SPICY ITALIAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
5
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Calories
497 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Dinner
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Cuisine
Italian, gluten-free
SPICY ITALIAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Description
SPICY ITALIAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE starts by pricking holes in the chicken thighs to render fat and achieve crisp skin during pan-searing. The chicken is cooked skin side down in a cold pan turned to medium-high, yielding a golden, crispy crust without added oil. After removing the chicken, aromatics like garlic, onion, and sliced red and green bell peppers are sautéed, followed by deglazing the pan with dry white wine. Once the wine reduces, crushed tomatoes, water, and red pepper flakes are added to create a simmering sauce rich with accents of black olives and capers stirred in near the end.
This method produces tender chicken with flavorful skin and a spicy, tangy tomato sauce with Mediterranean influences. The sauce’s moderate simmer permeates the chicken, balancing heat from chili flakes with the briny olives and capers.
Serve this dish as a main course paired with pasta, crusty bread, or rice to soak up the sauce. The recipe allows for using chicken breast as a substitute, with guidance for adjusting cooking times and methods to maintain tenderness.
To achieve fall-apart meat, simmer chicken covered in the sauce for 30 minutes or until desired tenderness; this softens skin but deeply flavors the chicken. The recipe discards some fat rendered during cooking to reduce richness. The process flows efficiently, starting with chicken searing and progressing to sauce prep simultaneously for a meal ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 5 chicken thigh skin on, bone in, about 200g / 7 oz each, Note 1 for breast
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 onion finely chopped, medium
- 1 bell pepper sliced, red and green, each
- ½ cup / 125 ml white wine or red wine, any is fine, dry white preferred, Note 2 for substitutions
- 800 g / 28 oz crushed tomato canned
- ¾ cup / 185 ml water , swilled in empty tomato can
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (chilli flakes), adjust to taste
- 3/4 cup black olives , pitted (or 1/3 cup sliced)
- 2 tbsp capers baby
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Use a small knife to prick 5 or so gashes into the skin of the chicken. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
- Place chicken skin side down in a cold large non stick skillet, then turn stove onto medium high. As it heats up, the fat under the skin will start to melt through the holes in the skin.
- Cook for 4 – 5 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Turn the chicken and cook the other side for 3 minutes.
- Remove chicken onto a plate, discard fat (don’t scrape the pan) then return to the stove.
- Add oil, garlic and onion. Cook for 1 minute, then add capsicum. Cook for 2 minutes then add wine. Bring to a simmer and stir, scraping the pan to get those golden bits mixed in.
- Once most of the wine is evaporated and it doesn’t smell winey anymore, add the tomato, water and pepper flakes. Stir, bring to a simmer, adjust heat so it’s bubbling energetically but not rapidly (and not slowly).
- After 5 minutes (or so), stir through olives and capers. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper.
- Then place chicken into the sauce, being careful not to submerge the skin. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle over parsley. Serve with crusty bread, or use half the sauce to toss through / pour over pasta and the other half to serve with chicken (see photos in post).
Notes
- Use chicken breasts (small or medium) pounded to uniform thickness for a leaner option, adjusting cooking times as directed.
- To get crispy skin, start cooking chicken in a cold pan to slowly render fat, then sear skin side down until golden without added oil.
- The recipe timing allows prepping sauce ingredients during chicken searing; the workflow supports a 30-minute total cook time.
- For very tender chicken, simmer covered in sauce for 30 minutes, though skin will soften; add water if needed to maintain sauce consistency.
- About 2.5 tablespoons of rendered fat are discarded, making the dish less fatty than it initially appears.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 497 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 472g | |
| Calories | 497cal | 25% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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