(a.k.a. ANGRY BIRDS) I got an email a while back from a reader who wanted to know how to make arrabbiata sauce, so I set out to find out how to do so. I found that it’s actually pretty much the same as the red sauce in my Spicy Tomato & Shrimp Pasta, which is super easy and delish. The concept is simple: tomatoes + garlic + spicy red peppers = YUM. I wanted to do a chicken version to give the sauce more flavor and depth, but I also can’t wait to try a vegetarian version with sautéed eggplant.
Chicken Arrabbiata
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What is Arrabbiata Sauce?
Arrabbiata is a spicy red Italian sauce, usually served with pasta. I decided to serve my arrabbiata sauce with chicken, which definitely isn’t traditional, but when a sauce is this good you kind of want to put it on everything. Arrabbiata translates to “angry,” so this is angry chicken… or angry birds! Ha! Anyway, I digress. If you want to check out an authentic arrabbiata sauce, take a look at this authentic arrabbiata sauce recipe from Ciao Florentina.
What Kind of Chicken Should You Use?
I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, but you could probably use chicken breasts instead (they will provide slightly less depth of flavor than the bone-in kind, but still be yum). If using breasts, I would suggest pounding them out which will make this whole dish cook much faster. The bone-in thighs that I used require more cooking time because they are thick and take longer to heat through.
So, let’s play some angry birds, shall we?
Chicken Arrabbiata
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2.5 lbs. total) ($3.99)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour ($0.08)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.69)
- 1 15oz. can crushed tomatoes ($0.69)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.03)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth ($0.07)
- 1 handful fresh parsley (optional) ($0.14)
- 12 oz. pasta for serving ($1.41)
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and pepper, then dredge each piece in flour until they are lightly coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot (it will sizzle if a pinch of flour is dropped into the oil), add the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides (5-7 minutes each side), then remove the chicken from the skillet. While the chicken is browning, mince the garlic.
- After the chicken is removed from the skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté briefly (1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is soft, but not brown). Add both cans of tomatoes with juices, basil, crushed red pepper, and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce, and spoon some sauce over top of each piece. Allow the sauce to come up to a simmer. Simmer the chicken in the sauce for 30 minutes, turning the chicken over half way through to make sure both sides receive adequate heat.
- Serve the chicken and sauce over cooked pasta and garnish with roughly chopped parsley.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Step by Step Photos
I made six chicken thighs, which may have been a bit ambitious. I had to use my largest skillet. If you don’t have a skillet large enough to hold six chicken thighs at once, just make four, but keep the sauce ingredients the same.
Season each piece of chicken with a little salt and pepper, then dip the chicken into a shallow bowl of flour to coat it lightly. The light coating of flour will caramelize in the skillet and give a lot of flavor to the sauce and help keep it thick and rich.
Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. You can test to see if the oil is hot enough by dropping a pinch of the flour into the skillet. If it sizzles, it’s ready. Brown the chicken on both sides (5-7 minutes on each side). If the chicken sticks to the bottom of the skillet, it’s okay. When it gets to the right stage of “brown” it usually loosens and releases from the skillet. If little pieces stick, it’s okay because that will just add more flavor to the sauce. After the chicken is browned, remove it from the skillet onto a clean plate.
While the chicken is browning, mince four cloves of garlic. After the chicken is browned and removed from the skillet, add the minced garlic, and sauté it just for a minute or so to soften it up.
Next, add the two cans of tomatoes. I used one can of crushed and one can of diced for a little more texture. Crushed tomatoes are fairly smooth in texture (not quite as smooth as sauce, but no large chunks).
Also add 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp (or more) of crushed red pepper, and a half cup of chicken broth. I only added the chicken broth because I knew the sauce would be simmering for a while and it would need just a touch more moisture to keep from drying up too much. If you don’t have chicken broth, don’t fret. You can use water or even white wine if you have it (I used Better Than Bouillon brand broth base to mix up just 1/2 cup).
