The Lazy 3-Ingredient Chicken I Make on Empty-Fridge Nights

Name: The Lazy 3-Ingredient Chicken I Make on Empty-Fridge Nights
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (or 2 large breasts, butterflied then pounded thin); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 cup jarred sliced banana peppers with brine; 4 tablespoons butter, softened

A skillet with cooked chicken breasts topped with banana peppers and garnished with herbs — Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Why Make This

Using banana peppers and their brine allows you to make a flavorful main dish with only 3 ingredients.
This recipe is quick and easy—it comes together in just 20 minutes from start to finish.
You can use capers, olives, or peppadew peppers instead of the pepperoncini.

People assume that as a recipe developer, I’m always eating fabulous, elaborate meals. But I’m here to put an end to that myth once and for all. Like everyone else, sometimes I’m just too busy to do things like buy groceries or spend a bunch of time on dinner.

It was on one of those harried days when the fridge was looking pretty empty that I came up with this dish, banana pepper chicken—a quick way to feed myself with only a few ingredients.

Banana pepper chicken is made a lot like chicken piccata, a recipe I was testing at the time. I started with the same idea of searing chicken in a sauté pan, then deglazing the pan with something full of briny flavor—in this case, jarred pickled banana peppers rather than capers. I then finished the sauce with a little butter for richness.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the dish and found myself making it again for a quick lunch several days later.

Easy Recipe Tweaks

Other pickles: You can adapt this recipe to suit whatever you have half a jar of in the fridge, including capers, olives, peppadew peppers, or sliced pepperoncini.
Add herbs: For a fresh note, add chopped fresh herbs like parsley or basil to garnish.
Flour the chicken: To create more of a crust on the chicken, dredge the chicken breasts in seasoned flour before cooking.
Make a creamy sauce: To create a creamy version of the dish, skip the water and butter and instead add 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese to the skillet with the banana peppers and brine.

What To Serve With My Banana Pepper Chicken

Banana pepper chicken is an easy, quick-cooking main dish, so it needs side dishes that aren’t too fussy to go with it. Some of my favorites are frozen french fries, a simple green salad, polenta, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles.

Grilled chicken breast with banana pepper slices served on a plate — Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Banana Pepper Chicken

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 4 servings

Keep Screen Awake

4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (or 2 large breasts, butterflied then pounded thin)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup jarred sliced banana peppers with brine
4 tablespoons butter, softened

Cook the Chicken:

Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. (Don’t wipe the pan!)
Make the Sauce:

Add the banana peppers and their brine to the now-empty skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a splash of water (up to 1/4 cup) if the pan looks dry, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the softened butter.
Baste:

Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and baste them with the banana pepper sauce. Cook until warmed through and the sauce is glossy, 2 to 3 minutes, and serve.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat, covered, in a skillet over medium heat, adding a splash of water if needed.

Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
504	Calories
29g	Fat
21g	Carbs
39g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	504
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g	37%
Saturated Fat 11g	53%
Cholesterol 215mg	72%
Sodium 404mg	18%
Total Carbohydrate 21g	8%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 13mg	64%
Calcium 68mg	5%
Iron 3mg	14%
Potassium 385mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.