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One Pan Chicken Scarpariello gets a healthy twist with cauliflower in place of potatoes for a high-protein, gluten-free, low-carb dinner you’ll love.
Healthy Chicken Scarpariello
Like Chicken Saltimbocca, Chicken Scarpariello is one of my favorite Italian dishes. It’s spicy, rich and truly a comfort food. This lighter version is absolutely delicious too! I kept the chicken breast on the bone and just pulled off the skin in order to reduce the fat while keeping the meat nice and tender. Traditional potatoes are replaced with cauliflower florets, which stand up well to the braising process. The end result is a flavorful rustic dish, which also just happens to be healthy, gluten-free and low-carb.
Why This Recipe Is a Favorite
I’m always looking for ways to cook chicken breast. If you’ve never tried chicken scarpariello before, you’re in for a treat! Here’s what makes this recipe so delicious!
- Full of Flavor: Hot peppers, wine sauce, and rosemary add layers of flavor to this dish.
- As Spicy As You Want: I like things spicy and this version packs a lot of heat. However, the spice level can easily be modified by reducing the number of cherry peppers, leaving out the extra liquid or swapping in red bell peppers instead.
- Easy to Make: Just 10 minutes of prep time and one pan!
- High Protein: One serving has 32 grams protein to fill you up!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 piece chicken, 1 cup vegetables
Cook Mode
- ▢ 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- ▢ 2 large chicken breasts, bone in, skin removed
- ▢ kosher salt, and black pepper to taste
- ▢ 1 link cooked sweet Italian chicken sausage, sliced thinly on a bias (I used Aidells)
- ▢ 1/2 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
- ▢ 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- ▢ 4 jarred hot cherry peppers, sliced plus 1 tbsp liquid (optional for extra heat)
- ▢ 1/3 cup dry white wine, omit for whole30, paleo and replace with chicken stock
- ▢ 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock
- ▢ 1 sprig rosemary, needles removed and roughly chopped, plus additional for garnish
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cut chicken in half to make 4 pieces, leaving the bone on.
Heat oil in a large, oven safe sauté pan or cast iron skillet with straight sides over medium-high heat.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove chicken and set aside.
Lower heat to medium and add onion, chicken sausage, cauliflower florets, garlic and cherry peppers.
Sauté, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes until vegetables and sausage start to brown.
Add the white wine, cherry peppers and additional optional liquid.
Raise heat and allow to boil for about 2 minutes before adding chicken stock.
Add chicken breasts back into pan, bone side down, sprinkle rosemary on top, bring to a boil and then place the pan in the oven, uncovered.
Cook for 20-25 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F.
Remove from oven carefully, with towel or kitchen gloves, serve and enjoy!
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 piece chicken, 1 cup vegetables, Calories: 283 kcal, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Protein: 32 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 0.7 g, Cholesterol: 83 mg, Sodium: 465 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 1 g
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this chicken scarpariello recipe. See the recipe card above for exact measurements.
- Olive Oil for browning the chicken.
- Chicken Breast halves, with the bone in but the skin removed.
- Kosher Salt and Pepper, to taste.
- Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, like Aidells.
- Cauliflower, cut into florets as a substitute for the usual potatoes.
- Onion and Garlic add lots of flavor to this recipe.
- Hot Cherry Peppers, plus some of the liquid for extra heat.
- Dry White Wine, or additional chicken stock for an alcohol-free version.
- Reduced-Sodium Chicken Stock to keep the chicken super moist.
- Rosemary: Use fresh rosemary and mince the leaves.
How to Make Chicken Scarpariello
Here’s a quick overview of the process of making this chicken scarpariello. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
Brown the chicken.
Cook the sausage, cauliflower, garlic, and onion.
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 375ºF and cut the chicken in half to make 4 pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high. Add the chicken and brown both sides, then transfer to a plate.
- Sauté the Sausage and Veggies: Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, chicken sausage, cauliflower, garlic, and cherry peppers. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until everything is starting to brown.
Pour in the wine, then the broth. Add chicken back to pan.
Bake in the oven.
- Add the Liquid: Pour in the wine and the cherry pepper liquid, if you’re using it. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the stock.
- Bake: Add the chicken to the pan bone side down. Sprinkle rosemary on top and bring to a boil, then place the pan in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Make Sure Your Pan Is Oven-Safe: It should have no plastic on the handle.
- Use Chicken Thighs: For a more traditional take on this recipe, you can swap the chicken breasts for chicken thighs. They take a bit longer to cook and the nutritional information will change.
- Swap the Cauliflower for Potatoes: Another more traditional swap is to use potatoes instead of cauliflower. Swap in an equivalent amount of halved fingerling potatoes. Although this recipe won’t be low carb when made with potatoes, it’ll still be lighter than the classic version.
What to Serve With Chicken Scarpariello
Between the chicken and vegetables, this chicken scarpariello recipe is a meal on its own. But if you’d like to stretch it a little further or make a more filling meal, here are some sides to consider:
Storage
- Refrigerate chicken scarpariello in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave until the chicken and vegetables are warmed through or place them in a baking pan, cover with foil, and warm in a 350ºF oven.
- Freeze the chicken and vegetables in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
