Sheet Pan Chicken Scarpariello

What is Chicken Scarpariello?

A classic Italian-American dish of chicken with sausage and peppers in a sweet and tangy sauce, Chicken “Scarpariello” roughly translates to “shoemaker-style” chicken. While it has dubious origins, it might have been named after shoemakers who wanted to whip up something fast and hearty after a hard day’s work. Oh, how the times have not changed.

What you need to make Italian Chicken Scarpariello

For this recipe, I ditched the traditional onions and peppers in order to speed up the process and avoid overcrowding the sheet pan (overcrowding= less browning). But don’t worry, I kept every ounce of that irresistible, sweet-sour sauce. Here’s what you need:

• Bone-in, skin-on chicken: Use whatever cuts you like (breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings, or a combination), just be sure that they are bone-in, skin-on for max flavor. You can use boneless chicken if you prefer, but you will need a little extra oil to compensate for the loss of chicken fat.
• Italian sausage: Sweet or hot, your preference.
• Potatoes: Roasted on a separate sheet pan, potatoes are optional but they complete the meal.
• Dry white wine and chicken broth: This creates the base for the sauce. If you’d prefer, you can use all wine or all chicken broth instead of a combination.
• Pickled Peppadew peppers: I like the sweet-hot flavor of Peppadew peppers, but you can also use sweet cherry peppers or pepperoncini.
• White wine vinegar: If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can substitute red wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar for a slightly sweeter option.

How to make Chicken Scarpariello

Heat the oven to 450°F. On a large rimmed baking sheet (do not use parchment or tin foil, we will be building a sauce in the sheet pan later), add chicken and sausage.

On a separate sheet pan (you can use parchment here), add the potatoes. Season everything on both sheet pans with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast chicken and sausage until cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F) and potatoes are tender and crispy, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the cut of chicken. If the chicken is not browned to your liking after it’s cooked through, broil it on high for a few minutes until golden. Transfer the chicken and sausage to a plate.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, white wine, chicken broth, Peppadew peppers, and white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Immediately after removing the chicken/sausage, add the white wine mixture to the empty sheet pan. Use a spatula or spoon to stir everything around, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the sheet pan. Cook in the residual heat of the sheet pan until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sausage or return chicken and sausage to sheet pan to serve.

Top chicken and sausage with parsley and serve with crispy roasted potatoes.

What to serve with Sheet Pan Chicken Scarpariello

• Mixed Greens and Herb Salad
• Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts