This One-Pan Italian Chicken Tastes Like It Cooked All Day

My recipe turns a popular Italian appetizer into an easy, delicious main in just 45 minutes.

By
Ivy Manning
Ivy Manning
Ivy Manning
Ivy Manning is the author of 10 cookbooks including the best seller Instant Pot Miracle 6 Ingredients or Less. She has 2 decades of experience teaching cooking classes and writing articles for magazines and online outlets including Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Better Homes and Gardens, Simply Recipes, and many others. 
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Published November 06, 2025
Ivy Manning
Roasted chicken thighs served atop a vibrant peperonata of sauted peppers and onions

Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer
  • Chicken peperonata is a weeknight-friendly, one-pan dinner with bold flavors inspired by a popular Italian appetizer.
  • The sweet and tangy bell pepper sauce, enriched with rosemary and balsamic vinegar, is truly distinctive.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs stay tender while cooking in the sauce while also creating a flavorful, crispy skin in the oven.

Peperonata is an Italian appetizer or side dish of sautéed onions and bell peppers in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce. I first encountered it as a delicious sauce for roasted meat while I was working in a tiny restaurant in Barbaresco, Italy, and it’s been a staple in my repertoire ever since.

The dish has its origins in Napoli in the south of Italy, but the Piedmontese chef I worked for added northern touches: a sprig of rosemary for an herbal, resinous note and balsamic vinegar, which adds sweetness and tang. Instead of an antipasto or side dish, she served peperonata as a sauce for a roasted rabbit that will haunt my memories as one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted. Back stateside, I’ve adapted the dish to use chicken thighs, though drumsticks work too.

Like a cousin of the classic chicken cacciatore, my chicken peperonata is relatively quick to pull together—just a few steps and a little time (mostly unattended cooking) and this classic Italian meat-plus-veg one-pan braise is ready. Served on soft polenta, it’s an all-time favorite of my family and friends. I’ve written the recipe out so many times for friends who rave about it that I know it by heart.  

Plate of cooked chicken over a bed of vegetables served alongside a dish of orzo pasta

Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

How To Make Chicken Peperonata

The one-pan dish starts by browning the chicken thighs in an ovenproof skillet and then browning the onions and peppers in the flavorful, crispy browned bits left in the pan. A whole sprig of rosemary and a bay leaf add no-fuss herbal notes and are discarded before serving.  This first sautéeing step is best done slowly over medium heat, but most nights I hurry things along, as I do in this recipe. If you have time, slow down and really let the caramelization happen slowly.

Next, I add tomato sauce, water (or stock if you have it on hand), sugar, and balsamic vinegar. The sauce simmers for a bit—again, longer is better, but five minutes will do on a weeknight. Then I return the chicken to the pan and let it finish uncovered in the oven. Keeping the chicken uncovered ensures crispy chicken skin.  

What To Serve With Chicken Peperonata

I always serve chicken peperonata in bowls atop soft polenta with plenty of grated Parimigiano Reggiano stirred into it. You could just as easily serve it on short pasta like penne, rotini, or orzo; any shape that will soak up the juicy pepper sauce will be great. Another option is mashed potatoes, though it’s not as common as polenta in Italy.

Two plates of peperonata chicken with roasted bell peppers and a side of orzo pasta

Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

Chicken Peperonata

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 (1 3/4 to 2 1/2 pounds) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped

  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

  • 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

  • One 3-inch sprig fresh rosemary

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, optional

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Brown the chicken:

    Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the pan skin side down and cook without moving the chicken until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook the chicken for 2 minutes longer. (You may need to do this in 2 batches.)

    Transfer to a plate and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan.

  3. Make the sauce:

    Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, red and yellow peppers, rosemary, and bay leaf. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent and begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

    Add the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, sugar, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

  4. Finish cooking the chicken:

    Arrange the chicken thighs in the sauce skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered until the chicken is cooked through and an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, 15 to 20 minutes.

  5. Season, garnish, and serve:

    Discard the rosemary stem and bay leaf (leave any individual rosemary leaves that have fallen off the stem in the sauce). Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce, adding additional balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper if needed. Sprinkle the parsley over the chicken, if using, and serve.

    Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat, covered, in a skillet with the sauce, adding a splash of water if the sauce is dry. The skin will not re-crisp after being stored, so you may want to remove it before serving.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
572 Calories
37g Fat
14g Carbs
52g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 572
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g 47%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 272mg 91%
Sodium 1192mg 52%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 52g
Vitamin C 139mg 696%
Calcium 52mg 4%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 918mg 20%
*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.