This spicy Calabrian chicken is inspired by the jar of Bomba sauce I have had sitting in my fridge that I got in an antipasto gift basket at Christmas time. I had never had bomba before and once I tried it realized it has the kind of spice that has a lot of flavor and doesn’t burn your taste-buds off. The main ingredient is Calabrian chilis and I am hooked on the fruity, smoky heat they bring to a dish.
This calabrian chicken is an easy weekday meal that packs flavor, is super healthy and only takes one pot to cook. You are going to love it!
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Why you'll love this spicy Calabrian chicken legs recipe
- It only has 345 calories per serving and fits into my weight-loss or weight maintenance meal plans
- All you have to do is throw everything in one pot, so very few dishes!
- This chicken makes great leftovers to throw into a soup, pasta or add to a sandwich the next day.
- It only takes 30-35 minutes to cook.
Ingredients you'll need
- Chicken legs or a whole chicken
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- White wine, preferably dry and fruity, like a Pinot Grigio
- Calabrian chili paste or bomba
- Honey
- Canned whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand, preferably San Marzano because they have the best flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
A Little bit about Calabrian chili peppers
Calabrian chili peppers are little red chilis that are grown in Southern Italy and are a staple ingredient of Italian cuisine in the Calabria region. They have a smoky, fruity flavor and are moderately spicy, ranking at about 20,000 -30,000 Scoville units. For reference, this would be spicier than a jalapeño, but less spicy than cayenne pepper. They provide a nice flavourful heat to any dish, without burning your mouth. You can find them in fresh or dried form or in chili oils or calabrian chili paste to spread on sandwiches, add to a pasta or eat with antipasto. Just remember, a little bit goes a long way!
Tools you'll need
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan
- Tongs
- Wooden spoon
Instructions
Prepare the chicken. Start by removing the skin from the chicken. Similar to chicken cacciatore, this recipe simmers the chicken in tomatoes, so if you leave the skin on it will have a soft, undesirable texture. I am a firm believer that if you leave the skin on your chicken it should be crispy! Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Sear the chicken legs. Heat the olive oil in your large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken, searing it on both sides so it is slightly golden brown in color, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
Deglaze the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and then add the wine to the pan, scraping off and browned bits stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. This step is called deglazing the pan, which really means you are adding liquid to get the carmelized bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan to loosen. Reduce the wine by half, cooking all the alcohol away and leaving the delicious sugars and flavor behind.
Add all the ingredients. Add the Calabrian chili paste (bomba) and the rosemary, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands and removing the stems as you add them to the pot. Add the honey and stir everything together. Bring everything to a simmer and return the chicken to the pan. Then add the red onion and potatoes to the pot. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are tender and cooked through.
And that’s it! Serve immediately and enjoy 😊
What to serve with spicy Calabrian chicken
This chicken has a very flavourful sauce so think of pairing it with a fresh baked bread to sop up the sauce, like a sourdough rosemary focaccia bread. You may also want to add something green on the side like roasted broccoli, rapini or a fresh green salad. You could also skip the potatoes and serve this chicken on a bed of rigatoni or fresh pappardelle pasta, there should be plenty of sauce to cover the pasta.
Substitutions
- Calabrian chili paste or bomba. You can use red pepper flakes, harissa or garlic chili sauce instead if that is all you have, but I highly recommend you try this with the real deal Calabrian chili paste.
- White wine. You can leave out the wine and substitute with chicken broth.
- Vegetables. If you like to add more vegetables to the pot I suggest adding red peppers and zucchini about 10 minutes before the dish is finished cooking. Make sure you cut the zucchini in large pieces, as it will cook faster than the peppers.
- Make it Creamy. Add a little bit of cream to the dish to round out the spiciness and make it feel indulgent and luxurious.
Wine Pairings
I don’t normally suggest pairing a white wine with a tomato sauce, but in this case the spicy, fruity Calabrian chilis can be balanced out by a medium-bodied acidic white. When pairing with tomatoes you need an acidic wine to match the acidity of the tomatoes, otherwise the flavors of the wine will just be overpowered. I would suggest a Pinot Grigio if you are a white drinker. And if you are looking for a red you will want to go with a medium-bodied, fruity Pinot Noir or Grenache. This should help cool down the spice a bit, rather than enhance it. Here are a few suggestions:
- La Tunella Pinot Grigio, La Tunella, Italy
- Clark & Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, USA
- Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, Canada
- Alpha Box & Dice Tarot, McLaren Vale, Australia
Storage
You can store this chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
One-pot Spicy Calabrian Chicken
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan
- Tongs
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken legs or a whole chicken
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup White wine preferably dry and fruity, like a pinot grigio
- ½ tablespoon Calabrian chili paste or bomba add more to make extra spicy
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes crushed by hand, preferably San Marzano because they have the best flavor.
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- ½ medium red onion
- 1 lb small roasting potatoes
- For garnish
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the chicken and season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in your large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken, searing it on both sides so it is slightly golden brown in color, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and then add the wine to the pan, scraping off and browned bits stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Reduce the wine by half.
- Add the Calabrian chili paste (bomba) and rosemary, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands and removing the stems as you add them to the pot. Add the honey and stir everything together.
- Bring everything to a simmer and return the chicken to the pan. Then add the red onion and potatoes to the pot. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are tender and cooked through.
- Top with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- The calories in these recipes are estimated and can vary based on the ingredients you use as well as differences in portion sizes.
- One serving of chicken is approximately 7-8 oz.
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