Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Before we dive in, I’ll just say this: if chicken scarpariello is on the menu, I’m ordering it! Over the years, I’ve tried different versions, but the way I make it at home is my favorite.
This is a dish where simple ingredients shine. Bone-in chicken thighs sear until golden, Italian sausage is crumbled to season the pan, and then everything braises in a lively mix of onions, peppers, garlic, white wine, and vinegar. The result is tender chicken nestled in a sauce that’s tangy, savory, and just a little sweet. I love that it feels like comfort food but still has a bright edge.
Because it’s a one-pan meal, cleanup is minimal, making it weeknight-friendly. At the same time, it’s special enough to serve guests – especially with a side of polenta, pasta, or mashed potatoes to catch every bit of that sauce. If you enjoy Italian-American chicken recipes like my chicken and sausage cassoulet, this scarpariello is one I keep coming back to.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on for rich flavor and crisp texture.
- Italian sausage: Sweet chicken sausage is my go-to, but pork or vegan sausage work beautifully. Breaking it up seasons the sauce.
- Onions and bell peppers: Build the base and add sweetness. Red, yellow, or orange peppers all work.
- Garlic: Essential for rustic depth.
- White wine: Deglazes and deepens flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes: Burst into the sauce for brightness.
- Chicken stock: Adds body and balances vinegar.
- White wine vinegar: The signature tang.
- Rosemary: Perfumes the braise.
- Parsley: Adds a fresh and beautiful finish.
For spice, add pickled cherry peppers or swap in hot Italian sausage.
How to Make Chicken Scarpariello
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Pork sausage will need very little oil; poultry sausage will need more. Add sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or potato masher until the pieces are small. Sauté until a little browned and just cooked, but don’t stress if it’s not cooked all the way. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
Step 2: If you haven’t seasoned the chicken yet, do so now. Sear skin-side down in the same skillet until golden brown on both sides, about 8-10 minutes. You are not trying to cook them through – just build color and flavor. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3: To the same skillet, add onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan, until tender and beginning to brown, 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (how much you add will depend on your stock and how well you seasoned the chicken).
Step 4: Add white wine and simmer, scraping up the browned bits (this is called deglazing), until reduced by half.
Step 5: Stir in tomatoes, chicken stock, vinegar, and rosemary. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Return the sausage to the skillet and place chicken on top of the onion mixture. Transfer to the oven and roast at 450°F for about 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F. It’s hard to give an exact time since it depends on the size of the thighs and how long you seared them earlier, your thermometer will tell you when they’re done!
Step 7: Remove rosemary sprigs. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Tips for Success
- Balance the sauce: Taste before serving! Splash in more stock if too sharp, or add a pinch of salt to round flavors.
- Keep the skin crisp: Don’t over-braise before roasting; a quick oven finish keeps the skin golden.
- Serving ideas: Polenta, pasta, or roasted potatoes are my favorite sides here because they catch every bit of that sauce.
- Make ahead: Sauce can be prepared hours in advance. Reheat gently and finish with fresh herbs.
- Freezer-friendly: Cool fully, transfer to a sealed container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock.
For other global chicken mains, try my chicken tikka masala, curried chicken salad, or chicken souvlaki with tzatziki.
Recipe FAQs
It’s tangy from vinegar, savory from sausage, and slightly sweet from peppers and onions. The balance makes it stand out among Italian-American classics.
Traditionally yes, but you can skip it. I recommend keeping it in. Broken-up sausage seasons the sauce in a way chicken alone can’t.
It can be. Pickled cherry peppers or hot sausage bring heat, while sweet peppers keep it mild.
Yes, freeze cooled portions for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of stock.
A crisp white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc balances the vinegar sauce, while Chianti complements the sausage richness.
Roast thick slabs of tofu, add vegan sausage, and let them soak in the sauce. It tastes just as hearty and rustic as the original!
Chicken scarpariello is one of those dishes that feels both rustic and celebratory. It’s a recipe I turn to again and again, and I know you’ll love how bold yet balanced the flavors are. For another cozy one-pan option, don’t miss my apple fennel stuffing with chicken sausage.
More Italian-Inspired Chicken Dishes
If you give this chicken scarpariello recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a star rating and review! I have started a weekly Monday newsletter with tips, musings, new recipes not published here, fun new finds, and more. Subscribe for free here.
For more delicious recipes and to learn how to be a better cook, check out my monthly online cooking classes. I have been teaching people for 15 years how to cook healthy food that their families love! Join me!
Chicken Scarpariello with Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients
- 2-3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 3 links of sweet Italian sausage, I used chicken sausage, removed from casings, or vegan sausage like Field Roast or Beyond Meat
- 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, seasoned on both sides with kosher salt and pepper when you bring them home from the market
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 1 sweet bell pepper, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, you can add more if you like
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 3 3- in sprigs of rosemary
- chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Arrange rack in upper third of oven; preheat oven to 450°.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pork sausage will need very little oil. Poultry sausage will need more. Add sausage and break up with a wooden turner or potato masher until the meat is super small. Sauté until a little browned, just cooked, but don’t stress if it’s not cooked all the way. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
- If you haven’t seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper yet, do so now. Sear skin-side down in the same skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, 8–10 minutes. You are not trying to cook them through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- To the same skillet add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and saute over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan, until tender and beginning to brown, 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. The amount of salt you add will depend on the stock and how well you season the chicken. Add white wine and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan (this is called deglazing), until reduced by half. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, vinegar, and rosemary and bring to a boil; cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add reserved sausage back to the skillet and place chicken on top of the onion mixture, then transfer the skillet to the upper rack of the oven and roast the chicken for 10 minutes. Or until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°. It’s hard to give an exact time for when the chicken is done since it will depend on the size of the thighs and how long you seared them in Step 3. The thermometer will tell you when they are done!
- Remove rosemary sprigs. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
- Balance the sauce: Taste before serving! Splash in more stock if too sharp, or add a pinch of salt to round flavors.
- Keep the skin crisp: Don’t over-braise before roasting; a quick oven finish keeps the skin golden.
- Serving ideas: Polenta, pasta, or roasted potatoes are my favorite sides here because they catch every bit of that sauce.
- Make ahead: Sauce can be prepared hours in advance. Reheat gently and finish with fresh herbs.
- Freezer-friendly: Cool fully, transfer to a sealed container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Looks & sounds yummy!
one of my favorite restaurant dishes!
Hi Pamela
If you wanted to make sauce ahead what would be the steps? Does this mean you cook sausage and chicken later and reheat sauce in that pan so you get the flavor from those items?
I suppose you can brown the sausage and sauté the vegetables and refrigerate. Then brown the chicken, deglaze, add back the pre-cooked sausage and vegetables, add back the chicken and cook through.