Chicken Contadina Recipe

Chicken Contadina - a classic, country-style chicken recipe of crispy chicken bathed in a fragrant white wine sauce with tomatoes and fresh herbs!

This stew-like dish has plenty of sauce to top pasta or to sop up with some crusty bread. A simple and hearty dinner you can get on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Chicken Contadina

Chicken Contadina or Pollo alla contadina is hearty, rustic and absolutely delicious. Like Chicken Scarpariello, Chicken Contadina is an Italian American recipe - inspired by Italian country cooking, it makes the most of simple and humble ingredients.

This is the kind of recipe you can almost make on the spur of the moment. With a short ingredient list, it's weeknight-friendly but flavorful and pretty enough for a crowd!

Ingredients you will need to make it!

Like many classic Italian recipes, this chicken dish is extremely flexible and is designed around the idea of using what you have. Feel free to adapt it to what's in your fridge and pantry!!

• Chicken thighs - I use boneless, skinless thighs, but you could use almost any piece of chicken - drumsticks, breasts, legs, bone-in and/or skin on or off!
• Onions - I used yellow onions, but both red and white would work!
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• White wine - I used dry white wine. For those who don't drink, 1 to 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice is a great substitute.
• Chicken Stock - I used Better than Bouillon (my go-to) but use any chicken stock that you normally use.
• Tomatoes - I used cherry tomatoes since that's what I had almost any kind of tomatoes will work. Canned (whole or diced) fresh or even dried tomatoes would all be delicious!
• Fresh Herbs - I used rosemary since it's in my garden, you could use fresh parsley or oregano. Don't have fresh herbs? Substitute a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, basil and/or oregano instead.
• Lemon zest - OPTIONAL but a little bit of zest brightens the flavors.
• Fresh Parsley - OPTIONAL but parsley adds color and freshness.
• Salt, pepper & olive oil

How to Make this Chicken Contadina Recipe

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. I generally use a large pinch of salt since stock can be salty! You can always add more salt - but you can't take it out!
2. Use a large skillet (with a lid) or a dutch oven and heat it over medium heat and add the olive oil.
3. Sear the chicken until it's golden brown.
4. Remove the chicken and add the onions, carrots, celery, herbs and garlic. Let cook, stirring occasionally, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the wine and cook until the wine has almost evaporated and continue to scrape the pan. I like to use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon for this!
6. Add the chicken, stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pan with a lid.
7. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
8. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon zest if you're using it and serve!

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What to serve with this Italian Chicken Recipe

This rustic Italian chicken recipe not only has flexible ingredients but is also really flexible in terms of side dishes as well! Pasta is a natural "go with" but there are lots of other side dishes that pair really well!

• Parmesan Risotto - the Italian classic made in the Instant pot.
• Rice Pilaf with Orzo - nutty and fluffy and great for soaking up sauce!
• Stuffed Mushrooms - stuffed with lemon, parmesan, parsley and garlic, these are irresistible.
• Fresh Fruit Cake - a lovely butter cake baked with seasonal fruit!

Other Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thigh Recipes

• Chicken Marbella - a Silver Palate Cookbook classic!
• Madras Curry - this easy weeknight curry is a great introduction to Indian Curries!
• Moroccan Chicken Stew - dried apricots and warm spices flavor this easy weeknight take on a classic chicken tagine.
• Olive Chicken - lemon and green olives flavor this one-pan chicken recipe!

If you enjoyed this recipe, I would LOVE for you to give it a 5-star rating! Cheers! Nancy