Chicken with Peppers and Tomatoes

This chicken dish is juicy, very tasty bathed in a luscious sauce with the perfect blend of bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. A splash of sherry vinegar and honey balance the flavors with a little acidity and sweetness.

Top with fresh basil to brighten the dish and serve with Jasmin rice or chunky French bread for dredging in the sauce. It is all made in one pot making it easy to assemble with very little clean up. I used my Dutch oven, but the original recipe from the New York Times uses a skillet. I like using the Dutch oven as it cuts down on the splattering as you brown the chicken.

Assemble the ingredients: 2 lbs. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (4 to 6); 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling; 1 small onion-about 1/2 cup roughly chopped; 2 medium bell peppers roughly chopped to make 2 cups; 5 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped; 1/2 tsp. dried red-pepper flake; 1/4 cup sherry vinegar; 1 Tbsp. honey; 1 cup cherry tomatoes; 1/2 cup chicken stock; 3 Tbsp. fresh basil; more for garnishing.

Roughly chop a small onion. Clean 2 medium bell peppers and chop into chunky pieces. Peel and roughly chop 5 cloves of garlic.

Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil in either a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Add 1 small roughly chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently until just starting to soften, 2 minutes. I used a Vidalia onion, which has an extra-sweet flavor. Do not brown.

Add 2 medium bell peppers; any color you choose. I used orange and yellow peppers and cook for another minute until the peppers just begin to soften.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and season lightly with salt. Cook stirring until the garlic is fragrant and the onions are just beginning to brown, 2 more minutes. Move the cooked vegetables to a plate and set aside.

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Add 1 more tbsp. of olive oil to the skillet. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear without moving until the skin is golden grown, 6 o 8 minutes.  Turn and cook the other side until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Pour all but 1 tbsp. fat from the pan. I used a bulb baster to remove the fat. Save for another dish.

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock (preferably home-made) to the Dutch oven. If you don’t have chicken stock I think a dry white wine would also work well. Stir and scrape to loosen any stuck bits. Stir in the sherry vinegar and honey. Add 3 tbsp. fresh chopped basil. Cover. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook until the meat is cooked through; about 8 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the sauce is thickened; 2 to 3 minutes more.

Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften and burst; 3 to 4 minutes, smashing open if needed. Return the onion-pepper mixture to the Dutch oven, stir to coast in the pan sauce and cook, uncovered until warmed through. Taste and add more salt if needed. Remove from the heat. Drizzle more olive oil over the top and garnish generously with fresh basil.

The first night I served it over a bed of Jasmin rice, but it is also excellent re-heated the next day.

Next time I served it with the rice and a side of sauteed spinach and tomatoes. As you can see we pretty much devoured the peppers at the first serving, but it was still delicious.

Elevated comfort food at its best. You can also make this entire dish ahead of time. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and gently re-heat until the sauce is bubbling and chicken and veg are piping hot.

Print Pin

Chicken with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes

Succulent, very flavorful with the perfect mix of bell peppers and tomatoes. The sauce is balanced beautifully with acid from the sherry vinegar and sweetness from the honey.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Chicken thighs; skin-on; bone-in 4 to 6 thighs
• 2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 small Onion, roughly chopped to make 1/2 cup
• 2 medium Bell Peppers (any color) roughly chopped to make 2 cups
• 5 large Garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp. Dried red-pepper flake
• 1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Honey
• 1 cup Cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Chicken stock
• 3 Tbps. Fresh, chopped basil; more for garnishing

Instructions

• Pat the chicken dry and season liberally with salt. Set aside.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until just starting to soften; 2 minutes. Do not brown. Add the bell peppers and cook until just beginning to soften; another minute. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring until the garlic is fragrant and the onions just start to brown slightly; another 2 minutes. Move the cooked veg to a plate and set aside.
• Add another Tbsp. of olive oil to the Dutch oven. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear without moving until the skin is golden brown; 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Pour out all but 1 Tbsp. fat from the pan.
• Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the Dutch oven and stir scraping up any loose bits. Stir in the sherry vinegar and honey. Cover, turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until the chicken is cooked through; about 10 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the sauce is thickend; about 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften and burst; about 3 to 4 minutes. Return the onion-pepper mixture to the Dutch oven, stir to coat in the pan sauce and cook uncovered, until warmed through. Add 3 Tbsp. basil and stir to incorporate. Taste and add more salt if needed. Remove from the heat. Drizzle more olive oil over the top and garnish with more fresh chopped basil.