My Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Chicken is an ideal meal that you can serve the family on weeknights or to guests when entertaining. It is a dish that is quickly prepared, so speedy in fact that you can have it on the table in 40 minutes! A chicken meal is always popular, and when the chicken is bathed in a rich, creamy, vibrantly flavoured sauce, you have a meal that is likely to become a family favourite on regular rotation.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It is made in one pan, and that means less washing up - always a good thing!
- We use chicken tenderloins. These boneless, skinless cuts of meat cook very quickly, and as the name suggests, they are reliably tender. Two of our favourite ways to use these chicken pieces are in our Creamy Lemon Chicken and our Greek Style Chicken and Salsa.
- Roasting the red peppers accentuates their natural sweetness, adding vibrant flavour to the creamy sauce.
- It is perfect for many people with specific dietary requirements as it is naturally nut-free and can be gluten-free by using the appropriate flour.
Recipe Inspiration: We are always keen to add another recipe to our easily made chicken meals. This recipe came about after I made my Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, and I was keen to do a similar chicken recipe. We were delighted with the result; the sweet and smoky peppers harmonised perfectly with the cream, and this dish has become one of our favourite easy meals.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Chicken tenderloins: also known as chicken tenders, they are a versatile ingredient, and as the name implies reliably tender.
- Plain/all-purpose flour: we use a small amount to coat the chicken before pan-frying. It also helps to thicken the sauce. If required, you can substitute with gluten-free flour.
- Dried oregano: For this recipe we use dried oregano to coat the chicken for frying and to make the sauce. The flavour complements rather than dominates the ingredients.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper: for the best result, it is important to properly season your food. The seasoning enhances all the other flavours.
- Unsalted butter: we use butter to pan fry the chicken and to make the creamy sauce.
- Extra virgin olive oil: we add some olive oil when pan frying the chicken to prevent the butter burning.
- Brown/yellow onion: this is the most popular onion for cooking, but you could use a white onion if you prefer.
- Garlic: fresh cloves of garlic add great flavour to the sauce.
- Tomato paste: this is a thick, concentrated paste, ideal for adding rich flavour and colour to many savoury dishes.
- Roasted red peppers/capsicums: add colour and sweet, slightly smoky flavour.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed juice adds acidity and balances the other flavours.
- Heavy/thickened cream: this cream has a milk fat content of at least 35%. Light/low fat cream tends to split when heated and is not suitable for this recipe.
- Dried chilli pepper flakes: add gentle spice. Omit the chilli flakes or add more according to your preference.
- Sicilian green olives: also known as Castelvetrano olives, these delicious Sicilian olives have a mild flavour and a meaty, crunchy texture. Use the best quality you can find.
- Fresh basil: for bright flavour, we add some sliced fresh basil leaves when serving.
Variations:
Chicken tenderloin: if you prefer, you can use strips of breast meat but it will toughen if overcooked.
Baby spinach: adding a small amount toward the end of cooking is a great way to include a green veg.
How To Creamy Red Pepper Chicken:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 - Cook the chicken:
Coat the chicken in the seasoned flour mix.
In a large frying pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until just cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover with foil while you prepare the sauce.
2 - Start the sauce:
In the same pan, add the remaining oil. Add the onion and sauté, then sauté the garlic. Push the onion mix to the side, add the tomato paste and cook. Combine with onion and garlic, then turn off the heat.
3 - Blend the sauce:
To a small food processor, add the roasted capsicums, lemon juice, onion mixture, oregano, chilli and cream. Process until smooth.
4 - Return the chicken to the sauce:
Return the sauce to the pan over medium. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken and olives to the sauce.
Check that the seasoning is to your liking, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with the finely chopped fresh basil.
Hint: for the best result, I encourage you to make your own Roasted Red Peppers. The sauce will be sweeter and more vibrant. But if you are short of time, you can use a commercial variety. The flavour, however, will not be the same, it will be more acidic.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Yes, you can, but it is not as reliably tender. You will need to be careful with cooking as breast meat tends to become tough and dry if even a little overcooked.
