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Chicken Puttanesca

by Katerina Petrovska

4.56 from 9 votes

Dec 07, 2022, Updated Feb 11, 2026

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A fantastic meal is less than an hour away, thanks to this bold recipe for Chicken Puttanesca. Tender, juicy chicken thighs are cooked in a vibrant tomato-based sauce with plenty of garlic, olives, capers, and more.

Serve this saucy chicken puttanesca dish with your favorite sides including pasta, but it pairs well with my Mediterranean rice, these vesuvio potatoes, or just some crusty bread.

Why You’ll Love My Chicken Puttanesca Recipe

• Bold Mediterranean flavor: This chicken puttanesca is loaded with tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, and anchovies for a sauce that’s salty, briny, rich, and packed with deliciousness.
• Quick but impressive: It’s a fast weeknight dinner, yet the vibrant puttanesca sauce is restaurant quality and anything but ordinary. Pair it with a Campari spritz for the full experience.
• Not just for pasta: While puttanesca is famous over pasta, it’s incredible spooned over juicy chicken. It’s hearty, satisfying, and full of contrast in every bite.
• A family favorite: This recipe earned a permanent spot in our dinner rotation, even bumping chicken scarpariello from its longtime #1 spot.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken:  Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are reliably moist and tender. You can use boneless chicken breasts, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time because they cook faster than bone-in meat.
• Salt and black pepper: To season the chicken.
• Cooking oil: A neutral oil, like vegetable oil, is perfect.
• Onion: Thinly slice one small yellow onion. White onion will also work.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic, minced or pressed.
• Anchovies: Essential to the distinctive character of puttanesca. You can adjust the amount of anchovies to suit your taste.
• Red Pepper Flakes: The flakes add a little kick to the sauce. If you prefer less spice, substitute them with paprika.
• Tomato Paste: Make sure to use paste, not tomato sauce.
• Crushed Tomatoes: Boxed or canned. Strained tomatoes would also work. 
• Green Olives: You can use kalamata olives, too.
• Capers: Capers are brined, packed into jars, and are usually sold near the olives and pickles.

Serving Suggestions

• Soup: This cream of zucchini soup is a great starter!
• Salad: A simple, crisp cabbage cucumber salad is great with chicken puttanesca.
• Bread: My air fryer garlic bread would be awesome here, as would this crusty whole wheat focaccia bread.
• Dessert: To round out the Italian theme, try my tiramisu ice cream for dessert. Or make these easy homemade cannoli.

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4.56 from 9 votes

Chicken Puttanesca

by Katerina Petrovska

Chicken Puttanesca is a fantastic meal prepared with juicy chicken thighs cooked in a vibrant tomato-based sauce with plenty of garlic, olives, capers, and more.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 to 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• ▢ salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 5 anchovies, finely chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 28 ounces can of crushed tomatoes
• ▢ ½ cup pitted green olives, rinsed, dried, and cut in half
• ▢ 2 tablespoons capers
• ▢ chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

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Instructions 

• Prep the chicken. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
• Brown the chicken thighs. Heat the cooking oil in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, to the heated oil and cook for about 5 minutes; flip and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes or until just browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer to a plate; set aside.
• Sauté the aromatics. Add the sliced onions to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. Add more oil if needed. Stir in the garlic and cook for 10 seconds. Add anchovies and pepper flakes, and continue to cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomatoes, olives, and capers. Stir in the tomato paste until dissolved. Then, stir in the crushed tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Mix in the olives and capers.
• Combine and cook. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet. Continue simmering for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce begins to look dry at any point, add a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth or water.
• Finish and serve. Remove from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken thighs with the puttanesca sauce, garnished with parsley.

Equipment

• Deep Sided Skillet
• Instant Read Meat Thermometer

Notes

• Chicken thighs vs chicken breasts: I advise using bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe, but if you decide to use boneless chicken breasts, take into account that those will need less time to cook through. Use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature registers at 165˚F. 
• Crispy chicken: To crisp up the skin, you can place the pan with the thoroughly cooked chicken under the broiler for a few minutes, or until the skin is browned and crispy.
• Anchovies: If these little slender fish don’t make you want to jump at this recipe, you can always just leave them out. They add a salty, umami flavor to the dish and play a traditional role in the classic puttanesca sauce. A good substitute for anchovies is sardines.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 821mg | Potassium: 1029mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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How To Make Chicken Puttanesca

This is an easy pantry dinner. It begins by browning the chicken, followed by making the puttanesca sauce, similar to my chicken cacciatore.

• Brown the chicken. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, to the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
• Cook the onions, garlic, and anchovies. Remove the browned chicken thighs and set aside. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until soft. Stir in the garlic. Then add the anchovies and red pepper flakes, and cook for a couple more minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Stir the tomato paste into the onion mixture. Then, add the crushed tomatoes and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
• Add the olives, capers, and chicken. Stir the olives and capers into the sauce. Add the chicken back to the skillet and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce begins to look dry at any point, add a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth or water.
• Finish the dish. Once the chicken is fully cooked, take the skillet off the heat. Garnish the chicken puttanesca with chopped parsley and serve. 

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Fridge or Freezer. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and kept in your refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.  To freeze, cool down the chicken and sauce, and pack them into freezer bags or airtight containers. Store in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Reheat leftovers in a covered skillet over medium-low heat, until piping hot. Don’t overcook or the chicken will be tough.

More Hearty Chicken Recipes

• Garlic Sauce Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Saltimbocca
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
• Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
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