If you love rich and savory chicken dishes, you absolutely must make this chicken puttanesca recipe! I cook fatty chicken thighs with tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, olives, capers, and more to create a deeply tangy puttanesca sauce. This one pot Neapolitan chicken recipe is a satisfying low-carb, keto-friendly meal that my whole family loves!
Neapolitan Chicken Puttanesca Recipe
Chicken puttanesca is sort of similar to one of my other favorite recipes, chicken Provencal. It includes juicy chicken thighs in a tomato-based puttanesca sauce with salty, briny olives. But this dish takes it a step further by adding even more briny components (hello, capers!), crushed red pepper flakes for a little spice, and tomato paste and anchovies to really amp up its savory, umami flavor.
I love the rich Italian flavor of this Neapolitan dish, and I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to make it even more indulgent. And I love that it’s low-carb with plenty of good fats and protein to make this chicken recipe deliciously keto-friendly.
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I made this puttanesca dish with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because I love a good crispy skin. In order to ensure the skin gets nice and crisp, make sure to pat the chicken dry, don’t overcrowd the pan, and don’t flip the thighs before they’re ready. Overly moist chicken thighs will stick to the pan, and the skin will steam. The same goes for overcrowded thighs. Finally, you’ll know the skin is crispy when it naturally releases from the pan, so be patient!
Chicken Puttanesca Recipe
This Neapolitan chicken puttanesca is cooked in a delicious sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, olives, capers, and more to create a deeply tangy and satisfying meal!
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Serves 6 people
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Pat the chicken dry and season lightly with salt on all sides.
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, kosher salt
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until the skin is golden, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
2 tablespoons olive oil
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To the skillet, add the garlic and anchovies. Cook, stirring and smashing up the anchovy fillets/paste until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
6 cloves garlic, 4 anchovy fillets
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Stir in the red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Cook and stir until the tomato paste is mostly incorporated into the oil.
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste
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Add in the kalamata olives, diced tomatoes with their juices, capers, bay leaves, and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and nestle the chicken into the sauce. Spoon a little over each piece of chicken.
1 cup kalamata olives, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons capers, 2 bay leaves, ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
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Transfer to the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is very tender and cooked through. Serve with spoonfuls of the sauce over the top.
**If you don’t like or can’t find anchovies, you can omit them entirely or use 2 teaspoons of fish sauce or 1 tablespoon of miso paste for a similar flavor.
Tips:
- I recommend bringing your chicken thighs to room temperature for about 30 minutes before searing them. This will help them cook more evenly.
- If the chicken skin is sticking to the pan, give it a few more minutes to cook before trying to release it. It should release naturally once a crust has formed.
- Properly cooked chicken thighs should reach 165°F internally at the thickest point.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves before serving. No one likes a tough bay leaf!
Storage:Â Store chicken puttanesca in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Puttanesca Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 524
Calories from Fat 369
% Daily Value*
Fat 41g63%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 8g
Monounsaturated Fat 19g
Cholesterol 191mg64%
Sodium 934mg41%
Potassium 624mg18%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 476IU10%
Vitamin C 9mg11%
Calcium 65mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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How to Make Chicken in Puttanesca Sauce Step by Step
Prep: Gather up the list of ingredients of chicken puttanesca. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Then thinly slice the garlic, pit the olives (if not already pitted), and drain the capers.
Season the Chicken: Pat 3 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs dry and season lightly with kosher salt on all sides. I used about 1 teaspoon across all the thighs. Remember, we’re adding a lot of other salty components (anchovies, capers, olives), so we don’t need too much salt here.
Sear the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add in the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook without moving until the skin is golden, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Sauté the Aromatics: To the skillet, add 6 sliced cloves of garlic and 4 anchovy fillets (or 2 teaspoons of anchovy paste). Cook, stirring and smashing up the anchovy fillets/paste until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the Tomato Paste: Stir in ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy!) and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Cook and stir until the tomato paste is mostly incorporated into the oil.
Simmer the Puttanesca Sauce: Add in 1 cup of pitted kalamata olives, 14.5 ounces (1 can) of diced tomatoes with their juices, 2 tablespoons of drained capers, 2 bay leaves, and ¼ cup of chicken broth (or water). Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer and nestle the chicken into the sauce. Spoon a little over each piece of chicken.
Bake the Chicken: Transfer to the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and cooked through. Serve your Neapolitan chicken puttanesca with spoonfuls of the sauce over the top. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover chicken puttanesca in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a covered baking dish in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also microwave individual portions in 30-second increments until heated through.