Chicken Scarpariello combines crispy chicken and potatoes, sweet fennel sausage, red bell peppers, and spicy cherry peppers in a pungent vinegar-based sauce. This sweet and sour dish is perfect for gatherings and special dinners, but so good you may just make it all the time!
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Editor’s Note: Originally published on Novemener 14, 2020. Updated with all new pictures, expanded information, and improved recipe on October 4, 2024.
Chicken Scarp, or pollo alla scarpariello in Italian, translates to “shoemaker style chicken” in English, but in my experience, and after asking several restaurant staff on Long Island, the consenses is that it means “chicken with a bunch of stuff”.
This beloved dish graces the menus of many Italian family-style restaurants and each one adds their own spin; I’ve seen it made with mushrooms, green bell peppers, pearl onions, and even olives.
Despite the variations, the chicken and vinegar seem to be constants for chicken scarpariello, and are key ingredients in my recipe for scarpariello chicken wings.
Chicken Scarp is an all-in-one dish but is great alongside garlicky greens such as sauteed broccoli rabe or sauteed spinach.
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And if you love the tangy sauce used here for chicken scarp, I use a similar sauce to top my pan fried meatballs – they’re amazing!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Chicken. Bone-in chicken thighs are my preferred cut for chicken scarp. You can also make this with boneless skinless thighs, or chicken drumsticks. Yes, you guessed it, dark meat yields better results with this dish!
- Sausage. My go-to is Italian fennel sausage but you can also use spicy Italian sausage if the mood strikes you.
- Peppers. I love the combo of the sweet red bell peppers and hot cherry peppers. You could also include other types of vinegar peppers, such as peppadew.
- Wine. Use a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat your oven to 425f and set the rack to the middle level. Slice 2 pounds of small potatoes in half, slice 2 large red bell peppers into 1/4″ strips, halve 15 cloves of garlic, and quarter 5 large cherry peppers, removing the seeds. Mince 1/2 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley. Toss the potatoes with 6 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of Diamon Crystal kosher salt and spread them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cut side down. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes or until nicely browned on the bottom sides.
- Cut off any excess overhanging fat from 3 pounds of chicken thighs, then dry them very well with paper towels and season with 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt and set aside. Note: I like to season the thighs right before searing them in step 5 below so that they don’t wick off excess moisture, but either way will work.
- Heat a large oven-safe pan to medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 1/2 pounds of Italian sausage and sear until the sausages are brown, but not cooked all the way through, about 7-10 minutes total. Remove the sausage links and once cool enough to handle, slice them into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Add the bell pepper slices and cook for a few minutes or until they begin to soften, then set aside with the sausage and tent with foil to stay warm.
- Add the chicken to the same pan, skin side down, and sear until golden, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Use a bit more olive oil if needed and work in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. Once seared, move the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to stay warm.
- At this point if there is too much oil or fat in the pan, discard some leaving about 1/4 cup in the pan. Add the garlic cloves and saute until golden, then add the cherry peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 1/4 cups of dry white wine and 3/4 cup of red wine vinegar and turn the heat to high. Boil the mixture for 5-7 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half, then scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits.
- Add 1 1/4 cups of no-sodium chicken stock and bring to a boil until the liquid reduces by half, about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Add the bell peppers, sausage and potatoes, then toss to coat. Nestle the chicken pieces into the pan with the skin side facing up and spoon the sauce on top of everything and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes at 425f, then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 185-195f. Note: if the pan you used cannot accommodate all the ingredients, simply move everything to a baking dish or large roasting pan as I’ve done in the pictures below.
- When the chicken has finished cooking, add the parsley and toss to coat. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Top tips
- Use dark meat. Chicken thighs are juicier and far more forgiving to cook with. I highly recommend using them for chicken scarp over chicken breasts.
- Use homemade chicken stock. Whenever possible, I recommend using homemade chicken stock. It not only gives you greater control over the sodium levels in your dishes, but it elevates the flavor.
- Thickening the sauce. If you find the sauce to be a little thin toward the end, you can strain it and cook in a pan to further reduce. If you properly reduced it in stages, initially, this step is almost always not needed.
