Chicken in Puttanesca Sauce

Name: Chicken in Puttanesca Sauce
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 6 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (substitute or add chicken legs and bone-in breasts cut in half); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup; 6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced, about ¼ cup; 1 (2-ounce) tin flat fillets of anchovies packed in olive oil, about 8; 1 cup dry white wine; 1 cup chicken stock; 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste; 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped; 2 tablespoons capers, drained; juice from 1 large lemon, about 3 tablespoons; Italian parsley

Coastal Mains

Chicken in Puttanesca Sauce

Print Recipe

The Strategy:

Here, we are treating these deeply savory chicken pieces to a classic, aggressive Puttanesca sauce. By melting a whole tin of anchovies into the sautéed onions and garlic, we create a briny, umami-rich foundation that stands up perfectly to the tartness of Kalamata olives, sharp capers, and a heavy pour of dry white wine.

Serves: 2 to 4 | Total Time: 40 minutes till it’s ready

Ingredients

For searing the chicken

6 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (substitute or add chicken legs and bone-in breasts cut in half)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the puttanesca aromatics

1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced, about ¼ cup
1 (2-ounce) tin flat fillets of anchovies packed in olive oil, about 8

For the sauce liquids and highlights

1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
juice from 1 large lemon, about 3 tablespoons
Italian parsley

Ingredients arranged: raw bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, Kalamata olives, capers, a tin of anchovies, tomato paste, white wine, chicken stock, fresh lemons, garlic, a yellow onion, fresh Italian parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper around a marble prep board.

Instructions

Sear the chicken

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken, skin side down, into the hot oil and cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a platter.

Make the sauce

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion to the pan. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and anchovies and cook two minutes more.
Stir in the wine and cook until most of the liquid cooks away, about 5 minutes. The anchovies will mostly disappear.
Pour in the chicken stock, tomato paste, olives, and capers.

Simmer and serve

Put the chicken back in the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Drizzle with lemon juice.
Cover the pan with the lid or a piece of aluminum foil and simmer until the chicken is completely cooked, reaching an internal temperature of 165°, about 20 minutes. You can add more stock if the sauce gets too thick.
Serve the chicken garnished with fresh parsley.

Close-up action shot of a cook's hand squeezing the juice of a fresh, bright yellow lemon over sizzling, deeply browned chicken thighs braising in a bubbling, red puttanesca sauce in a heavy skillet.

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The Heart of the Table

A great braise like this Puttanesca is a brilliant hosting maneuver because it does all of the hard work in a single pan. Serving a gorgeous, rustic pan of bone-in chicken swimming in a rich, deeply savory tomato and olive sauce instantly signals abundance. It’s loud, it’s flavorful, and it practically demands to be scooped up with thick slices of warm crusty bread.

8 guests gathered around the table laughing, eating, and drinking red wine in a Palm Beach Estate dining patio with ocean views. A massive, beautiful pan of Chicken Puttanesca anchors the center of the joyful, boisterous gathering.

Neighborly Grace

THE PRESENTATION: Bring the heavy sauté pan directly to the table, allowing the steam and the incredibly pungent aroma of garlic and capers to fill the space. Generously scatter torn, vibrant green Italian parsley over the top at the very last second for a burst of fresh color against the deep reds and purples of the sauce.
THE POUR: The briny, salty, and highly acidic nature of Puttanesca needs a wine that won't get bullied. A medium-bodied Italian red with high acidity, like a Chianti Classico or a Barbera, will cut through the richness of the chicken skin while beautifully complementing the tomatoes and olives.
THE VIBE: Effortlessly rustic and intensely flavorful. This is the ideal dinner for a boisterous Friday night when the conversation is loud, the wine is flowing, and no one is rushing to leave the table.

Chef’s Recommendations

What Goes Under the Sauce: Polenta with Asiago Cheese
Anchovy and Tomato, First Course: Tomato Braised Artichokes with Anchovy Pesto Rub
The Glass Beside It: The Gin Fizz
The Sweet at the End: Basic Ice Cream “My Way”

The Estate Table

Build tonight’s menu around this dish.

✦ Set the Table

Chicken in Puttanesca Sauce

Chicken in Puttanesca Sauce

The full recipe lives in the Vault

The Heart of the Table

Neighborly Grace

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