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Chicken Scarpariello is an Italian-American classic also known as shoemakers chicken. With pan fried chicken thighs, savory Italian sausage and zingy pickled cherry peppers, this easy recipe is full of flavor.

Close up of chicken scarpariello

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An Easy Weeknight Dinner Using Chicken Thighs and Sausage

Have you heard of Chicken Scarpariello? Scarpariello means “shoemaker style” in Italian. This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sweet Italian Sausage, and pickled sweet hot peppers for an extra kick.  The result is a savory meal punched up with a briney, sweet and sour pan sauce that really takes this Italian-American dish up a notch!

Chicken scarpariello in a frying pan

What are the ingredients for Chicken Scarpariello?

  • Olive Oil – for browning the chicken
  • Flour – gives a light coating to the chicken and helps slightly thicken the sauce
  • Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs -I used these to make this a quick recipe, but you can also use bone in if you prefer – just keep in mind they will take longer to cook.
  • Ground Sweet Italian Sausage – feel free to use Hot Italian Sausage if you want a little heat!
  • Sweet Onion, Bell peppers, Garlic – the veggie portion of the dish that also adds tons of flavor.
  • Dried Oregano – adds more flavor to this Italian dish.
  • Low Sodium Chicken Broth – Using Low-Sodium broth helps you control how salty this is.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice – compliments the vinegar in the sauce.
  • Unsalted Butter – adds richness to the sauce
  • Hot Sweet Cherry Peppers or other pickled peppers – The sweet hot pickled peppers is what makes this chicken recipe special!

How to make Chicken Scarpariello?

To make this Chicken Scarpariello recipe easy enough for a busy weeknight, I opted for boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  They cook very quickly, but are more juicy and flavorful than chicken breasts. Chicken Scarpariello is all made in one pan on the stovetop. You can find the full recipe below, but here is the overview of the recipe.

  1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat
  2. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and give them a light coating of flour.
  3. Sear the chicken thighs on both sides until browned on the outside and cooked through, remove from pan.
  4. Add the sausage to the pan, brown, removed when cooked through.
  5. Add the peppers, onions, garlic, spices and hot peppers to the pan, sauté.
  6. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth.
  7. Add butter and lemon juice to finish your sauce.
  8. Return meat to the pan, stir to coat and cook a few minutes to let the flavors meld.

Chicken scarpariello on a white platter

Best Side Dish for Chicken Scarpariello

Serve Chicken Scarpariello over pasta with rustic bread for dipping in the sauce. My Easy Garlic Bread recipe would be great on the side.

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Chicken Scarpariello

Prep 5 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 3 Tablespoons All-purpose flour for dusting
  • 1 lb Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs
  • 8 oz Sweet Italian Sausage ground
  • 1 Sweet Onion sliced
  • 2 Bell Peppers sliced
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoons Dried Oregano
  • 1.5 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 4 Hot Sweet Cherry Peppers or other pickled peppers sliced
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Add olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour, toss to coat the chicken in the flour.
  • When oil is hot, sear the chicken until browned on the outside and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan.
  • Add sausage to pan and brown. When cooked through, remove from pan.
  • Add onions and bell pepper to pan, saute 5 minutes, or until starting to soften. Add the garlic, hot peppers and oregano and cook for 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the chicken broth to the skillet and cook over high heat, scraping the bottom of that pan, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the butter and lemon juice and stir until fully blended.
  • Return sausage and chicken to the pan, stir to coat everything in the sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 553mg | Potassium: 733mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2065IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinners
Cuisine: American, Italian
Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!
Hello! I’m Meghan.

I am so glad that you are here! I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at my blog Fox and Briar. I am a passionate, self-taught home cook and believe that most things are better homemade and that good food doesn’t need to be complicated.

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11 Comments

  1. This dish was absolutely delicious!!! My family loved it and I will make it again soon!! Thank you!!!

  2. 5 stars
    This was so good!! Perfect amount of tang and spice. We put it over pasta and topped it with goat cheese. Amazing! I’ll definitely make it again.

  3. 5 stars
    Outstanding!! I doubled the recipe and we enjoyed it for lunch with a side of mashed potatoes. Make this dish – you will not be disappointed. Thank you for a great and easy recipe.

  4. Fabulous dish! This recipe did not disappoint. I doubled the recipe to have leftovers. Will definitely make again.