Braised Chicken Scarpariello
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Easy to make, this Chicken Scarpariello recipe is hearty and delicious. Packed with peppers and onions for tons of flavor!
When you need a flavorful weeknight dinner that can be made in under an hour – this Chicken Scarpiello is a must try!
Chicken is seared, then braised in a tasty broth with sweet peppadew peppers for a unique dish that you’ll fall in love with.
While often made with sausage or chicken thighs, this lightened up chicken scarpiello is made with chicken breasts for a high protein, delicious meal!
Chicken Scarpariello is not an authentic Italian dish, but it’s an Italian-American classic that you’ll absolutely love.
This is one of those dishes that everyone makes a little different. Some add potatoes, some add sausage. Some call it Chicken Scapiello, Chicken Scarpiello or ‘shoemakers’ chicken.
We’re biased, but we think our version might just be the best!
reasons to love chicken scarpariello
There is a lot to love about this chicken scarpariello recipe. It’s one of our favorite proteins for a healthy dinner because it’s:
- High Protein – Each serving of this braised chicken has 36g of protein to keep you full!
- Feels fancy but is easy to make! – While the flavors of this dish are delicious and taste complex, it’s so easy to make in under an hour with mostly simple, pantry staples!
ingredients in our healthier chicken scarpariello recipe
For this chicken scarpariello you’ll need:
- olive oil – we like to us this for sauteing the chicken
- chicken breasts – you could use chicken thighs too
- salt, pepper
- garlic, onion
- peppadew piquante peppers -You can get these on Amazon but we normally get them at Whole Foods. They’re usually in the olive oil aisle near roasted red peppers!
- chicken broth
- dried rosemary – fresh also works!
- lemon juice
You will also need a Meat Mallet and Dutch Oven.
ingredient substitutions
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee.
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
Peppadew Piquante Peppers: These are critical for the flavor of this dish. You can get these on Amazon but we normally get them at Whole Foods. They’re usually in the olive oil aisle near roasted red peppers!
Broth: Broth and stock are the same thing! You can use any broth or stock interchangeably. Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no salt broth.
How to Make
- Butterfly and pound chicken with a meat mallet. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Preheat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat, for about 5 minutes. Pan sear chicken on medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side until both sides are browned. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Saute onions, garlic, and rosemary for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. (You may need to add a little bit more oil). Stir in peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and lemon juice, bring to a simmer, then add the chicken back to the pan and cover in the sauce. Put the lid on the pan and adjust the temperature to medium low, simmer for 20 minutes.
- (Optional, but worth it!!) Remove the chicken from the pan. Turn the sauce on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly- this helps it thicken slightly. Pour the sauce over the top of your chicken and enjoy!
what to serve with braised chicken breast
This braised chicken scarpariello pairs very well with Roasted Garlic Potatoes but also can pair with your favorite veggie side dishes like Parmesan Lemon Asparagus or Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts.
I haven’t tried it, but I also think this chicken would be good stuffed with cheese like this Baked Caprese Chicken!
our pro tips for the best chicken scapiello
- Let your chicken sit out for 10-20 minutes at room temp before putting it right into a hot pan will allow for a more even sear on the chicken.
- Save the leftover lemony spicy pan sauce and add it to everything and anything (eggs, spiralized potatoes, green beans almondine, rice).
- Take the extra few minutes to thicken the sauce – it’s worth it!
recipe variations
Chicken Thighs: Some recipes use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Feel free to swap boneless chicken thighs or bone in chicken thighs. Bone in chicken thighs will need longer to cook though!
Add Sausage: Some Chicken Scarpariello recipes also call for sausage. You could also add sausage to this recipe! We’d brown the sausage like you brown the chicken, then remove it from the pan and set aside. You could keep the sausage whole in casing, or remove it from the casing and brown sausage crumbles.
Add Potatoes: We like to serve our chicken scapiello with potatoes but typically cook them separately. You could cut the potatoes into small cubes and then add them to cook with the sauce, but we don’t recommend it.
Garlic Roasted Potatoes are our favorite to serve with this dish, but Crispy Roasted Potatoes or even Healthy Mashed Potatoes are good options!
How do you braise chicken breast without overcooking?
Braising chicken is the concept of searing on high heat to get a nice brown and then cooking low and slow for an extended period of time which allows for the fibers of the protein to tenderize.
Chicken becomes tender pretty quickly, compared to beef for example, so an hour to two of braising can help you achieve the right tenderness without drying out.
A foolproof way to make sure your chicken stays moist is to braise it for a few hours, then let the chicken and braising liquid cool down to room temperature or even leave overnight in the fridge, then reheat on medium low when ready to serve.
The cooling down of the chicken in the braising liquid will allow it to reabsorb all of the delicious juices and be sure to provide a tender and flavorful bite that is definitely not dry.
How to Store
Storing: This dish lasts in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container, but it’s best within 1-2 days.
Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing this chicken dish, but I think it might work. The chicken might get an off-texture when thawed and reheated, but I can’t be sure without trying it.
Reheating: We recommend reheating this recipe in the toaster oven or on a pan on the stove. You can microwave it, but sometimes the microwave can dry out chicken.
Other healthy dinner recipes:
Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Chicken Scarpariello Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary
- ½ cup roughly chopped sweet piquanté peppers
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Butterfly the chicken by slicing the chicken breasts in half lengthwise (like a book). Place the chicken in between plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken until it is about ¼-inch thick. This is important, as skipping this step will result in undercooked, tough chicken. You should have 6 cutlets when finished butterflying. Season the chicken with black pepper and salt.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Sear the chicken on one side for 5-6 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for another 5-6 minutes or until both sides are browned. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the onions, garlic, and rosemary to the pan. Sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent and slightly browned. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the peppers and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the pan. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken back to the pan. Flip the chicken so that both sides are covered in the sauce. Put the lid on the pan and adjust the temperature to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Once the chicken has cooked for 20 minutes, remove the chicken from the pan and place in a serving dish. Heat the sauce on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly—this helps the sauce thicken.
- Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken before serving.
Can this be made the day before?
You can but I don’t recommend it. Sometimes when you reheat chicken (even if in the toaster or oven) it gives it a funny texture.
I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for awhile and now I wish I hadn’t waited so long. It’s the prefect amount of spice and so easy to put together. Definitely recommend this one!!
Love this recipe. The flavor the peppers give is amazing. Even my picky husband likes this!
hi liz,
I just made this recipe. Not only was it easy to make but it was delicious. I had never heard of peppadew peppers. They make the recipe. Will definitely be keeping this recipe in the rotation for quick easy delicious meal. Any other suggestions or recipes for the peppers?
This is pretty much the only thing we use these peppers for! Tyler has put them on a sandwich, but we usually just use them for this recipe 🙂 So glad you liked it!
The ingredient list says chicken broth. The instructions says chicken stock. Which one?
Chicken broth/chicken stock are the same thing and can be used interchangeably
What can I substitute for peppers? Mushrooms??????
The peppers are what makes this dish chicken scarpaiello and what gives it it’s unique flavor. If you don’t like peppers, this isn’t for you 🙂 Try our Chicken Marsala or Chicken Piccata instead!