This chicken puttanesca is one of those recipes I come back to again and again on busy weeknights. It’s bold, briny, deeply savory, and made almost entirely from pantry staples. If you love olives, capers, anchovies, and a rich tomato sauce, this is the kind of dinner you’ll make on repeat!
Jump to:
About This Recipe
This chicken puttanesca is inspired by the classic linguine puttanesca but made heartier with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs that gently simmer in the bold tomato sauce. The sauce is packed with olives, capers, garlic, anchovies, and a touch of heat, creating layers of savory flavor that taste like they’ve been cooking all day.
It’s an easy one-skillet chicken dinner that’s perfect for weeknights and flexible enough to adapt to what you have on hand. You can use canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, or even leftover marinara sauce. The flavors are salty, briny, and rich, making this a great option if you love big, Mediterranean-style flavors.
📋 Ingredients
- Skin-On Chicken Thighs: The first step is to brown the chicken skin, which starts the dish off with great flavor.
- Anchovies: I promise you won't "taste" the anchovies in the recipe, but it offers a fantastic savory layer. Use a few fillets of jarred anchovies or a good squeeze of anchovy paste in a tube.
- Garlic: Fresh and chopped finely. A diced shallot would be delicious as well.
- Canned Tomatoes: Either crushed or diced tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes will work too, but I suggest using in season tomatoes if you can.
- Red Wine: I like using a drier red wine, such as a blend, Cabernet or Merlot.
- Pitted Olives: This recipe has two kinds of olives, Castelveltrano which are more mild and buttery. And Kalamata olives that are stronger and brinier. I like the combination of both, but use either one, if preferred.
- Capers: A classic in puttanesca and also really good in a lighter kale pasta with olives and capers.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
A Note on Anchovies
If anchovies make you nervous, don’t worry. Once they’re sautéed in olive oil, they completely melt into the sauce and don’t taste fishy at all. Instead, they add a deep, savory umami flavor that gives the sauce its first layer of richness.
You can use oil-packed anchovy fillets from a jar, which break down easily in the pan, or anchovy paste from a tube. If using paste, about one to two teaspoons is plenty. This is one of those ingredients that quietly makes everything better without calling attention to itself.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Add More Spice: If you want more spice, Calabrian chiles are a fantastic option. They add a slightly fruity heat and deep flavor. Add a teaspoon and sauté right after the cooking the garlic.
- Different cuts of chicken: This recipe works well with drumsticks or chicken breasts. Skin-on pieces will give you the best flavor. If using chicken breasts, make sure there is enough sauce to come about halfway up the chicken and allow a little extra cooking time.
- Pork option: Bone-in pork chops are delicious here and can be cooked the same way, gently braised in the sauce until tender.
- Seafood variations: Nestle salmon fillets directly into the sauce and gently poach for 10 to 15 minutes. Firm white fish like cod or halibut also works beautifully. Shrimp can be added during the last 5 to 8 minutes of cooking.
- Tomato options: Crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, fresh chopped tomatoes, or even leftover marinara sauce all work well. In the summer, fresh tomatoes are especially delicious.
- No wine: If you prefer not to cook with wine, you can simply omit it. The sauce will still be rich and flavorful.
⏲️ Instructions
Sear the Chicken: Season the chicken thighs and sear them skin-side down in olive oil until deeply golden.
Build the Flavor Base: Sauté the anchovies in the rendered chicken fat until the anchovies dissolve. Then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Simmer Chicken in the Sauce: Nestle the seared chicken thighs skin-side up into the tomato sauce along with the olives and capers. Let everything simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
Garnish and Serve: Once the sauce has reduced and thickened, finish the dish with extra olives and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Serve hot with plenty of sauce spooned over the chicken.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Dry the chicken well: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning. Dry skin helps create a better sear and more flavorful chicken.
- Let the chicken sear undisturbed: When cooking skin-side down, resist moving the chicken. Let it cook until the skin is deeply golden and releases easily from the pan.
- Break down the anchovies: Keep the heat at medium to medium-high and use your spatula to gently press the anchovies into the oil so they dissolve evenly.
- Simmer gently: Once the chicken is in the sauce, keep it at a steady simmer rather than a boil. This keeps the chicken tender and allows the sauce to thicken nicely.
- Make Ahead: This dish can be made up to three days in advance and the sauce tastes even better the next day, though the chicken skin will soften as it sits.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken puttanesca is all about the flavorful sauce, so it pairs best with something that can soak up every last bit. Serve alongside a simple starch or fresh side to balance the bold, briny flavors.
- Creamy Polenta to soak up the rich sauce.
- Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Garlic Focaccia
- Classic Caesar Salad
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Chicken Puttanesca Recipe
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 to 2½ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup capers
- ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives roughly chopped, plus more for garnish if desired
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives roughly chopped, plus more for garnish if desired
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Season and sear the chicken: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Once hot, place the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin is deeply golden and crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. The chicken will not be fully cooked at this stage.
- Build the flavor base: In the same skillet, add the anchovies and cook, pressing them into the oil until they dissolve. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds-1 minute until fragrant.
- Deglaze and simmer the sauce: Pour in the red wine and use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce for about 2 minutes, then stir in the crushed tomatoes.
- Finish cooking the chicken: Nestle the chicken thighs back into the sauce, skin-side up, and scatter the capers and chopped olives around the chicken. Reduce the heat to a good simmer and cook uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Serve: Once done, remove from heat, garnish with chopped parsley and add more chopped olives, if desired. Serve the chicken with plenty of puttanesca sauce spooned over the top.
Video
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning to help the skin sear properly.
- As the anchovies cook, use your spatula to gently press them into the oil so they dissolve and evenly flavor the sauce.
- Keep the sauce at a good simmer rather than a boil. This helps the chicken stay tender and allows the sauce to thicken naturally.
- This recipe can be made up to three days in advance. The flavors deepen as it sits, though the chicken skin will soften slightly.
MrnMrsindkitchen says
I spotted "Anchovy" on this website and Knew it was in the rotation for our dinner table. This Chicken Puttanesca with Calabrian Chiles is a wonderful spin on the Italian Puttanesca dish. It is a spicy flavorful recipe with spices that are new to us.
Luv2cook says
I thought Puttanesca was only applied to Pasta. But it's really just combinations of flavors so sure, why no apply it to a protein like chicken. It was wonderful. This is the second time I used Polenta instead of Pasta and it is a wonderful change. This is my first time using Calabrian chili also, I ordered them from Amazon with some other new spices like Sumac and Castelvetrano olives.