Pollo alla Potentina (Italian Spicy Braised Chicken with Tomatoes)

Hailing from the Italian region of Basilicata, Pollo alla Potentina combines tender chicken that’s braised with onion, garlic, tomato, and a touch of white wine. Since this dish is made in one pan, cleanup is a breeze, making it perfect for weeknights.

An homage to my grandma

If you’ve been reading my recipes for a while, you may know that much of my Italian recipe inspiration comes from my grandma. Her family was from the Basilicata region of Italy, of which Potenza is the capital, and where Pollo alla Potentina hails from.

While my grandma never referred to this dish by that name, she’d often cut up a whole chicken and braise it in a mixture of tomato, onions, and garlic, so you can imagine my joy when I realized the dish actually had a name.

I love to serve chicken potentina with either rice pilaf, creamy polenta, or crispy roasted potatoes, and another one of my grandma’s go-tos, Italian broccoli salad. A loaf of crusty bread to mop up the sauce is also a must!

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. I’m using a whole broiler chicken that I break down myself. I like to save the backbone to make chicken stock. You can also use pre-cut chicken pieces or chicken thighs.
• Tomatoes. I’m using canned plum tomatoes that I hand-crush, plus tomato paste.
• Hot red pepper flakes and Calabrian chili paste (not pictured). I love to add a good amount of heat to my pollo alla potentina, so I add crushed red pepper flakes and Calabrian chili paste. Feel free to omit these if you prefer no heat. Conversely, if you love spice, feel free to add whole hot peppers like cherry or long hot peppers.
• White wine. Use a dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
• Lard. This is the traditional fat to use for this dish, but feel free to use olive oil instead.
• Herbs. I like to add fresh basil and parsley at the end to brighten things up.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make pollo alla potentina (stewed spicy chicken with tomatoes)

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Remove the backbone and cut the chicken into pieces. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on all sides.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F and heat a large oven-safe pan or Dutch oven to medium heat with the lard. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and brown well on both sides, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Once the chicken is browned, transfer to a plate and set aside. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding.
4. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes or until soft, then add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes or until golden.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the paste starts to burn, add a splash of water to the pan.
6. Add the hot red pepper flakes and Calabrian chili paste (if using) and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and turn the heat to high while gently scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits.

7. Add the plum tomatoes and bring the sauce to a lively simmer, then add the chicken back to the pan except for the breast pieces.
8. Cover the pan or pot and place in the oven to cook for 30 minutes.
9. After 30 minutes, add the breasts to the pan and stir, then place back in the oven to cook, uncovered, until the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 160°F.

10. Once fully cooked, remove the chicken potentina from the oven and taste test the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper if needed, then add the parsley and basil. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

More Italian chicken recipes

If you love dishes like pollo alla potentina, give these other recipes a try.

• Chicken and peppers
• Chicken pizzaiola
• Chicken cacciatore