Effortless One-Pan Chicken Pizzaiola for Busy Nights

One of the many reasons Chicken Pizzaiola has become a cherished recipe in my kitchen, especially when I’m cooking for a crowd or simply want an easy weeknight dinner, is its fantastic one-pot nature. This single-pan approach dramatically simplifies the cooking process and makes cleanup a breeze – a true blessing after a delicious homemade meal! It’s an incredibly flavorful Italian chicken dish that you can have on the table in under an hour, making it perfect for those busy evenings when you crave authentic comfort food without spending hours in the kitchen.

While many are familiar with the traditional steak pizzaiola, which features thinly sliced beef in a similar savory sauce, using chicken breasts offers a lighter, quicker, and equally delicious alternative. Chicken Pizzaiola captures all the robust flavors of its beef counterpart but with the added benefit of faster cooking times and universal appeal. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy the classic “pizza-style” sauce with tender poultry. Serve this delightful dish over your favorite long pasta, such as classic spaghetti or delicate angel hair, to fully soak up every drop of that rich, garlicky tomato and pepper sauce. To transform it into a complete and satisfying Italian feast, pair it with complementary sides like our savory Garlic Parmesan Green Beans, a crisp garden salad, or nutrient-rich Italian Lacinato Kale. It’s a wholesome meal that truly satisfies every palate and is guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family.

Achieving the rich, authentic flavor of Chicken Pizzaiola starts with understanding your ingredients. Here are some essential notes and helpful substitutions to ensure your dish is nothing short of spectacular:

• Peeled Tomatoes, Pureed: The quality of your tomatoes profoundly impacts the sauce. While a can of commercially pureed tomatoes is an option for convenience, I highly recommend using whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes and pureeing them yourself. This allows for a fresher, brighter tomato flavor and a superior, less grainy texture that truly elevates the sauce. Simply blend them in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth. This small effort makes a significant difference to the overall taste and authenticity of your Pizzaiola sauce.
• Vodka (or Dry White Wine): This unexpected ingredient is a secret weapon for deglazing the pan and adding depth. Vodka contributes a clean, crisp flavor that enhances the aromatics without adding any discernible sweetness, allowing the natural tomato and pepper flavors to truly shine. If you prefer or don’t have vodka on hand, a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or even a dry vermouth makes an excellent substitute, adding a slightly fruitier and more complex note. Both options effectively help lift those delicious browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan, creating a richer, more flavorful base for your sauce.
• Chicken Breast: For the most tender, juicy, and evenly cooked chicken, it’s best to butterfly each chicken breast and then gently pound it to an even thickness of about ½ inch. This ensures they cook quickly and remain succulent, preventing any dry spots that can occur with thicker, unevenly cooked chicken. This also creates more surface area for that delicious crispy coating. You can also ask your butcher to prepare thin-sliced chicken cutlets for you to save time on prep.
• Garlic: Using whole garlic cloves (lightly smashed) to infuse the olive oil at the start is a culinary secret. This method gently releases their aromatic oils and sweetens their flavor without the risk of burning, which can easily happen with finely minced garlic, leading to a bitter taste. Once infused and the peppers are sautéed, you can either leave the whole cloves in for a subtle, cooked garlic flavor or remove them before adding the tomato puree if you prefer a less intense garlic presence in the final dish.
• Mozzarella: Shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese is the ideal choice for this recipe. Its lower moisture content and consistent shred size ensure it melts beautifully and evenly over the chicken, creating that irresistible, gooey, stretchy blanket of cheese that everyone loves. Avoid using fresh mozzarella (like bocconcini or ciliegine) for this specific dish, as its higher water content can release excess liquid into the sauce and lead to a less desirable texture when melted.
• Bell Peppers: Using both red and green bell peppers not only adds a beautiful visual contrast but also provides a balance of flavors. Green peppers offer a slightly more bitter, earthy note, while red peppers are sweeter and fruitier. Slice them thinly to ensure they cook quickly and meld seamlessly into the sauce.

*For precise measurements and a complete list of ingredients, please refer to the detailed, printer-friendly recipe card conveniently located below.

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken Cutlets. Begin by thoroughly patting your butterflied and pounded chicken cutlets dry with paper towels. This crucial step helps seasonings adhere better and ensures a crispier crust. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. This initial seasoning is fundamental for building layers of flavor. Next, dip each seasoned chicken piece into a shallow bowl of beaten egg, ensuring it’s fully coated. The egg wash acts as a binder, helping the flour adhere evenly.

Step 2: Dredge in Flour for a Crispy Coating. After the egg wash, carefully dredge each chicken breast in all-purpose flour, making sure it’s evenly coated on all sides, then gently shake off any excess. It’s vital to perform this step just a few minutes before you intend to fry the chicken. If you coat the chicken too far in advance, the flour will absorb moisture from the egg and chicken, becoming gummy and preventing the desired crispy, golden-brown crust from forming when it hits the hot oil.

