Chicken scarpariello takes your standard Italian chicken recipes and kicks them to the max with flavorful chicken thighs and a hearty sauce!
Like other Mediterranean chicken dishes, you can expect loads of bright, fresh flavors. This recipe is braised chicken dish which produces the heavenly, to-die-for Scarpariello sauce that makes this such an unforgettable meal. You’ll usually find plenty of peppers, some vinegar to increase the acidity of the sauce, and lots of garlic.
I guarantee no one will leave the table hungry if you add this to your favorite chicken recipes.
Chicken Scarpariello Recipe
This Italian-American dish is in good company — it shares similar ingredients and flavor profiles to such dishes as chicken Vesuvio’s white wine, chicken Murphy’s peppers, and chicken Florentine’s herbs. Go around the world without ever leaving your kitchen! All of these dishes make the perfect Sunday suppers!
Chicken scarpariello may be lesser known in the world of Italian-American dishes, but that doesn’t mean its flavor is any less amazing! What did you serve it with — potatoes or pasta? Let me know in the comments!
Let’s make this!
What I Love About This Recipe
This is, at its core, a braised chicken dish that produces a heavenly, to-die-for sauce. Simple, classic, and oh so flavorful, I know you’ll love it!
- ALL the flavor!
- Crowd-pleaser, guaranteed
- Cooked-all-day taste
- Cheaper than a trip to Italy!
Chicken Scarpariello Video Tutorial
On your phone? Check out my web story here.
What Does Scarpariello Mean?
Scarpariello comes from the word scarparo, which means shoemaker or cobbler in Italian.
“Shoemaker Chicken” just doesn’t have the same, uh, ring to it, though, so you’ll find it referred to in the Italian style on menus here in the U.S. where thankfully most of us don’t know enough Italian to associate this dish with feet.
What Is Chicken Scarpariello?
Shoemaker-style chicken is likely an Italian-American dish, rather than one adopted directly from their European homeland, but the origin of the name is still a bit of a mystery.
Some stories attribute the name to the resourcefulness of shoemakers and its similarity to the creative use of ingredients in this dish. Others focus on how quickly this dish comes together, something a busy shoemaker could prepare in a short amount of time after a long day in the cobbler shop.
Some recipes make chicken scarpariello with sausage while others (like the chicken scarpariello Giada de Laurentiis makes) use prosciutto. The dish is often served with crispy, roasted potatoes on the side (probably because they’re so good at absorbing the amazing sauce).
What Type of Chicken Is Best for Chicken Scarpariello?
Any type of bone-in skin-on cut of chicken will work well in this recipe. Personally, when braising chicken, I like to use chicken thighs. They stand up to the longer, slower cooking style of braising best. They also have a higher fat content than breasts which adds to the wonderful overall flavor of this dish. If you use chicken breasts, reduce cooking time.
How To Make Chicken Scarpariello Recipe
Start by roasting your potatoes. While that’s going, you’ll brown the seasoned chicken thighs in a hot pan, then remove and brown the Italian sausage in the same pan.
Next come the aromatics (garlic and onion) and the peppers. The red bell works great in this dish for the pop of color, but also because red peppers are sweeter than their green counterparts. To balance the sweetness, we’ll incorporate a little acid in the form of white wine vinegar and perky peppadew peppers.
Finish it off in the oven and get ready for an Italian vacation!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fingerling Potatoes: These potatoes are the only way to go since their small size and firm texture are ideal. They cook fast but hold their shape well when you start dragging them through the sauce on your plate.
- Olive Oil
- Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken Thighs
- Italian Sausage: This recipe calls for a sweet Italian sausage, which is essentially the mild version of hot Italian sausage. Some “sweet” versions have a little basil in them, as well as the traditional flavors of fennel and garlic.
- Yellow Onion
- Red Bell Pepper
- Garlic
- Dry White Wine
- Chicken Stock: You can use chicken broth instead
- White Wine Vinegar
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
- Peppadew Peppers: These are unique sweet piquanté pepper that is pickled and jarred. They’re imported from South Africa and are truly marvelous. I found mine on Amazon. Pickled cherry peppers can be used as a substitute. They, however, are not quite as sweet.
Tips + Tricks
- No skillet, no problem – If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can use an oven-proof baking dish to finish this recipe. I just recommend preheating the dish in the oven a bit before pouring your sauce into it, adding your chicken, etc.
- Otherwise, you may need to add some additional cooking time for an instant-read thermometer to register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
- Fingerling Potatoes – Yes, just for clarification, the potatoes are cooked on a separate baking sheet, in the oven while you make the chicken. Generally, when I serve this dish, I place a serving of potatoes on a plate or pasta bowl and then spoon the chicken and sauce over them.
Storing + Freezing + Make Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Once cooled and stored in airtight containers, you can keep your chicken leftovers in the fridge for up to four days. I always think Italian dishes taste better the next day, once the flavors have had time to develop.
