Chicken scarpariello (shoemaker’s chicken) brings together crispy-skinned chicken thighs and Italian sausage in a punchy sweet-and-sour pan sauce. The Italian-American classic gets its tang from white wine vinegar and pickled Peppadew peppers, which mingle with onions, fresh bell pepper, garlic, rosemary, and all the savory drippings left behind by the meat.
While some chicken scarpariello recipes cook potatoes right in the pan, we roast fingerlings separately so they stay crisp—perfect for dragging through all that vinegary sauce. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are the move here: They brown beautifully, stay juicy as they braise, and add plenty of flavor to the sauce.
Peppadews add sweetness and a mild tang, but hot cherry peppers or pepperoncini work too if you want something sharper or spicier. Serve the scarpariello straight from the skillet for a hearty dinner that lands somewhere between weeknight comfort food and Sunday supper.
Watch Rick make chicken scarpariello
What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$35 $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
Need to make a substitution?
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 published online in September 2017; it has been updated for style. Head this way for more of our best chicken thigh dinners →