Pollo ai Peperoni alla Romana, Roman Chicken and Peppers

Pollo ai Peperoni alla Romana is a traditional Roman dish made with chicken, garlic, onion and peppers in a good tomato sauce. solid served with some Italian roast potatoes green beans and plenty of crusty bread!

Pollo ai Peperoni alla Romana is a classic Roman dish traditionally made with a whole chicken cut into pieces. We find it much easier to use a mix of chicken thighs and drumsticks, which involves a lot less prep. Plus, there are no issues with the chicken breast overcooking either.

It's also traditionally made in two pans, where the chicken is cooked separately from the peppers and onions, then it's all mixed together at the end. We did try it this way, but to be honest, it was so much easier to cook it all in one pan, and it made no difference to flavour or final outcome, so we love cooking it this way.

This dish is good, and the sauce is good (don't forget the crusty bread). It's similar to Pollo in Potacchio a dish from Le Marche (and another favourite of ours). This is another must-try if you're looking for more good Italian chicken recipes.

We love to serve it with roast potatoes and a glass of crisp vino bianco, enjoy!

Ingredient notes

• Bell peppers – traditionally, a mix of red and yellow bell peppers are used but you can use all red instead.
• Passata (known as tomato puree in the US) – use a good quality brand that you trust, as good tomatoes make all the difference; we like to use Mutti.
• White onion – We love the sweetness that a white onion adds, but you can also use a brown onion instead.
• White wine – use a nice white wine that you will drink. We like to use Trebbiano, Orvieto, Pecorino or Pinot Grigio.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

Step 1 – Lightly brown the garlic in the olive oil, remove it, then brown the chicken on both sides and set aside on a plate (photos 1 and 2).

Step 2 – saute the sliced onions until soft (about 5 minutes), then add the sliced bell peppers and saute them for another 5 minutes (photos 2 and 3).

Step 3 – Add the chicken and garlic back to the pan, then add the white wine and let it reduce for a minute or so. Add the tomato passata with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then cover and cook for 25-30 minutes (photos 5 and 6).

Step 4 – uncover the chicken and let it cook for another 20 minutes, then serve (photos 7 and 8).

Recipe tips and variations

For more garlic flavour – the garlic is used to flavour the olive oil and the sauce, but it's kept whole and then removed, which is common in Italian cuisine. If you'd like a stronger garlic flavour, you can finely chop it instead.

Make it spicy – Add in fresh chilli or dried chilli flakes for a spicy kick.

Add in olive or capers – these are another great addition if you want to switch up the flavour.

Serving suggestions

This dish is good served with some crusty bread for mopping up all that good sauce.

We also love to serve it with Italian roast potatoes and green beans drizzled with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

More Italian chicken recipes to try

Mains

Chicken Cacciatore – Pollo alla Cacciatora

Mains

Chicken Sorrentina (Pollo alla Sorrentina)

Mains

Pollo in Potacchio (Italian Braised Chicken)

Mains

Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Garlic & Pancetta

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 4 chicken thighs ((skin on and bone in))
• 4 chicken drumsticks ((skin on and bone in))
• 2 red bell peppers (cut into thin strips)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (cut into strips)
• 1 white onion (finely sliced)
• 1 garlic clove (peeled and kept whole)
• 14 oz (400g) tomato passata (tomato puree US)
• ½ cup (125ml) white wine
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Method

1. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan on a medium heat and add the whole peeled garlic clove. Let it fry gently for 1 minute or so until it just starts to turn lightly golden, then remove it and set aside.

2. Add the chicken skin side down and cook for 5-7 minutes, then turn them around with kitchen tongs and cook for another 5 minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside.

3. Add the sliced onion to the pan (add more oil if necessary) and saute for 5 minutes until soft then add the sliced peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Add the chicken and garlic back to the pan, then add the white wine and let it simmer and reduce for a few minutes. Add the tomato passata with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then cover with a lid and cook on low for 25-30 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and cook for a further 20 minutes to reduce the sauce, then serve.

Kitchen notes

Prep in advance you can prepare the whole dish in advance and reheat on the stove until the chicken is piping hot throughout. If the sauce has thickened too much, you can add a splash of water to loosen it.

Storage leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated as per instructions above. You can also freeze the chicken for up to 3 months. Defrost completely before reheating.