Hunter's chicken recipe

Mouthwatering Hunter's chicken with bacon, cheese, and a rich BBQ sauce.

Known as ‘Chicken cacciatoré’ in Italy and ‘chicken chasseur’ in France, Hunter's chicken is thought to date back to medieval times. The saltiness of the pancetta and richness of the gouda cheese work wonders with the cuts of chicken. Tender chicken breasts smothered in an indulgent, homemade BBQ sauce topped with pancetta and creamy gouda cheese. 

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 12 slices of pancetta
• 150g (5oz) grated gouda cheese

For the BBQ sauce:

• 85g (3oz) tomato ketchup
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1/2tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2tbsp sweet paprika
• pinch of cayenne pepper

For the coleslaw:

• 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
• Half a small red cabbage, shredded
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4tbsp creme fraiche
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• 1tsp black sesame seeds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, Gas 5. Wrap 3 slices of pancetta around each chicken breast and bake in the oven for 25 mins.
2. Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce by simply combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven and spread over the BBQ sauce, top with the cheese and return to the oven for a further 5 mins.
4. To make the coleslaw: mix the carrot and red cabbage with the creme fraiche and lime juice, put into a serving bowl and top with the spring onions and sesame seeds.

Top tips for making Hunter’s chicken

For added flavour, swap the Gouda cheese for mature Cheddar cheese instead. We'd recommend using smoked back bacon to make this hunter's chicken – it will crisp perfectly without burning.

What do you serve with Hunter's chicken?

We’ve served our chicken with coleslaw made from carrots, red cabbage, and spring onions coated in a luxurious creme fraiche sauce. Classically Hunter's chicken is served with chips, or mashed potato, alongside green beans.

You might also like…

• Coleslaw
• BBQ sauce
• Chicken breast recipes

Video of the week