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
If you love chicken scarpariello, be sure to try these other great 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.
Made this tonight and it turned out excellent. I cooked the chicken & sausage in the oven only 45 min since I used chicken breasts, so they wouldn’t become too dry. I also added a little pat of butter on top of each chicken piece before baking. I would definitely make it again!
I love this dish for the 1x serving 2x etc.. how many people does it feed thank you
Hi Glen, if you refer to the top of the recipe card you’ll see it makes 8 servings.
This was simply amazing!!! Actually better than most restaurants… thank you
This was delicious! I made it with chicken breast and shortened the baking time. My husband could not stop eating it! Every bite was so good!
I made this dish tonight for my husband and I and had to reduce the ingredients – it was delicious – and I hope I remember how I reduced it for 2 people versus my usual 10 servings. Chicken Scarpariello is my go-to game night meal with our friends and family. I make everything up to the point of going into the oven early in the morning of the day of our game night. I can bake the potatoes at any point during this time, but it makes sense to just bake them while you are working on the chicken. At the point of wanting to continue the recipe, I place the reduced wine/chicken broth/vinegar bell pepper and sausage pieces in a baking dish – Add the chicken on top and continue per the recipe – (I am typically feeding 10+ people). The chicken maintains the crispy skin, the potatoes are crisp yet soft inside, the vegetables are tender and flavorful, and the sauce is delicious. I have never had a fail from any of your recipes – Thank you.
Amazing! I served this incredible dish with homemade hearth bread and no kidding—we were using the bread to clean our bowls. Definitely will make this again and again. Thank you for recipe, the video and the clear directions, James!
Hi Tonya, we’re so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
Made this,was so delicious! I follow you and Tara,and make many of your recipes.Thank you both!
Thanks for the comment, Carolyn! We’re so happy you enjoyed!
James, Long time first time. Made this once with peppadews and loved it. But now I want to do it your way. Hard to find hot cherry peppers here in the midwest. I can find “mild” cherry peppers, though. What do you think?
Hi Mike, you can absolutely use mild cherry peppers here and it will be great! Hope you enjoy and thanks for the comment!
You can get these exact cherry peppers at Amazon.
Tried this recipe over a year ago and I’m making it ever since…FABULOUS doesn’t even describe the flavor. Bravo!!!
Hi Theresa, we’re so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the great comment!
Wish you were closer to us but we will try to get to this restaurant looks like unbelievable food. I can practically smell it through my phone. Love it.
We love your recipes, but run into a problem with bell peppers because of food allergies. What do you recommend as a good substitute for the bells in your recipes?
Hi Jim, thanks for the comment. If the allergy is just to bell peppers, you can substitute other peppers such as cubanelles, however, since I’m not sure the extent of the allergy I can’t really advise you on what peppers to substitute.
MY DAUGHTER CAN NOT EAT PEPPERS, I REPLACED THEM WITH ARTICHOKES HEARTS.
Made this tonight for dinner. It was absolutely wonderful. I used artichoke hearts instead of peppers and it was fantastic.
We’re so happy to hear that, Lynn!
Love this dish and all of your wonderful recipes.
Hi Nicholas, thanks for the comment. We’re so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
This was my 1st James recipe I made during the pandemic, and continues to be my absolute favorite. Only change was I use boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs (I KNOW! cardinal sin 😱).
I also love his Chicken Vesuvio.
Hi Eileen, thank you for sticking with us for so long! We’re so happy you’ve enjoyed this recipe and the vesuvio as well. Thank you for the comment!
We used to live in North Jersey and as you said it was a ‘staple’ on many Italian American restaurants, we love it. Now that we’re in the Midwest, I had to ‘hunt’ for the brined cherry peppers which are hard to get here, but I finally found them at a specialty market! Here this dish is unheard of, but I made yours and it reminded us of our Jersey years, delicious!
Hi Steven, I’m so happy you enjoyed the chicken scarp and it reminded you a bit of home. Thanks so much for the comment!
I have no complaints about the recipe, but the statement that prep time is 15 minutes is “outrageous”. I timed myself, even working faster than usual, and the prep time was 1 HOUR and 15 minutes before the pan went into the oven.
Hi Don, the 15 minutes prep time is to chop the potatoes, slice the peppers, and halve the garlic. Anything that requires cooking whether in the pan or in the oven is factored under cooking time.
Until my boyfriend took me to Jimmy’s in Asbury Park, I’d never heard of Chicken Scarpariello. It’s his favorite dish there. I live in NYC and honestly don’t eat out that often because it’s just too expensive. Your trove of recipes have supplanted the desire to go to overpriced Italian restaurants in the city. This is the fourth recipe I’ve made in two weeks and it was fantastic. I roast potatoes all the time and have never thought to use parchment paper and place them all cut side down. It made such a difference. They turned out perfectly crispy. Going forward, I’ll be roasting all of my potatoes this way.
Hi Jennifer, I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and you found the parchment paper to be helpful. Thanks for the comment and rating!
Awesome. I had only chicken breast at home and added some mini oyster mushrooms with the roasted potatoes at the end for 10 minutes.. 30 minutes was enough in the oven for the boneless breast pieces. I also flavored with fresh tarragon, since I had some and had no basil. Served with garlic bread and homemade marinara likewise flavored with fresh tarragon, over fresh linguini from Eataly in Chelsea. Phenomenal dinner. Next time (and there will be a next time!) I’ll try to be a purist. ;). Comparison for me is to Dominick’s in the Bronx. Parma II in Huntington is in my sights next time I head east. Next up is your recipe for pork chops with vinegar peppers, Thank you!
Hi Kathryn, so happy you enjoyed the scarp and let us know how you like the pork and vinegar peppers when you try it!
I made this years ago and couldn’t find the recipe and was delicious. Then I saw your video (which I love all of them so far, by the way!) However, I reduced the sauce as much as I could but the sauce is overwhelmingly sour from the red wine vinegar. I tried to balance it some by adding sugar. I’m hoping that it will mellow out with everything else added while cooking in the oven.
Hi Angie, the sauce by itself can be a bit strong depending on the vinegar you use, but it is meant to be incorporated with all the other ingredients. Hopefully you enjoyed once you combined everything together.
This was delicious! Made this two days in a row; once for my kids as I babysit for my grandson once a week and always cook them dinner and the following evening for my husband and myself. Don’t be afraid of the hot peppers; the sauce will taste quite spicy during the ten minute simmer stage but it definitely mellows out while in the oven. Everyone declared this a total keeper!! Thx Jim!
Hi Linda, so happy you and the family enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment and review!
My Family is wild about this dish. On my menu today. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Hi Fayette, thanks for the comment and I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoy the chicken scarp!