This dish is best served as soon as it is made. If made in advance, the creamy sauce may split when reheated. It is such a quick cooking process that I suggest you prepare the separate components a day ahead, and store in the refrigerator for when you are ready to cook.
Store cooled leftovers in the fridge as soon as possible. For safety reasons, if leftovers have been out of the fridge for 2 hours, they should be discarded. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat very gently on low heat on the stovetop or in a microwave until the internal temperature registers 74 degrees C (165 F). Reheating slowly may prevent the sauce separating.
I don't recommend freezing this dish as the high dairy content may cause the sauce to separate when thawing.
Top Tip:
If you're using homemade Roasted Red Peppers, use good quality, fresh peppers. Look for those that are firm to the touch and have stems that are nice and green. They should feel heavy for their size. The skin should be smooth, shiny and blemish free. Avoid any with wrinkled skin.
Serving Suggestions:
You will find many ways to enjoy this beautiful dish. Some suggestions are:
- With a carb such as steamed rice or pasta to enjoy the delicious sauce. Or, just serve with some crusty bread.
- A refreshing salad such as our Rocket and Pear Salad is a good accompaniment.
- Kale and Apple Salad or Roasted Broccolini are great side dishes.
- To add even more colour, you could serve the creamy chicken with Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables.
Comforting, creamy, flavoursome and so delicious, this Creamy Red Pepper Chicken is a dish you will make on repeat. I'd love to know when you give it a try!
Alex xx
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Creamy Red Pepper Chicken
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 500 g (1.1 lb) chicken tenderloins
- ¼ cup (40 g) all-purpose/plain flour - use gluten-free if needed See Note 1
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter See Note 2
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Creamy Red Pepper Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion - finely chopped
- 3 large cloves of garlic - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice - add to taste See Note 3
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 4
- 1 cup roasted red peppers/capsicums - roughly chopped - about two large peppers See Note 5
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes - or to taste
- ½ cup (90 g) Sicilian green olives - pitted and cut into three pieces
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves - finely chopped
- sea salt and pepper See Note 7
Instructions
- Have all your ingredients prepared before you start to cook.There is a small, white, tough tendon at the end of the chicken tenderloin. You will need to remove it with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. There’s no need to remove it all; the tendon inside the meat is very thin and you won’t notice it after cooking but it is important to remove the larger, thicker piece. Don’t try to pull it out or the meat may fall apart.
- On a large plate, mix the flour, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in it so it is well coated. Tap off any excess flour.
- In a large frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan, over medium heat add the remaining oil. Add in the onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, being careful to ensure it doesn't burn.
- Push the onion mix to the side to create a "hot spot" for the tomato paste, and cook this out for 2 minutes, before mixing in with the onion and garlic. Turn off the heat.
- To a small food processor, add the roasted capsicums, lemon juice, onion mixture, oregano, chilli and cream. Process until smooth.
- Return the sauce to the pan over medium. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken and olives to the sauce. Warm through for 1-2 minutes.
- Check that the seasoning is to your liking, adding salt and pepper. Serve with the finely chopped fresh basil.
Notes
- Gluten-free: adapt this recipe to gluten-free by using the appropriate flour.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Lemon juice: add to taste, depending on the acidity of your roasted peppers. As noted below, if using jarred, they will be more acidic than homemade.
- Cream: for a creamy texture and best flavour, use full-fat cream. Thickened/heavy whipping cream should have a minimum 35% fat content.
- Roasted red peppers/capsicums: I have used my homemade roasted peppers, but you can used jarred if you prefer, just be sure to drain them very well. They will be more acidic than the homemade variety so I recommend that you add the lemon juice gradually as you may not need as much. If roasting your own, you'll need two large peppers.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking - we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Add more red chilli pepper flakes if you like the heat.
- Storage: cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat gently at a low heat. As the sauce is cream based, reheating can cause it to split - adding a little additional cream can stop this from happening.
- Freezing: this dish is not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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