After you stir the sauce together, add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon some sauce over top. Let the sauce come up to a simmer. Simmer the chicken in the sauce for about 30 minutes, flipping the chicken half way through. If you have a lid for your skillet, you can probably cook for a shorter amount of time and not have to flip the chicken because the heat will be well contained in the skillet and come from all sides. You probably also will not need that extra 1/2 cup of liquid/broth.
When it’s finished, the sauce will be thick and rich (I couldn’t stop eating the sauce off the spoon!). You can garnish with a handful of chopped parsley, if desired.
This can be served over pasta or rice – anything to soak up that wonderful, angry, sauce!
Hey Beth, I’ve been using this recipe, or a form of it, for years. Out of all the recipes I have tried and perused, a very memorable title/phrase is definitely ‘angry birds.’ I thank you for bringing laughter and joy into the kitchen, hahaha.
Made this as a “Friday Night Special” tonight and LOVED it. (I agree that as long as you’re not a traditional Italian loyalist, you’re not going to care about its authenticity) Made the mistake of translating the “crushed red pepper” as paprika in a first go, though I realized it later on and added red pepper flakes as recipe suggested. Consoled myself and the offended sauce with some red wine. We both felt better, but the birds were more “mildly annoyed” than “angry” by the end of my string of cooking mishaps. Next time, I’ll add more red pepper flakes to kick up the spice level up a notch to match my spice addiction. Really great recipe as is though!
Amazing recipe as always Beth! I think, like many have commented here, you could add in additional ingredients or adjust to make it your own!
OMG I tried this tonight and it was absolutely amazing. I loved it. My kids loved it. I added a little too much red pepper flakes because I like spice but I will restrain myself next time. I also served over spiralized zuchinni because we are trying to eat healthier. My kids and I devoured it which says a lot because they do not like veggies much. Thank you so much for sharing. This was absolutely to die for. Forget the hoopla about it not being traditional Italian this was TRULY AMAZING.
Can’t agree more, Brenda.
I find it silly that an earlier comment stated that when making Arrabbiata sauce you definitely DO NOT ADD CHICKEN. I would have to say the reply to that IS… UNless you are making Arrabbiata CHICKEN. GEEZ…..noone said they were taking YOUR RECIPE and changing it thereby insulting family tradition and heritage. I believe it should be seen as a compliment that when someone was making a brand new RECIPE for chicken,they thought enough of a Arrabbiata sauce to include it in their chicken RECIPE version. Am planning on cooking tonight, will update with how it turned out and what my hungry crew thought of it
My thoughts exactly. As I mentioned in my previous comment, there’s no right or wrong way to make Arrabbiata sauce. According to Federica, I was questioning someone’s expertise when it comes to recipes. I find her argument silly, because it was pointless and stupid. SMH!!!!
I’m ITALIAN, i live in Italy and never i ‘ve seen a chicken “arrabbiata”..this is not an ITALIAN RECIPE…it’s a fake, you can Cook an “arrabbiata sauce” with FRIED GARLIC in olive oil, some tomato sauce, and Red hot chili PEPPER, the name “arrabbiata” was gived, because Who eat this FOOD go to Red skin in face so he appated very hungry. The ITALIAN RECIPE is very Simply anyone can Cook ITALIAN, please buy a recipe’s book (Artusi) and follow the RECIPE…no more…
You don’t have to be Italian to make arrabbiata sauce. Who cares!!!!
I’m glad everyone liked this recipe, but this is not the recipe for Arrabbiata …. first of all you don’t need chicken! it’s a sauce for pasta, and only pasta … penne possibly .. penne all’arrabbiata was my mother favourite. So, to prepare the sauce you will need:olive oil, grondmothers’ conserva (maybe you don’t have it, you can use tomatoe sauce with a bit of salt and olive oil… and fresh basil), hot peppers and bacon (or mushrooms) . you cook the pasta in boiling water and then you transfer it in the sauce pan… and you it it. ABSOLUTELY NOT CHICKEN!