More chicken recipes
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Chicken Scarpariello
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) Italian sausage
- 3 pounds (1.4kg) chicken thighs trimmed of overhanging fat
- 1 tablespoon (10g) Diamond Crystal Kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 2 pounds (908g) small potatoes cut in half
- 2 large red bell peppers sliced into 1/4" strips
- 15 cloves garlic halved
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) dry white wine
- 3/4 cup (180ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) no-sodium chicken stock
- 3 large hot cherry peppers or to taste, quartered and seeds removed
- 1/2 cup minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425f and set the rack to the middle level. Toss the potatoes with 6 tablespoons of olive oil and season with half of the salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out onto a parchment paper lined backing sheet cut side down. Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes or until nicely browned on the bottom sides.
- Heat a large (14-inch works well) oven-safe pan to medium heat with the remaining olive oil. Add the sausage links and sear until brown but not cooked all the way through (about 7-10 minutes total). Remove the sausage links and set aside. When the links are cool enough to handle, slice into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the bell pepper slices and cook for a few minutes or until they begin to soften. Remove the peppers to the same plate with the sausage and set aside and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Dry the chicken pieces very well with paper towels and season with the remaining salt and pepper on all sides. Using the same pan, sear the chicken pieces skin side down until golden and crisp then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. If required use a bit more olive oil for searing. Work in batches to not overcrowd the pan. Place the seared chicken pieces on a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- If there is too much oil and fat in the pan, pour it out, leaving a 1/4 cup in the pan. Add the garlic cloves and saute until golden, then add in the cherry peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the white wine and vinegar and turn the heat to high. Boil for 5-7 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half. Make sure to scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge all of the flavor bits.
- Next, add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil once more and again reduce by half (about 5 minutes) then turn off the heat.
- Add the bell peppers, sausage, and potatoes. Toss to coat. Nestle the chicken pieces into the pan with the skin side facing up. Spoon the sauce on top of everything then cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 185-195f.
- RIght when the chicken has finished cooking, add the parsley and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken thighs are juicier and are far more forgiving to cook with. They are recommended for this dish.
- If you don’t own a 14-inch pan, the dish can be baked in a large baking pan.
- If the sauce is a little thin at the end, strain it and cook in a pan to further reduce and concentrate. This is not often required.
- Dry white wines such as Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc both work well for the wine component of this recipe.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated covered with foil in the oven at 325f until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on November 14, 2020. It was completely updated on October 4, 2024.
This looks great! Going to try it! The name is familiar, but not the ingredients. I worked for a chef in a low end country club years ago, and he would occasionally make a dish he called “Scarpiella”. Chicken breast sliced into strips, then dredged in flour, sauted in an olive oil and butter combo with garlic and crushed red pepper, then, pepperoncini peppers and green olives(with a little of their juices would be added. It was good, but after seeing this, I wonder if his was just made up. Either way, going to try your recipe next week! Thanks!
Thank you, Pierce! I’ve seen this dish made so many different ways so it doesn’t surprise me that the chef you worked for had his own version. I hope you enjoy the recipe when you get around to making it. Let us know how it turned out!
I made this today and it was extremely good. As I read all the comments on this post, I can’t help but read them in a Long Island accent. It was like you were here. LOL
Hi Rachel, thanks for the comment and happy you liked the recipe! Lol on the accent!
Think this dish was named by my ancestors❤️ Wow, so good!
Hi Esther, so happy you liked this recipe. Thank you!
I think your site is wonderful – I’ll be trying many of your recipes. I’m surprised that your print module doesn’t include your web url, to help people find you again after they’ve printed a recipe.
Hi Kenneth, thanks for your comment! I am going to look into the web url on the recipe card and see if I can change that. Appreciate the feedback!
Excellent
I made this for dinner guests and it was a huge hit. Delicious!
Thanks James!
Great to hear, Ellen! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Jim,
As much as I would like to use hot cherry peppers, I can only find sweet ones. Would pepperoncinos in your recipes be an acceptable substitute for the hot cherry peppers? Thanks a million for you fantastic recipes and videos. I love them.
Cheers,
Owen in St. Louis
Hi Owen. The sweet ones (they are just hot cherry peppers with sugar) or pepperoncino peppers would be great. You can order the hot cherry peppers on Amazon, though they are a bit pricy compared to supermarkets. Enjoy!
Hi James,
I Plan on making this for guests this Saturday March 19. Is the end result very spicy/hot?
