Italian-Style Chicken with Peppers
This is my recipe for chicken and with sweet bell peppers, a family-style dish I couldn't help updating. The chicken thighs turn out fork-tender, with a crispy skin and a melange of meltingly soft sweet bell peppers and onions. The pan sauce that sings with the tang of fresh lemon, herbs, and feta cheese.
Ingredients
- 6 (1.3 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 2-3 pounds total
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 red bell peppers or assorted colors, sliced into ¼-inch strips
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken broth
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine or fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (60 g) crumbled feta cheese about 2 ounces
- Chopped fresh dill or parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 (22C) degrees.
- Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels until dry. Sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt and black pepper. The chicken can sit uncovered at room temperature while you prep the other ingredients.
- Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat. Put the chicken in the pan skin-side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a large plate. Drain off excess fat, leaving 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan. Add the peppers, onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, until the vegetables appear wilted and softened. Stir frequently to prevent them from getting browned. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Nestle the chicken skin-side up over the pepper mixture (add in any juices that have collected under the chicken). Pour in the broth and wine or lemon juice. Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes, until the chicken skin is nicely golden and the sauce is bubbling.
- Crumble the feta over the hot chicken. Sprinkle the dill or parsley over the top and serve.
Notes
- Six chicken thighs fit nicely into a 12-inch skillet. If you're doubling the recipe to serve a crowd, it's best to sear the chicken in batches or use 2 pans.
- After seasoning with salt and pepper, you can refrigerate the uncooked chicken thighs up to 4 hours, uncovered or loosely wrapped in plastic.
- Leftovers are delicious! Reheat in a baking dish at 350F until warmed through, 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 358kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 21gFat: 26gSodium: 273mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
