Why You’ll Love It
- This skillet chicken dinner packs in a ton of flavor—tangy, spicy, savory, creamy—with just a few ingredients. The special ingredient that makes this a stand-out dish is jarred pepperoncini peppers.
- Because slices of chicken cook so quickly, it takes just 30 minutes to make this Italian-inspired dish.
Key Ingredients in Creamy Pepperoncini Chicken
- Chicken: Browning slices of boneless, skinless chicken breasts adds more flavor to every bite. And because the chicken starts in smaller pieces, this skillet dinner cooks quickly.
- Pepperoncini peppers: These bright yellow-green peppers come whole or sliced and have a briny, medium spicy flavor. Don’t confuse pepperoncini peppers with banana peppers, which are similar in color, but milder in flavor.
- Bell pepper: Cut up a red bell pepper to add color and crisp-tender crunch to this skillet dinner.
- Parmesan cheese: Buy a wedge of Parmesan cheese and grate on the small holes of a box grater or pick up pre-grated cheese from the deli section of the grocery store for the best flavor.
- Heavy cream: Mix heavy cream with chicken broth to give this skillet dinner a creamy—but not heavy—sauce for the chicken, pepperoncini, and bell pepper.
Creamy Pepperoncini Chicken
Serves 4- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium yellow onion
- 10 whole or 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup freshly grated or 1/3 cup store-bought), plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
2. Cut 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place in a large bowl, add 3/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and toss to coat.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the chicken in a single layer and cook until deeply browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes total. Using tongs, transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the bell pepper, onion, remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the broth is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the Parmesan and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and the peppers are tender, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Add the pepperoncini and toss to coat in the sauce. Serve with more Parmesan cheese if desired.
Recipe note: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days.