Pepperoncini Chicken Is So Good, I've Made It for Dinner 3 Weeks Straight

Every week I prepare a one-pan chicken skillet dinner, leaning on flavors my family loves like garlic butter, French onion, and harissa orange. This week I served a creamy Italian chicken dinner inspired by a jar of pepperoncini peppers. The briny, slightly spicy flavor of pepperoncini is the perfect way to highlight a light, silky Parmesan cream sauce and golden strips of tender chicken. The best part is that the whole meal comes together in just 30 minutes. Here’s how to make it.

Why You’ll Love It

• This skillet chicken dinner packs in a ton of flavor — tangy, spicy, savory, creamy — with just a few ingredients. The special ingredient that makes this a stand-out dish is jarred pepperoncini peppers.

• Because slices of chicken cook so quickly, it takes just 30 minutes to make this Italian-inspired dish.

Key Ingredients in Creamy Pepperoncini Chicken

• Chicken: Browning slices of boneless, skinless chicken breasts adds more flavor to every bite. And because the chicken starts in smaller pieces, this skillet dinner cooks quickly.

• Pepperoncini peppers: These bright yellow-green peppers come whole or sliced and have a briny, medium spicy flavor. Don’t confuse pepperoncini peppers with banana peppers, which are similar in color, but more mild in flavor.

• Bell pepper: Cut up a red bell pepper to add color and crisp-tender crunch to this skillet dinner.

• Parmesan cheese: Buy a wedge of Parmesan cheese and grate on the small holes of a box grater or pick up pre-grated cheese from the deli section of the grocery store for the best flavor.

• Heavy cream: Mix heavy cream with chicken broth to give this skillet dinner a creamy — but not heavy — sauce for the chicken, pepperoncini, and bell pepper.

Creamy Pepperoncini Chicken Recipe

Tangy pepperoncini peppers add bright flavor to this creamy skillet chicken dinner.

Prep time 11 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium red bell pepper

• 1/2 medium yellow onion

• 10 whole or 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers

• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup freshly grated or 1/3 cup store-bought), plus more for serving

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3)

• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Thinly slice 1 medium red bell pepper (about 1 cup) and dice 1/2 medium yellow onion (about 3/4 cup). Thinly slice 10 whole pepperoncini peppers into rings (about 1/2 cup), or measure out 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini. Finely grate 1 ounce Parmesan cheese on the small holes of a box grater (about 1/2 cup), or measure 1/3 cup store-bought grated.

2. Cut 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place in a large bowl, add 3/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and toss to coat.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the chicken in a single layer and cook until deeply browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes total. Using tongs, transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the bell pepper, onion, remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the broth is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the Parmesan and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and the peppers are tender, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Add the pepperoncini and toss to coat in the sauce. Serve with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.