Description
Chicken Scarpariello is a classic Italian-American dish featuring succulent bone-in chicken thighs and flavorful Italian sausages baked in a vibrant sauce of onions, bell peppers, garlic, pickled peppers, white wine, and aromatic rosemary. The dish is finished in the oven with hearty gold potatoes, making it a comforting and well-rounded meal perfect for serving with crusty bread or pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 pound (4 to 6 links) sweet or hot Italian sausages
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 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)
- 1 heaping cup whole pickled peppers (such as cherry, peppadew, banana, or pepperoncini)
Liquids
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup brine from pickled peppers
Serving Suggestion
- 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 evenly with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in a 4 to 6-quart braiser or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until the skin is deeply golden and releases easily, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Then add the sausages to the pot and sear for about 1 minute per side until browned. Transfer sausages to the plate with chicken.
- Sauté the vegetables and aromatics: In the same pot, add the onion, red bell peppers, garlic, and chopped rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften and become translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add liquids and deglaze: Pour in the chicken broth, dry white wine, and pickled pepper brine. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Combine and arrange for baking: Return the seared chicken thighs to the pot skin side up, along with the sausages, nestling them among the sautéed vegetables. Scatter the whole pickled peppers and gold potato wedges around the meat. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the potatoes. It’s fine if some pieces are not fully submerged.
- Bake the dish: Cover the pot with its lid and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with extra salt and pepper if needed.
- Plate and serve: For each serving, place a chicken thigh and a sausage on the plate along with a generous portion of the cooked vegetables and potatoes. Spoon the flavorful cooking liquid over the top. Serve alongside crusty bread or freshly cooked linguine pasta for a complete meal.
- Optional – Thicken the sauce: To thicken the sauce, remove the chicken and most vegetables to a serving platter. Place the pot back on the stovetop over medium heat and simmer the sauce until it reduces and thickens to your liking. Pour the thicker sauce over the meat and vegetables before serving.
Notes
- For best results, use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for flavor and moisture.
- If you don’t have pickled peppers, you can substitute with pepperoncini or banana peppers to maintain the tangy profile.
- Adjust the level of heat by choosing sweet or hot Italian sausages depending on your preference.
- Serve with crusty Italian bread to soak up the delicious sauce or over your favorite pasta like linguine.
- Leftovers reheat well and the flavors deepen when reheated the next day.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