Thanks Ellen
Hi Ellen. If you’re worried about the spice, you can cut back or omit the cherry peppers completely. If omitting, I would just serve them on the side. Enjoy!
Can I make this recipe before hand
Hi Nancy, You can make this the night before and reheat the next day. If you’re planning to do this, I’d stress the importance of using the bone-in chicken thighs that I used in this recipe since they’ll stay juicy. White meat chicken may become too dry if made ahead. I hope that helps.
Hi Jim – I made this last night, all I can say is that my husband said its the best he ever had. I came across you accidentally and have been following you since.
Hi Diane. Glad it was a big hit. I’m happy you’re here and enjoying the recipes.
James, I am going to make this tomorrow. My question is: can I sub rigatoni for the potatoes? I’d do everything in the oven then expand the sauce, cook the rigatoni to al dente then finish in the sauce.
Thanks
Barry
Hi Barry. You can definitely use pasta instead of potatoes. Your way sounds perfect. Hope you enjoy it.
Jim I found you recently on YouTube. You cook the way my late Italian MIL cooked and you say so many of the same things. My husband and I love your videos and recipes. Your family is awesome and this recipe is fantastic! Gina in Jacksonville, Fl
Hi Gina. Glad the videos are bringing you back! Thanks for the comment.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! Perfect balance! Looking forward to trying many more of your recipes! I love different versions of old favorites!
Hi Gisele. Really glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely incredible taste ! Truthfully, it was not the easiest to make BUT, definitely well worth it !
Hi Robert. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Jim….so happy to find you! worked as a waitress, in Jersey got 2 stars in N.Y. Times in the 1980, I scribbled the recipe down, & it sounds just like yours didn’t have the method, got it now ! really enjoy your video’s & your personality, with much appreciation for all you do, your passion show’s through, thank you so much.
Hi Ann. Thanks for liking the videos. Glad the recipe sounds the same and I hope you enjoy it!
This is one of my favorite dishes! I used your recipe and it is spot on! Such an excellent flavor contrast from the meat and acidity of the wine, vinegars. But it’s the heat from the peppers that gets me every time! Thank you!
Hi Anna. I’m glad the chicken scarp turned out great for you. It has always been one of our favorites as well.
Two questions. What size cast iron pan did you use? What size stainless steel fry pan do you use in your other recipes (Is it Winco or Misen)?. I had this dish at a restaurant in East Boston. Yours sounds better and I will cook it next weekend and let you know. Grew up in Boston (Sicilian neighborhood), now live in SF Bay area. More about me if you are interested. I am a new subscriber.
Bill
Hi Bill. I used a 14″ Lodge cast iron pan, but I recommend a stainless steel pan for this dish. The acid from the wine and cherry pepper vinegar isn’t so good for cast iron pans protective seasoning. Thanks for subbing and I hope you enjoy it!
Sounds yummy going to try it soon! love your recipes! You are very easy to follow which is great! Thank you Cathy
Hi Cathy. I appreciate it and hope you enjoy this chicken scarp too!
This is a favorite of mine now. I had it during the Christmas Holidays and it was a huge hit. This dish has become a favorite of ours now. Made it a few times and will continue to do so. I have not altered anything because it’s that good! My sister, on the other hand, added onions to it and said it was very good.
Hi Chris. Really glad you love this chicken scarp recipe as much as we do. Thanks for the feedback!
In the video it looks like baby white potatoes, cut in half, were used. Yet it says in the ingredients list: “chopped” potatoes. I guess I can do both. I love your recipes and videos; I’m a real fan of your cooking. And who doesn’t love Italian food?
Hey Catherine. I had to switch the potatoes the day I filmed, but as long as they are all the same size the recipe will be fine. For large potatoes, you’ll need to chop or cut them into wedges, while baby potatoes can just be cut in half. Hope you love the recipe!
I made this many months ago now it’s time to make it again – it turned out great!
Hi Catherine, so happy you enjoyed the scarpariello! Thanks for the comment.
I made this and it was really good! Very similar to how I remember it at Carmines.
I had the chicken scarp wings at Carmine’s a long time ago. I remember them being great. Appreciate the comment!
We are making this tonight. Usually we go with the Rao’s recipe, but your video intrigued us. What’s your favorite chicken scap on LI?
Hope you enjoy it, Michael. My favorite chicken scarp on LI is La Parma in Huntington.