There’s no right or wrong way to make Arrabbiata sauce, so it’s okay to make a recipe your own. That’s exactly what Beth did. I’ve made Chicken Arrabbiata plenty of times, and honestly it’s delicious. Instead of criticizing Beth’s recipe, stick to your own version of Arrabbiata sauce because no one’s going to stop you from enjoying it.
Um actually yes there is a right way to make arrabbiata, that would be like me (an Italian woman) providing a recipe for mac and cheese where I used tomatoes instead of cheese, whether it’s good, or not, is not in question…culinary heritage is important to a lot of people, especially to Italians, it is an integral part of our identities so using what we sometimes consider to be ancestral dishes, cooked by our grandmothers and their grandmothers feels very wrong, and frankly a little uneducated (not that you have to be about Italian food but when an Italian person tries to explain why it is wrong maybe don’t question their expertise, I’m not telling you how to cook thanksgiving dinner)
I’m not questioning anyone’s expertise. Since some people are criticizing Beth’s recipe for Chicken Arrabbiata, it’s best to stick to your own version.
There’s no need to argue about it.
That is completely changing a recipe. Adding chicken is not. It’s making it vegan vs paleo or something. Now if you added tomatoes to mac n cheese I would still call it mac n cheese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I FOUND YOUR WEBSITE TODAY AND I LOVE YOUR RECIPES! ( I HAVE NEVER EVER MADE COMMENT ON ANY SITE – YOURS IS EXCEPTIONAL. (SIMPLE , ECONOMICAL WITH BOLD FLAVORS – SO HAPPY I FOUND IT.
TONIGHT I MADE YOUR CHICKEN ARRABBIATA AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD . THE FAMILY LOVED IT. I DOUBLED THE RECIPE AND ADDED EXTRA GARLIC AND HOT PEPPERS FOR SOME EXTRA KICK .
LATER IN THE WEEK i WILL TRY YOUR SRIRACHA TURKEY MEATLOAF AND BLACKENED SHRIMP. I AM CERTAIN THOSE RECIPES WILL ROCK AS WELL, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING THEM !
THANKS FOR THE GREAT RECIPES!
The Chicken Arrabbiata is absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Unfortunately, I was having a difficult time looking for a 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. I remember saving half of a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes from a previous recipe. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs to help make the dish a lot easier to eat. I served the Chicken Arrabbiata with pasta and some garlic bread. I will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you, Beth!!! :-)
Really yummy! But kinda a pain to pull the meat off the bone with all the sauce.
i made this for dinner tonight. My family loved it! I have a very picky family but this was a hit.
I made this tonight. I used two chicken breasts, as I don’t care for chicken thighs. I added much more red pepper flakes; my boyfriend loves very spicy food. I let it simmer on very low for 50 minutes. Excellent! Another hit! Last week I made your chicken enchiladas recipe. It is a definite keeper. Thanks, Beth.
Sooooo good! Just made this, and the spouse said its “my best meal yet”. I promise I said you had a lot to do with it. I used boneless, and only doubled the crushed red pepper, all else was the same. Thanks so much!
YUM! I will definitely be making this recipe all the time. I used four boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they were on a BOGO sale at the grocery store. I also used way more crushed red pepper than the recipe calls for to make it spicier. Probably at least 4x more. I didn’t have chicken broth or white wine so I decided to try 1/4 cup of red wine which worked out just fine. My only issue was that the sauce didn’t seem to get significantly thicker as it simmered. I’m not sure if that’s because I used breasts, or maybe my flour coating was too thin, but I simmered my sauce for much longer than 20 mins and it stayed pretty liquidy. I honestly don’t care though, it was still delicious. By the time I stopped simmering it the chicken was so tender I could break it up with my wooden cooking spoon, yummmm. Served over pasta with a side of sauteed zucchini and squash. Yum yum yum. Can’t say it enough!
This dish had great potential. Unfortunately we did not enjoy the chicken itself mainly because the skin had a weird texture to it (I did use drumsticks instead of thighs which is all I had on hand). But next time I’ll just take some roasted chicken and mix it into the sauce, which was absolutely killer. I’m very excited to play with this.
