Chicken Puttanesca
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.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 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
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup pitted green olives rinsed, dried, and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons capers
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a deep-sided large skillet set 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Return the chicken thighs back to the skillet. Continue to simmer 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 tablespoons of chicken broth or water.
- Remove from heat and garnish with chopped parsley.
- Serve the chicken thighs with the puttanesca sauce.
Notes
- Chicken Thighs vs Chicken Breasts: I advise to use 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 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 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 do 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: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 821mg | Potassium: 1044mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 811IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 4mg
