Description
Chicken Scarpariello is a flavorful Italian-American skillet dish featuring tender bone-in chicken thighs and sweet Italian sausage simmered with pickled cherry peppers, bell peppers, garlic, and a tangy, slightly spicy sauce made from white wine, chicken broth, and red wine vinegar. This hearty main course offers a perfect balance of savory and tangy flavors, garnished with fresh parsley for brightness, making it a comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 sweet Italian sausages, sliced into 1-inch pieces
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 10–12 pickled cherry peppers, halved
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Liquids
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and black pepper on all sides to ensure flavor is infused during cooking.
- Brown Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 5–7 minutes until the skin is nicely browned and crisp. Flip and cook for an additional 3–4 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside to keep warm.
- Cook Sausage: In the same pan, add the sliced sweet Italian sausage pieces. Cook them for 4–5 minutes until browned on all sides, releasing their flavorful fats into the pan.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the sliced onion, red and yellow bell peppers, and minced garlic to the pan with the sausage. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and the mixture becomes fragrant.
- Deglaze Pan: Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. This step lifts all the concentrated flavors into the sauce.
- Add Liquids and Peppers: Stir in chicken broth, red wine vinegar, halved pickled cherry peppers, and dried oregano. Mix well to combine all ingredients and build the sauce base.
- Simmer Dish: Return the browned chicken thighs and sausage to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and let everything simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly.
- Garnish and Serve: Once cooked, remove from heat and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over the top for a fresh, herbaceous finish. Serve immediately over your choice of roasted potatoes, pasta, or polenta.
Notes
- For a spicier version, swap sweet Italian sausage for hot Italian sausage or add crushed red pepper flakes during sautéing.
- This dish pairs wonderfully with roasted potatoes, polenta, or any pasta to soak up the flavorful sauce.
- The skin-on chicken thighs help keep the meat juicy and add extra flavor; you can remove the skin after cooking if preferred.
