Chicken Puttanesca

Succulent and utterly brimming with savory flavor, my chicken puttanesca is the epitome of comfort food when a little extra TLC is needed. Prepared with juicy chicken thighs nestled into a mildly spicy tomato sauce with garlic, a splash of wine, olives, capers, a few anchovy fillets, and herbs, this recipe is a tasty twist on the classic version!

Chicken in a classic, mildly spicy sauce

Slow-simmered dishes replete with lots of warming, cozy sauce are the ideal comfort food for me as we draw nearer to fall and to cooler weather.

I also really enjoy dishes with some spicy “kick” to them, perhaps a little sprinkle of red pepper flakes to wake up the taste buds and warm me up from within. A puttanesca sauce is the perfect pick for that kind of comfort.

Seeing as I just adore the briny, earthy flavors of olives, capers, garlic, and anchovies, I often find myself preparing my classic pasta puttanesca recipe, very simply tossed together with spaghetti.

But when my hubs and I crave something a little heartier, with a bit more protein, this chicken puttanesca is a little taste of heaven to us.

Ultra comforting, this scrumptious twist on traditional puttanesca sauce pretty much makes for a complete meal, prepared with the addition of succulent chicken thighs seared in the pan before being added to this savory and mildly spicy, classic sauce.

Served on its own, with a slice of warm, crusty bread, or with tagliatelle pasta (my favorite!), this recipe is a simple yet deliciously rustic meal perfect for any night of the week, and sure to bring warmth and coziness to mealtime!

My recipe for chicken puttanesca

I really love how rustic, elegant, and yet simple this recipe is to prepare.

Once all of the ingredients are prepped and on hand, it's really all about simply layering them into the pan or braiser to create lots of deep, rich flavor, which only intensifies in the oven as the chicken cooks in the sauce.

To create maximum flavor for the chicken, I like to use skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs, as they remain tender, juicy and succulent, and even add some richness to this zippy sauce.

And to prepare, I simply season the thighs and sear them off in the braiser until golden brown (I use a 4-quart size braiser or heavy-bottom, deeper, oven-safe pan). I then remove the thighs and build my puttanesca sauce in the same pan.

Lots of garlic is the base of this puttanesca, as well as a nice pinch of red pepper flakes (you can use more or less of these depending on your taste), a splash of wine, and a few anchovy fillets.

The anchovies just melt into the sauce, and rather than creating a strong flavor, they really are very subtle and in the background, adding some of that earthy flavor that puttanesca is beloved for. So if you're not really the biggest fan of anchovies, just know that the flavor is not at all intense in the sauce.

As for the tomatoes, I like to use a large tin of whole tomatoes with juices, as well as crushed tomatoes. The reason I use two kinds is for varying texture, as I roughly chop the whole tomatoes to leave some “chunkiness”, and the crushed tomatoes add a more velvety texture.

Capers and two kinds of olives—green and black—bring lots of briny flavor to this chicken puttanesca. I add them to the mix just before the seared chicken is added back into the sauce, and everything is placed into the oven to cook in no time!

Here's a sneak peek at how I make my chicken puttanesca recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I sear my chicken in my braiser until golden, then remove it and set aside.
2. Then, I add in my aromatic ingredients, followed by wine, and allow that to bubble up for a moment.
3. Next, I stir in my tomatoes, olives, capers and dried herbs, and nestle my chicken into the sauce.
4. I then place the chicken puttanesca into the oven for about 50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and deeply browned.
5. If serving pasta with this dish, I prep my pasta during the last 20 minutes of the chicken puttanesca cooking, and keep that warm and ready.
6. To serve, I add some of the warm pasta to a bowl, top with lots of sauce and a chicken thigh, and a flourish of herbs to garnish. Or, if not serving with pasta, I enjoy the chicken puttanesca on its own, or even with warm bread.

Recipe

Chicken Puttanesca

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This cozy chicken puttanesca boasts a mildly spicy tomato sauce brimming with olives, capers, garlic, and anchovies!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian-American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition info: 612 calories (per serving, with pasta)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 6 anchovy fillets
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like things)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes with juices, roughly chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ½ (heaping) cup pitted Kalamata olives (or other black olives)
• ½ (heaping) cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 12 ounces uncooked tagliatelle pasta, optional accompaniment
• Chopped basil and/or parsley, garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Place the chicken thighs into a large bowl or onto a platter, and season liberally with a couple of good pinches of salt and black pepper.
4. Then, place a large Dutch oven or braiser (about 4-quart size) over medium-high heat. Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and once hot, add the seasoned chicken thighs in, skin-side down, and sear for about 4 minutes, until golden-brown.
5. Flip the chicken and sear another 3 to 4 minutes, then remove the thighs from the pan and set aside on a large plate for a moment.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low, and wipe out the braiser of excess oil and any burned bits on the bottom (if necessary). Drizzle in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
7. Next, add in the garlic, anchovies and red pepper flakes, and stir those into the oil for about 30 seconds or so, until the anchovy fillets break down and the garlic is aromatic.
8. Then, stir in the tomato paste for a moment or two, and add in the white wine, allowing it to bubble up and slightly reduce for about 30 seconds.
9. Add in the chopped, whole tomatoes with their juices, and the crushed tomatoes, and stir those in.
10. Then, add in both of the olives, the capers, the Italian seasoning and dried basil, and gently stir those in to incorporate.
11. Nestle the seared chicken thighs into the puttanesca sauce, and place the braiser or Dutch oven into the oven, uncovered, on the upper rack for 50 minutes, until the chicken is a deep golden-brown and cooked through.
12. During the final 20 minutes of the chicken puttanesca cooking, prepare your tagliatelle pasta (or other variety) if serving pasta, according to package instructions. Drain and set the pasta aside, keeping it warm.
13. Once the chicken puttanesca has finished cooking, remove from oven and skim off any excess oil or grease there may be on top of the sauce. Allow it to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.
14. Then, sprinkle over chopped basil and/or parsley, and serve 1 chicken thigh per person with some sauce over the pasta.

Tips & tidbits for my chicken puttanesca recipe:

• Bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs for juicy results: Using chicken thighs with the skin on and the bone in for this recipe is my favorite way to go, as the chicken stays nice and juicy and succulent without drying out. It makes for a richly flavorful puttanesca, adding even more flavor to the sauce.
• Anchovy fillets, for earthy depth: The anchovies in this recipe practically melt away into the sauce, without creating a “fishy” flavor, only some earthy depth. So even if you're not typically a fan of anchovies, rest assured they will not overpower the puttanesca sauce, and only add a nice savory layer of flavor. You can certainly leave them out, but I do recommend you use at least 3 to 4 fillets if you're not keen on using all that are called for in the ingredient list.
• More or less red pepper flakes for kick: Since I like spicy food, I typically end up adding more red pepper flakes to my personal recipe. But if you like just a little kick, use ½ teaspoon or even less, according to what you prefer.
• What to serve with chicken puttanesca: I'm a big fan of tagliatelle pasta or even pappardelle pasta, since the wider noodles stand up well to this rich, rustic sauce. But penne, spaghetti or even linguine pasta are great, really whatever you like and prefer, or have on hand. Even simply serving this dish with thick slices of warm, rustic bread is delicious!

Craving more rustic and cozy recipes like this one? Check out my classic Pasta Puttanesca recipe, my recipe for Italian Drunken Noodles, Linguine Pasta with Sausage and Artichoke, Arrabbiata Sauce, Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pasta, or even my recipe for Skillet Lasagna!