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It’s hard to beat an easy chicken dinner, which makes this Italian chicken skillet an easy hit! Crisp and juicy chicken thighs, fresh mushrooms and extra garlic simmers together in an Italian-spiced tomato sauce to create the most flavorful dish.
This seriously tender chicken and savory tomato sauce is the main attraction however you choose to serve it! Toss with some pasta or serve over rice- any which way you choose is a winner-winner, chicken dinner. 😉
how to make this Italian chicken
For this Italian chicken skillet, we like to use chicken thighs with skin on them. The chicken is seared and the chicken skin ends up nice and crisp before it simmers in the sauce.
To make this easy chicken dinner, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- sliced mushrooms
- chopped onion
- garlic
- red wine
- chicken broth
- crushed tomatoes
- Italian seasoning
- freshly chopped basil
- chopped, fresh parsley
- basil sprigs (optional garnish)
This Italian chicken skillet is such an easy chicken dinner, which is one of the reasons we love it. It’s a dish that requires little work but always results in big flavor!
Here’s how to make it (for the full recipe, make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page!):
- Cook the chicken – Rinse and dry chicken thighs, then season with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken in a hot skillet with oil, skin side down, until they’re golden brown. Set the chicken aside.
- Make the Italian sauce – Cook the mushrooms in the skillet until they’re browned. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the broth, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning, brining the entire mixture to a boil and then simmering on low for a few minutes.
- Simmer the chicken in the broth – Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce, skin side up. Cover the skillet and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Garnish and serve – Serve the chicken and Italian sauce with your favorite pasta or rice, garnished with chopped parsley or basil.
pro tips for the best chicken skillet
We use bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe because they tend to be really tender and juicy when cooked. Plus, the skin crisps up nicely and gives the dish a lot of added flavor. It’s not a must, but we definitely recommend it!
If you decide to substitute chicken breasts for this recipe, you absolutely can, but make sure to reduce the cooking time in the sauce since the chicken breasts are boneless. You’ll only need about 15 minutes of simmering the chicken in the sauce. The internal temperature should show 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
There’s a lot to love about this easy chicken skillet dinner! It’s a veggie-loaded meal with the right balance of aromatics and fresh herbs.
One of the things I love about this recipe is it’s incredibly versatile which makes it a great choice if you’re preparing a meal for a range of diet types. On its own, it’s a keto, paleo, low-carb and gluten-free option!
However you serve it, whether it’s with your favorite carb of choice or the low-carb route with some steamed vegetables on the side, this Italian chicken skillet will not disappoint!
More Recipes You Will Love
This Eggplant Lasagna with Spicy Italian Sausage Meat Sauce packs in tons of flavor and is a spin on the classic lasagna! While it skips out on the noodles, this dish doesn’t skimp on the beloved layers of Italian sausage, fresh herbs and cheese that simply make a delicious lasagna.
Our Easy Pork Fried Rice is a 10-minute recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights! It’s a use-what-you-have type of recipe that can come together with bits of this and that! Don’t you love that kind of meal? We sure do!
These Chocolate Chip Muffins with Toffee Crumb Streusel are simply amazing! Chocolate and toffee come together in quite possibly the best flavor combination in muffin history. 😉 It’s that good and quite easy to make!
For more chicken recipes, try our panko chicken, cast iron chicken, tender baked chicken quarters, Traeger whole smoked chicken, or chicken stuffed peppers.
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Easy Italian Chicken Skillet
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, grated ir minced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, two 14-oz. cans
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup freshly basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Basil sprigs for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Rinse chicken thighs and pat with paper towels to remove moisture. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Working in batches, add the chicken thighs skin side down, and sear until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add onions and cook, stirring until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in the chicken broth, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
- Nestle the chicken thighs and any accumulated juices into the sauce, skin side up. Cover the skillet and simmer for 30 minutes.
To Serve:
- Serve with your favorite pasta or rice and garnished with chopped parsley.
Notes
- If you sub chicken breasts for this recipe, reduce the cooking time in the sauce to 15 minutes. Internal temperature should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
LOVE LOVE LOVE everything. about this recipe….except MUSHROOMS!!!!! I will NOT
eat them. Could I leave them out without taking away lot of flavor? I soooo want to make this, but…..
Thanks, Janet
Oh yes, you can leave the mushrooms out and it will still be mighty tasty ;). If you want to substitute for the mushrooms then diced zucchini is quite nice in place of mushrooms.
This just looks dreamy to me. but my husband won’t eat chicken thighs. Jeez. Maybe I’ll invite a bunch of reasonable friends over when he’s out of town!!!
Ha, ha, that’s a great idea, Mimi….do it! Thanks for your comments 🙂
Those chicken thighs are absolutely perfect seared! This is truly a wonderful meal, Pat.
Thank you, Angie and it is delicious!