Step 3: Par-Fry the Chicken to Golden Perfection. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil (about 3 tablespoons). Once the oil is shimmering and hot, carefully add the floured chicken cutlets in batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan, which would lower the oil temperature and prevent browning. Par-fry the chicken for about 1-2 minutes per side until each piece is beautifully golden brown and crispy. The goal here isn’t to cook the chicken through, but to develop a flavorful crust. Transfer the par-fried chicken to a wire rack set over a plate to drain excess oil, knowing it will finish cooking gently in the sauce later, keeping it moist and tender.

Step 4: Sauté Peppers and Garlic. After all chicken batches are par-fried and set aside, add a touch more olive oil to the same pan if needed. Add the thinly sliced bell peppers (red and green for vibrant color and balanced flavor) and the whole, slightly smashed garlic cloves. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You want the peppers to become slightly glistening and tender-crisp, with their bright colors still intact, and just a hint of char on the edges. Avoid overcooking them until they are too soft or caramelized at this stage, as they will continue to cook and soften further in the sauce.

Step 5: Deglaze with Vodka (or Wine). Carefully pour the vodka (or dry white wine) into the hot pan with the sautéed peppers and garlic. Immediately begin scraping up all the delicious browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan with a sturdy wooden spoon. These caramelized bits are packed with concentrated flavor and will add immense depth and complexity to your pizzaiola sauce. Let the vodka simmer vigorously, allowing the alcohol to cook off and the liquid to reduce until it forms a slightly thickened, aromatic base on the bottom of the pan, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 6: Build and Simmer the Pizzaiola Sauce. Now, add your high-quality pureed tomatoes to the pan, along with the fresh basil leaves (torn or chopped), 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and dried oregano. Stir everything together thoroughly, ensuring all ingredients are well combined. Increase the heat slightly to bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and allow it to return to a slow, steady simmer. This slow simmer allows the flavors to meld beautifully, creating a rich, vibrant, and harmonious tomato sauce that is the heart of Chicken Pizzaiola.

Step 7: Braise the Chicken in the Sauce. Gently nestle the par-fried chicken cutlets on top of the simmering pizzaiola sauce. Arrange them in a single layer if possible, ensuring they are partially submerged to fully absorb the incredible flavors. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and let it continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes. This crucial step allows the chicken to finish cooking through, becoming incredibly tender and juicy, while infusing it with all the delicious, herbaceous flavors of the rich tomato and pepper sauce.

Step 8: Melt the Mozzarella to Perfection. After 10 minutes of braising, remove the lid from the saucepan. Generously sprinkle the shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese evenly over each chicken cutlet, ensuring good coverage for that irresistible cheesy topping. Re-cover the pan and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella is perfectly melted, beautifully bubbly, and slightly golden. This final step creates that iconic, gooey, stretchy cheese layer that defines an authentic Chicken Pizzaiola.

Pro Tips for the Best Chicken Pizzaiola

Elevate your Chicken Pizzaiola from good to extraordinary with these expert tips and tricks:

1. Timing is Key for Frying: Never egg and flour your chicken cutlets too far in advance. The flour will absorb moisture from the egg and chicken, becoming soggy and preventing the formation of that desirable crispy crust during frying. Prepare them just before they hit the hot oil for optimal results – a true golden-brown exterior.
2. Mastering the Par-Fry: Remember, you are only *par-frying* the chicken here. The initial goal is a quick sear to develop a beautiful golden-brown crust and lock in moisture, not to cook it through entirely. Ensure your oil is hot (medium-high heat) and sear each side for only about a minute or two. This quick, high-heat contact creates flavor without overcooking the chicken before it gets its tender braise in the sauce. Place them on a wire rack to rest while you prepare the sauce; this keeps them from becoming soggy.
3. Don’t Rush the Deglaze: When adding the vodka (or wine), allow it to simmer down and reduce significantly, almost forming a glaze on the bottom of the pan. This step concentrates the flavors and ensures the alcohol cooks off, leaving behind only its delicious essence. Scraping the bottom of the pan thoroughly during this step is crucial for incorporating all the caramelized bits (fond) into your sauce, which are bursting with flavor.
4. Optimal Cheese Melt: For the ultimate gooey, perfectly melted, and slightly browned cheesy topping, use freshly shredded low-moisture mozzarella rather than pre-shredded bags if possible. Freshly shredded cheese often melts more smoothly and evenly. Covering the pan during the final melting step creates a steamy environment that helps the cheese melt quickly and uniformly without burning.
5. Pounding Chicken for Tenderness: Take the extra minute or two to butterfly and pound your chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness. This ensures uniform cooking, prevents tough or dry spots, and creates a more tender, succulent finished product that perfectly absorbs the savory pizzaiola sauce.
6. Taste and Adjust Seasoning: Always taste your sauce before adding the chicken back in for simmering. Adjust salt, pepper, or herbs as needed. Remember, flavors can become more concentrated during simmering, so start with a balanced seasoning and adjust at the end if necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Pizzaiola

Chicken Pizzaiola

Vincent DelGiudice