Making this right now and my kitchen smells so good! I cannot wait to taste it!
Thank you again for this site. This is the third recipe I’ve tried and I’m so pleased with everything so far! Last night I made the Maple Dijon Chicken and my 6 year old said, “Mom, this meat is the BEST!”. High praise, indeed. :o)
Love it! I used 8 boneless, skinless thighs, doubled the red pepper flakes, and pulled some sauce out before I put the chicken back in to put on the pasta for my vegetarian daughter. Perfect meal for us. Super easy and everyone loved it. Definitely made the rotation.
Was cooking this last night, and the smell attracted the two college-age boys I work with from across the hall to see if they could beg a piece or five. Thanks!
Hahahah that’s my favorite story! :)
I made this last night, it was fantastic! I added vidalia onion and a little bit of white wine to the sauce. I also doubled the red pepper because we are a fan of the spicy. I used skinless thighs as well, no problem there. Came out absolutely fantastic.
made this tonight. it was FANTASTIC! did 4 thighs instead of 6 (could’ve fit 6, but only had 4. use what ya got, right?). Also had a lid, so I omitted the broth. made it even cheaper. oh, and I added a whole lot more hot pepper (as in, quadrupled it) :)
really, a fantastic recipe. thanks once again!
Another winner at our house. I have a VERY PICKY six year old who will forgo eating if he doesn’t like what we have. (I know other parents can relate!) He loves this!! I make it without any of the pepper and with pasta and he LOVES it. He eats the chicken, he eats the pasta, he asks for THIRDS!!
Thank you!!!
I thought this was going to be very spicy, but it wasn’t at all. I couldn’t taste the red pepper flakes whatsoever! If I make this again, I’ll be adding more spice (since the recipe does say “to taste”!).
Otherwise, a yummy, tomatoey meal! I served it over rice instead of noodles
Another winner! My hubby is a very happy man, and has already called dibs on the leftovers.
I adjusted this a bit, using coarsely diced boneless chicken breasts and just dumping two cans of diced tomato in rather than taking the chicken out and putting it back in. Rave reviews. Thank you. This recipe is in the “keep” file.
This was so good! Made it on the weekend for dinner, and blogged about it here:
http://oreosandcoolwhip.blogspot.ca/2014/02/winter-meal-chicken-arrabbiata.html
This was SO good. I used chicken breasts and added in a few chopped up yukon gold potatoes, mushrooms and a green pepper. Simmered everything for about an extra half hour, and served over shells. I’m definitely going to be making this dish forever.
Looks good, I’m just glad to see you shop at Rouses. When I lived in Thibodaux growing up we would go there all the time. I live in Baton Rouge now and we don’t have one here :(
Do you think that the leftovers would freeze well?
Yes, I do think so.
Made this tonight with drumsticks, thighs and a breast, simmered extra long and shredded and deboned the meat. Served over linguine with salad. Amazing. Thank you!
Do 6 chicken thighs really weigh 2.5 lbs? I thought an average thigh was only around 4 oz.
Mine did (you can see it on the package sticker if you look close), but like any product I’m sure they vary from piece to piece, chicken to chicken. Also, maybe it’s the difference between bone and and boneless thighs?
Our package only contained four at 2.5 pounds! So we’ve kind of shredded the meat off them (post cooking) to stretch into more meals…
Would chicken wings or drummettes work? My dad isn’t a big fan of chicken thighs.
Hmm, not sure about that. They really don’t have much meat on them. I’ve never tried to cook them in this sort of dish.
YUM! This looks like a good change of pace from our usual meals… thanks for the recipe!!
Looks v. tasty. I used to make a canned tomato sauce with chicken thighs that had carrot and fresh ginger in it. It was so delicious, but I have lost the recipe. Served over mashed potatoes, it was so warming and comforting in the winter.
how would this work with chicken leg quarters?
Think it would work fine, but would take up more room in the pan. Why not chop the legs off at the thigh?
that is a good idea.
thanks rachel