Creamy Red Pepper Chicken

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 454kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

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