- If you save the potatoes too, you can always pop them in the toaster oven to get some of that crispiness back!
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! Make sure your dish is thoroughly cooled, then store the leftovers in a sealed container. You can then safely store it in the freezer for up to six months!
- To thaw, let the container sit in the fridge overnight. Then just pop it in the microwave and heat it until you reach the desired temp!
- Make-Ahead Tips: You definitely don’t want to make the potatoes ahead of time! The whole point of roasting the fingerlings is to get that nice crispy texture. The rest of this recipe you can definitely make ahead though — the chicken stores beautifully in the fridge and with a type of stew, I think it tastes even better the next day!
What To Serve With Chicken Scarpariello
Well, of course, the roasted fingerling potatoes are wonderful. You can switch out the potatoes and serve with a thin noodle pasta that’s cooked, seasoned with salt and pepper, and tossed with olive oil.
I like to serve this with a fresh green salad tossed with my quick and easy (we’re talking just a couple of minutes to put together!) balsamic vinaigrette.
My favorite garlic bead is also amazing with this! I mean seriously, have you tried it yet, guys?!!!
How To Make Chicken Scarpariello
- Season and oil the potatoes bake until brown and tender.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down, and cook.
- Flip the chicken and cook the other side.
- Cook the sausage in the skillet. Set aside.
- Cook the onions, bell pepper, and garlic.
- Add wine, let it evaporate for 8 minutes, then add stock, peppadews, vinegar, and rosemary. Simmer.
- Add chicken back to the skillet. Add sausage to the pan. Roast until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve.
More Italian Chicken Dishes
- Chicken Francaise – This lemon butter sauce will have you swooning!
- Sheet Pan Italian chicken
- Chicken Milanese
- Pesto Chicken
- Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken
- Balsamic Chicken
If you make this shoemaker’s chicken, leave a comment below on this blog post. I’d love it if you snapped a photo and tagged me on Instagram, @gonna_want_seconds, or please share this post on Facebook or Pinterest. I really appreciate it, friends! ♥
Chicken Scarpariello
Ingredients
Potatoes:
- 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes halved lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Chicken:
- 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs bone-in and skin on
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage casing removed
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup peppadew peppers in brine drained and chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Make the Potatoes: Adjust 2 oven racks to the upper and lower thirds position and preheat it to 450°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the cut potatoes (1 1/2 pounds) with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil then generously season them with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven, on the lower rack, until browned and tender, about 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the chicken; Pat the chicken pieces (2 1/2 pounds) dry with paper towels. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned about 3-5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brown on the other side, adjusting the heat as needed, for about 3 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Leave the oil in the skillet.
- Add sausage (8 ounces) to skillet and cook over medium heat, breaking it up into 1/2 inch pieces, until it's browned about 3 minutes. Remove sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Remove skillet from heat and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add the onions (1), red bell pepper (1), and garlic (6 cloves) and cook, stirring occasionally, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are soft, for 10-12 minutes. Add the wine (1 cup) and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine has evaporated about 8 minutes. Add stock (1 cup), Peppadews (1/2 cup), vinegar (1/4 cup), and rosemary (4 sprigs), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and vigorously simmer until slightly reduced about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices, and nestle pieces into the onion mixture. Place uncovered in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Add sausage to the pan, push them down into the onion mixture and continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through about 5-10 minutes, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F.
Fans Also Made:
None found
RATE THIS RECIPENotes
- No skillet, no problem – If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can use an oven-proof baking dish to finish this recipe. I just recommend preheating the dish in the oven a bit before pouring your sauce into it, adding your chicken, etc. Otherwise, you may need to add some additional cooking time for an instant-read thermometer to register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
- Fingerling Potatoes – Yes, just for clarification, the potatoes are cooked on a separate baking sheet, in the oven while you make the chicken. Generally, when I serve this dish, I place a serving of potatoes on a plate or pasta bowl and then spoon the chicken and sauce over them.
Nutrition
Source: Adapted from Bon Appetite
I have tried various recipes for Scarpariello but always return to this. Clearly the best whether making at home or ordering at a restaurant.
Wow, thank you so much, Ron! I’m glad you like this recipe 🙂
We enjoyed the flavors of this recipe! This recipe can also work for the gluten-free eaters in our family. The dish can also be prepped ahead and put together later if there is a time crunch at dinner time. We will use less vinegar next time.
OMG, thank you so much for your positive review. I’m soo glad you all love it. 🙂
Wish there was an oven temp on the final step. Can’t find oven temp instructions when you put the chicken back in the pan and into the oven. Also, when to put potatoes back in.
Thanks!
Hi David. It’s the same temp that the recipe starts with, 450 degrees. I place potatoes on individual plates then top them with the chicken 🙂
Chicken and Italian sausage together? Who knew!
Such a yummy combo!
Would love to know when to add the potatoes back in ? Or are they a separate item?
Hi Ashely, I serve them on the side <3