sandwich. A simple combination of a green bell pepper and a yellow onion provides a wonderful, sweet and savory foundation.
- Portobello Mushrooms: Large, meaty portobello mushrooms add a fantastic, deep, earthy, and savory umami flavor to the sauce.
- The Rustic Pan Sauce:
- Dry Red Wine: A splash of a dry red wine like a Merlot or a Chianti is used to deglaze the pan. This is a crucial step that lifts all the delicious, flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and adds a deep, robust, and complex flavor to the sauce.
- Crushed Tomatoes: A can of high-quality crushed tomatoes provides a rich, thick, and savory tomato base for the sauce.
- The Cheese & Bread:
- Provolone Cheese: The perfect, classic Italian-American sandwich cheese! Sliced provolone has a wonderfully sharp and slightly salty flavor, and it melts beautifully into a gooey, stretchy, and irresistible topping.
- Sub Rolls: A good quality, sturdy sub roll or a hoagie roll is essential to hold up to the hearty, saucy filling without falling apart.
Step-by-Step to the Best Chicken Cacciatore Subs
This delicious meal comes together in just a few simple stages.
Step 1: Cook the Chicken and Make the Sauce
Step 1: First, heat a grill pan or a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Drizzle your 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a little olive oil and season them generously with a grill seasoning blend or just salt and pepper. Grill or pan-fry the chicken for about 6 minutes on each side, until it is golden brown and cooked all the way through.
Step 2: While the chicken is cooking, heat a separate large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the 2 cracked cloves of garlic, the 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, the sliced portobello mushrooms, the sliced green bell pepper, the sliced onion, and the 1 teaspoon of dried oregano. Sauté the vegetables, seasoning them with a pinch of salt and pepper, for about 5 minutes, until they have softened.
Step 3: Now, let’s build the sauce! Deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup of dry red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the delicious, flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Step 4: Add the 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and the 2-3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley to the sauce.
Step 5: Once your chicken is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board. Let it rest for a few minutes, and then slice it on an angle into thick strips. Add the sliced chicken to the skillet with your sauce.
Part 2: Assemble and Broil Your Subs
Step 1: Preheat your oven’s broiler.
Step 2: Split your 4 sub rolls and place them on a cookie sheet. Lightly toast them under the broiler for a minute or two, until they are just beginning to turn golden.
Step 3: Pile the chicken and the vegetable mixture high onto your toasted sub rolls.
Step 4: Cover each sandwich with a generous amount of the sliced provolone cheese.
Step 5: Place the open-faced sandwiches back under the hot broiler until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and a beautiful golden brown.
Serve your hot, cheesy Chicken Cacciatore Subs immediately.
The Ultimate Chicken Cacciatore Sandwich (Easy Recipe!)
A hearty and flavorful recipe for Chicken Cacciatore-style submarine sandwiches. This dish features seasoned, boneless chicken breasts that are grilled or pan-fried until cooked through, then sliced. A rustic cacciatore sauce is made by sautéing portobello mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions with garlic and herbs, then deglazing the pan with red wine and simmering with crushed tomatoes. The sliced chicken is added to the sauce, and the entire mixture is piled high on toasted sub rolls, topped with provolone cheese, and melted under the broiler.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Grill seasoning blend, or salt and pepper
- 4 sub rolls, split
- 2 cloves garlic, cracked
- 1 teaspoon red crushed pepper flakes
- 2 large portobello mushroom caps, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup dry red wine or stock
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/3 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese
Instructions
- Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle the chicken with oil and season with grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Grill or pan-fry for about 6 minutes on each side until cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, preheat the broiler. Lightly toast the split sub rolls on a cookie sheet under the broiler and set them aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and oregano. Sauté for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine or stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until the wine has reduced.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and parsley to the sauce.
- Slice the cooked chicken breasts on an angle and add them to the sauce in the skillet.
- Pile the chicken and vegetable mixture into the toasted sub rolls.
- Top the sandwiches with slices of provolone cheese and place them under the hot broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe transforms a classic Italian stew into a delicious, hearty sandwich.
- Deglazing the pan after cooking the vegetables is a key step that adds a rich depth of flavor to the sauce.
- The final step of melting the provolone under the broiler creates a classic, cheesy sub-style sandwich.
What to Serve With Your Subs
These hearty and satisfying sandwiches are a fantastic, all-in-one meal. If you’d like to round them out, here are a few simple suggestions:
- Classic French Fries: The ultimate, classic pairing for any hot and cheesy sub.
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad with a bright and zesty Italian vinaigrette is the perfect, fresh counterpoint to the rich, savory sandwich.
- Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips: A simple side of your favorite crunchy potato chips is another classic and easy choice.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can prepare the entire chicken and cacciatore sauce filling up to 3 days in advance. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat, simply reheat the filling in a skillet, toast your rolls, and proceed with the final assembly and broiling step.
- Storage: The assembled sandwiches are at their absolute best when they are served fresh. Store any leftover filling separately in the refrigerator.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Make it a Classic Steak Cacciatore Sub: For a rich and beefy twist, you can substitute the chicken breasts with about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of thinly sliced sirloin or skirt steak. Simply sear the steak quickly in the hot pan and then proceed with the recipe.
- Add a Different Vegetable: If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, you can easily substitute them with an equal amount of sliced zucchini or even some jarred, roasted red peppers.
- Make it Spicier: If you love a lot of heat, you can add one finely diced jalapeño pepper to the skillet to sauté along with the other vegetables, or you can simply increase the amount of crushed red pepper flakes to your taste.
Enjoy The Ultimate Hot Sandwich!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of hearty, comforting, and delicious flavors. This classic Chicken Cacciatore Sub is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch meal to bring the whole family together. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested favorite.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, hearty sandwich!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What exactly is “Chicken Cacciatore”? “
“Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian. So, a “hunter-style” dish (alla cacciatora) is a rustic, country-style preparation that typically includes braised chicken or rabbit cooked with onions, herbs, and often bell peppers, mushrooms, and a splash of wine or tomatoes. This recipe takes all those delicious, rustic flavors and turns them into a fantastic sandwich.
Q2: What is the best kind of bread to use for a hot, saucy sub like this one?
You want to use a sturdy roll that has a crisp crust and a soft interior that can hold up to the hearty filling without becoming soggy. A classic Italian-style sub roll or a hoagie roll is a perfect choice. A crusty French baguette would also be a fantastic option.
Q3: Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead meal! You can prepare the entire chicken and cacciatore sauce filling and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This makes the final assembly for a weeknight dinner incredibly fast.
Q4: What is a good non-alcoholic substitute for the red wine in the sauce?
If you prefer to cook without alcohol, you can simply substitute the 1/2 cup of dry red wine with an equal amount of a high-quality, low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth. The broth will still do a fantastic job of deglazing the pan and adding a deep, savory flavor.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of cheese?
Of course! While the sharp, melty provolone is a classic choice, this sandwich would also be delicious with an equal amount of sliced mozzarella, a spicy pepper jack, or even a Swiss cheese.