Chicken scarpariello is a classic Italian American dish of juicy braised chicken thighs, sweet Italian sausage, and a vinegary, sweet-sour pan sauce. The jury is out on why the recipe’s name translates to shoemaker’s chicken (and according to cookbook author Katie Parla, a Neapolitan dish by the same name refers to chicken cooked in a tomato sauce). But no matter, this version remains a weeknight showstopper.
“My goal when developing this dish,” says Rick Martinez, “was that you should be able to make it on a Tuesday night after a long day at work—and not hate the guy that wrote the recipe after.” (Watch him make it here.)
Some recipes include potatoes in the braise, but we prefer them roasted so they get nice and crispy (and served on the side so they stay that way). Skin-on chicken thighs are essential—they deliver flavor and won’t dry out; don’t try swapping them for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cooking them in the same pan as the onions and peppers ensures the browned bits at the bottom of the pan don’t go to waste.
For the sauce, we like the flavor of Peppadews, but other pickled options like hot cherry peppers or pepperoncini work if you’d like a little extra heat. For the wine, something Italian, such as Pinot Grigio or Vermentino, would be a good choice.
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What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
8-Inch Chef's Knife
$47 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
50 minutes
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
1½
6
3
6
2
½
6
1
1
½
¼
3
Preparation
Step 1
Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat oven to 450°. Toss 1½ lb. fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise, with 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange cut side down and roast on lower rack until tender and cut sides are browned, 20–30 minutes; set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook 3 links sweet Italian sausage, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6–8 minutes (they will not be fully cooked). Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Season 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear skin-side down in same skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides, 8–10 minutes (they will also be undercooked). Transfer to plate with sausage.
Step 4
Cook 2 large onions, chopped, ½ large red bell pepper, chopped, and 6 garlic cloves, finely grated in same skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan, until tender and beginning to brown, 10–12 minutes. Add 1 cup dry white wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and you can no longer smell the alcohol, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, ½ cup chopped hot, sweet pickled Peppadew peppers in brine, drained, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, and 3 sprigs rosemary and bring to a boil; cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Nestle chicken into onion mixture, then transfer skillet to upper rack of oven and roast chicken 10 minutes. Add sausages to skillet, pushing them into onion mixture, and continue to roast until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°, 5–10 minutes.
Step 5
Top with chopped parsley and serve with roasted potatoes alongside.
Editor’s note: This chicken scarpariello recipe was first printed online in September 2017. Head this way for more of our best chicken thigh dinners →
Leave a Review
Reviews (106)
Back to TopI made this for a family gathering and it was a huge hit. I actually made it the day before the event, and reheated it just before serving. That enabled me to enjoy the party. I served it with the roasted fingerlings and a beet salad with a lemon caper dressing.
Scottee
Littleton, CO
6/1/2024
I found it needed 20 min in oven to cook through and I ended up not using all the onion maybe my two onions were just really ‘large’… also cut sausages in half to make them fit in 12 inch cast iron pan with six chicken thighs. Otherwise pretty straightforward and tasty.
Anonymous
Nyc
5/30/2024
Took FOREVER to cook. The author of this recipe said that it would take 50 mins to make and SPECIFICALLY said that you should be able to make this in a random Tuesday. I am a proficient cook, but this recipe took me 2.5 hours to make. I was willing to dedicate an hour to this, but the author significantly misrepresented the cook time. As for the taste, my husband said “it’s good, but it’s not 2.5 hours good. You’ve cooked much better meals in a shorter amount of time”.
Mary Z.
Houston, TX
5/16/2024
This is a hit with my friends and I'm sure this will turn to one of our staple dishes soon!
Anonymous
4/17/2024
Fun to prepare and very popular served to friends. Not many have had chicken prepared in such a flavorful way
Bog
Ann Arbor, Mi
2/16/2024
Good recipe for technique, but I much prefer the heat of the cherry peppers in brine. I use the brine rather than the white wine for the sauce. I use garlic (LOTS) of garlic, but no onions. I've never used potatoes, but they were good. Thighs and/or drums, well seared, particularly on the skin sides. HOT Italian sausage, not sweet. For me, this dish is all about the spicy kick. I've made this (my way) hundreds of times, and this looks foreign to me.
Anonymous
Stamford, CT
10/9/2023
close to real recipe but not quite
Anonymous
Philly
6/1/2023