Description
Chicken Scarpariello is a hearty Italian-American dish featuring tender, golden seared chicken thighs and savory Italian sausage, simmered with peppers, onions, potatoes, and briny pickled peppers in a fragrant rosemary and white wine broth. Perfect for family dinners, this meal offers a medley of robust flavors and textures, served with crusty bread or pasta for a comforting, satisfying main course.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meat
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- 4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 pound (4 to 6 links) sweet or hot Italian sausages
Seasoning & Oils
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- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Vegetables & Aromatics
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- 1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 1 (6-inch) stem fresh rosemary, stem removed and leaves chopped
- 1 pound gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch thick wedges (or halved if very small)
Liquids & Brine
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- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup brine from pickled peppers
Peppers
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- 1 heaping cup whole pickled peppers (such as cherry, peppadew, banana, or pepperoncini)
For Serving (Optional)
- Crusty bread or cooked pasta (like linguine)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to get it ready for finishing the dish.
- Season and sear the chicken and sausage: Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper on all sides. In a 4 to 6-quart braiser or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until deeply golden and the skin releases (6–8 minutes). Flip the thighs and cook for another 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Next, add sausages and sear for about 1 minute per side until browned; transfer to the plate with chicken.
- Sauté the vegetables and aromatics: Add the onion, red bell peppers, garlic, and chopped rosemary to the same pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are beginning to soften and become translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add liquids and deglaze: Pour in the chicken broth, dry white wine, and pickled pepper brine. Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Combine and arrange for baking: Return the seared chicken thighs (skin side up) and sausages to the pot, nestling them among the vegetables. Scatter in the pickled peppers and gold potatoes around the meats and spoon some of the cooking liquid over the potatoes. It’s fine if everything isn’t submerged.
- Bake the dish: Cover the pot with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through and tender. Taste and adjust the sauce with extra salt and pepper if desired.
- Plate and serve: For each serving, plate a chicken thigh, a sausage, and a generous helping of the vegetables. Spoon the flavorful cooking liquid over the top. Serve with crusty bread or freshly cooked pasta.
- Optional – Thicken the sauce: For a thicker sauce, remove the chicken and most vegetables to a platter. Place the pot back on the stovetop over medium heat and simmer until the sauce reduces, then pour over the meat and vegetables when serving.
Notes
- Use a splatter guard when searing the chicken to keep your stove clean.
- To save prep time, chop the vegetables while the chicken and sausages are searing.
- Pickled peppers add a tangy and mildly spicy note; choose your favorite variety.
- The dish tastes great with pasta, but crusty bread is perfect for sopping up the flavorful sauce.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For a low-carb version, omit the potatoes or substitute with cauliflower florets.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (approx. 1 chicken thigh, 1 sausage, vegetables and sauce)
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 1200mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
