Tried and tested, easy to follow recipes to make pan fried chicken and bell peppers skillet (pollo coi pepperoni or Pollo alla Romana – Rome style chicken) at home. A delicious and easy dinner for the whole family that brings a burst of Rome flavor to your table.
Rome cooking is often associated with pasta dishes such as carbonara and cacio e pepe, yet there are also some delicious meat dishes from Rome and pollo con i pepperoni (chicken with bell peppers) is one of them.
My mum used to make it all the time when I was little and now I have myself mastered the art of it. So today, I share my step by step recipe, hoping your family will like it as much as mine!
This dish is naturally gluten and lactose free, it is an easy one to make and can be served with rice, couscous or potatoes, should you want to turn it into a full meal easily.
This is how I make it!
Chicken and Bell Peppers skillet recipe ingredients
These quantities make dinner for our family of four.
- 1Kg chicken – I use chicken thighs or a mix of tights and legs
- 2 cloves of garlic, partly crushed
- OIive oil to cook
- A dash of rosemary
- 1 small onion, sliced thin
- 4 bell peppers, medium size: I use 2 red and two yellow ones, cut in small vertical strips
- 100 ml Passata (tomato sauce, plain) – this as small amount, less than a 1/2 cup
- A handful of cherry tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
if you need to convert into a different unit, I find this site to be helpful.
Equipment
- A large skillet or pan – I use a cast iron one, about 24cm large
- Knife to slice the vegetables
- Fork and wooden spoon / spatula to move mix
Pollo coi peperoni – bell peppers chicken skillet recipe step by step
Step 1 – Put your skillet on a hob, medium heat. Let it heat up, then add the olive oil and the garlic cloves. Let the oil heat up and move the garlic around so it flavors it nicely: be careful not to let the garlic burn nor the oil to fry
Step 2 – Add your chicken, skin down and let it cook for about 5 minutes until lightly brown.
Step 3 – once brown on one side, turn it around and let the other side brown too.
Step 4 – Remove the garlic
Step 5 – Add salt and rosemary
Step 6 – Add the tomatoes and use a fork to squash them, so they release their juice. This step of the tomatoes is not a must, but I like to add them as I find they add lovely extra touch. Also, I usually have them in the fridge so it’s a good way to use them up!
Step 6 – Add to your pan the peppers and the onion: if you have a skillet the size as mine, make sure you add them slowly and mix them in as you go or the pan will be very full. Do not worry though: the peppers and meat will shrink with cooking so it won’t be too full for long.
Step 7 – Add your passata (plain tomato sauce) and mix well. At this stage I usually add a little extra salt and black pepper, so the the sauce is well seasoned.
Step 8 – Cover with a lid and let cook for about 25 minutes. This will ensure you have a lovely and juicy dish.
Step 9 – Remove the lid and let it cook 15 more minutes: this will allow the extra water to evaporate and for the sauce to be as tasty as possible. At this point, once the meat is cooked, you can taste and adjust with salt or pepper if needed. Your Rome style chicken and red peppers skillet it ready! Serve hot and enjoy!
What does Rome style chicken and bell peppers go well with?
I like serving this dish with plain rice but cous-cous of even quinoa works well. In Rome, this would be a second course so you may not have anything added as a side but I find that with rice especially, it makes for a lovely and complete dinner.
I hope you love it!
Rome style chicken and bell peppers skillet – pin this!
Bell peppers and chicken skillet, Rome style
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thighs
- 2 cloves garlic slightly crushed
- 1 onion small
- 4 bell peppers mixed red and yellow
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil I use extra virgin olive oil, in amount sufficient to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet
- 100 ml tomato passata
- 6 cherry tomatoes optional
Instructions
- Put your skillet on a hob, medium heat. Let it heat up, then add the olive oil and the garlic cloves. Let the oil heat up and move the garlic around so it flavors it nicely: be careful not to let the garlic burn nor the oil to fry
- Add your chicken, skin down and let it cook for about 5 minutes until lightly brown.
- once brown on one side, turn it around and let the other side brown too.
- Remove the garlic
- Add salt and rosemary
- Add the tomatoes and use a fork to squash them, so they release their juice. This step of the tomatoes is not a must, but I like to add them as I find they add lovely extra touch. Also, I usually have them in the fridge so it’s a good way to use them up!
- Add to your pan the peppers and the onion: if you have a skillet the size as mine, make sure you add them slowly and mix them in as you go or the pan will be very full. Do not worry though: the peppers and meat will shrink with cooking so it won’t be too full for long.
- Add your passata (plain tomato sauce) and mix well. At this stage I usually add a little extra salt and black pepper, so the the sauce is well seasoned.
- Cover with a lid and let cook for about 25 minutes. This will ensure you have a lovely and juicy dish.
- Remove the lid and let it cook 15 more minutes: this will allow the extra water to evaporate and for the sauce to be as tasty as possible. At this point, once the meat is cooked, you can taste and adjust with salt or pepper if needed. Your Rome style chicken and red peppers skillet it ready! Serve hot and enjoy!