This Chicken Puttanesca is a flavorful Italian-inspired dish featuring chicken simmered in a savory sauce made with tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, and anchovies. This dish combines tangy, salty, and umami flavors, creating a bold and hearty meal.
Gather all Ingredients
To get started, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Chicken thighs. They are a good source of protein, essential amino acids, and healthy fats.
- Yellow onion and garlic.
- Tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Tomatoes are nutrient-rich fruits that offer numerous health benefits. They are an excellent source of vitamins C, K, and A, as well as potassium and antioxidants. Tomatoes support skin health, improve vision, and promote a healthy immune system. The Health Benefits of Tomatoes.
- Olive oil, pitted green olives, capers, and anchovies.
- Salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes.
- For garnish: fresh parsley.
How to make this Recipe:
- Cook chicken
Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a deep-sided large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer to a plate. Set aside.
- Cook onions, garlic, anchovies, and pepper flakes
Add the sliced onions to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 10 seconds. Add anchovies and pepper flakes, and continue to cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add tomato paste and diced tomatoes
Stir in the tomato paste until dissolved. Then, stir in the diced tomatoes with tomato juice. Mix in the olives and capers.
- Simmer
Return the chicken thighs back to the skillet. Cover and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish and enjoy
Remove from heat and garnish with chopped parsley.
Common Questions
No, anchovies are optional, though they add a savory, umami flavor to the sauce. If you prefer not to use them, you can substitute with a pinch of fish sauce or just skip them altogether.
While olives and capers are integral to the traditional flavor, you can omit or reduce them if you don’t enjoy their taste. Consider adding extra herbs or seasoning to enhance the sauce.
Chicken Puttanesca pairs well with:
– Pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)
– Mashed potatoes
– Rice or cauliflower rice
– Crusty bread for soaking up the sauce
Yes, it’s a healthy dish! It’s high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and rich in healthy fats from olives and olive oil. To make it even lighter, you can reduce the amount of oil or skip the anchovies if needed.
Yes, it’s a great make-ahead dish! The flavors deepen after sitting for a while. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
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Chicken Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 chicken thighs (bone-in and skin-on)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion (thinly sliced)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 5 anchovies (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 1 cup pitted green olives (rinsed, dried, and cut in half)
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- For garnish: fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a deep-sided large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes.
- 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. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 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 diced tomatoes with juice. Mix in the olives and capers.
- Return the chicken thighs back to the skillet. Cover and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and garnish with chopped parsley.
Hi! I’m Irina. Here you’ll find healthy and healthy-ish recipes.
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