One Pot Italian Chicken Vesuvio
A succulent and garlicky ONE PAN roasted Italian chicken recipe with white wine, fresh herbs and sinfully delicious potatoes to mop up the sauce with! Ā This is ideal for the weekday when there are no Ā plans for the defrosted chicken sitting in the fridge. Ā The whole family will love this wholesome and delicious dinner. Just make sure you make plenty š
Perfectly cooked roasted chicken is one of my favorite go to’s. Ā Add in a silky sauce with garlic and white wine and deliciously broasted potatoes and this girl is in chicken heaven.
I first tasted Chicken Vesuvio at a famous Italian restaurant here in the Chi I used to work at.
I would watch customer after customer order this gorgeously browned chicken and each time I brought it to the table I was intoxicated by the provocative aromas escaping from the plate. Ā Smells of garlic, oregano and white wine would fill my head and transport me to a quaint table in southern Italy, with Mediterranean breezes and scenic landscapes; Ā quietly sipping on a local white wine most likely made in the backyard vineyard of the restaurant whose romantic outside table I happened to be seated at.
I was awakened from my sweet escape by a shove from a fellow waiter or a crazed food runner who looked at me and said, “It’s Saturday night mami, you want to move a little faster so your table will actually get hot food?”
So long scenic landscapes, hello 9 split checks and an entire bottle of red wine spilled down my crisp white shirt. Ā Lovely.
Side note: This did actually happen! Ā I had an extremely inebriated guest spill an entire bottle of red wine down my shirt because he just thought he should. Ā Luckily for me, it happened to be a $150 bottle of wine that WAS paid for byĀ his not so happy and overly botoxed girlfriend. Ā Not so luckly for him, his drunk @ss was ushered out of the restaurant by two angry Italian managers, one the equivalent of an angry Joe Pesci in Casino. Ā The aforementioned manager loudly cursed at him in Italian and whispered threats into the drunk’s ear with a heavy Sicilian accent. Ā Yea, needless to say we never saw Mr. Vino or Mrs. Botox again.
I digress…as usual.
Anyhow…after serving that lovely Chicken Vesuvio to table after table and hour after exhausting hour, all the while drenched in fragrant red wine, I too wanted to dine on this aromatic and crispy chicken.
At the end of my double shift, I invited one of my co-workers to sit down with me before we did our closing work and split the Chicken Vesuvio. Ā It was a huge dish and at $17.99 quite an expensive one!
Us Servers, we were not keen on paying for our food if we could get it for free, we earned those tips and we intended to keep those crinkled up wads of cash in our pockets for as long as possible! Ā Using them to pay for food seemed unnecessary when we could gnaw on crusty baguettes and olive oil with cheese.
But I received some awesome tips due to my sick waitressing skills and the pity party everyone gave me when they saw my red stained shirt. Ā I deserved some damn chicken!
Considering that our meals were 50% off due to being employees and we were splitting the bill a measly $4.50 a person for chicken and potatoes seemed ungodly cheap!
We took our dinner outside on this warm September eve and listened to the streets surrounding us emptying out. Ā Aside from the great tips, this was the best part of the job. Ā Sitting around with your co-workers, whom you knowĀ better than your own family and rightfully so, as you spend more time at work than you do at home. Ā Munching on food, telling stories of the crazy and the kind customers who managed to make or break your Saturday night, sharing cigarettes and laughing loudly. Ā We all huddled together pulling tables until our shift manager would come yell at us to start doing our side work so that we could all leave and he could have a drink at the bar.
They were simple times…and I relished in them.
My friend, Rita and I munched on our chicken and were both extremely pleased we had made this choice. Ā Tender flesh, crispy skin and a super flavorful sauce made this chicken our personal heaven. Ā And once I got a taste of those potatoes, forget it. Ā This dish was done. Ā The super garlicky white wine sauce had permeated every part of the potato’s soul and yet somehow these normally powerful flavors became mellow and sweet in my mouth. The sweet peas were the perfect garnish to the dish, gently popping in my mouth between each bite.
It was heaven. Ā And an ultimate end to a perfectly chaotic Saturday night.
I knew this recipe must be mine.
Let me tell you, it was not very difficult to get. Ā I came into the kitchen the next day. Ā And coyly asked the entree chef if I may please have the recipe. Ā Batting my eyelashes ever so slightly. Ā Apparently, I did not need to work hard, “Anything for you mamacita,” he said to me. Damn it was good to be 23 and a girl sometimes! Ā If only I could learn to control the hubs like I used to control these guys I would be a-ok!
Anywho… the recipe seemed easy! Ā But it took quite some time to replicate the precise flavor and texture that I was looking for.
I researched like a mad woman, trying to find the perfect Italian Chicken Vesuvio. Ā Funny enough, Chicken Vesuvio was born in Chi-town. Ā Score! Ā Sure it has influences from Southern Italy, but the ORIGINAL Chicken Vesuvio was first seen on Taylor St. AKA Chicago’s Little Italy.
After several experiments, it turned out that my “broasting” technique is just what the doctor ordered.
Unlike my Coq a VinĀ this recipe did not braise, it cooked quickly in an open pot in the oven. Ā The key work here is OPEN and QUICKLY. Ā A braise is covered and slow.
It holds more of a similarity to my Greek Chicken actually. Ā Yet another house favorite!
So…we are starting out with chicken thighs and legs. Ā Feel free to use the breast as well or an entire cut up chicken, however I prefer the darker parts for this dish.
First, preheat your oven to 400-degrees.
Dry the chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Ā Quarter the potatoes. Ā I prefer Yukon golds. Ā In the restuarants they used to deep fry them to get that signature crispiness, but I have found if sautee them on each side they develop a great color and flavor as well. Ā Take out some garlic cloves and oregano.
Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat with a good high heat oil like coconut or grape seed. Place the chicken in the skillet skin side down to sear.Ā Remember a good sear come with time!Ā Ā Allow the chicken to cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.Ā DO NOT TOUCH IT. Ā It’s going to need about 5 min per Ā side. Ā See, nice deep golden brown.
FYI: I bought thisĀ cast iron enamel dutch oven from AmazonĀ and it is awesome!!! Just as good as the other French brand and a fifth of the price!
Ā Remove the chicken and addĀ in the potato wedges and sautee for about 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned on each side.
Add in the garlic cloves and let caramelize for a few minutes.Ā Pour in the white wine scraping the bottom to make sure all the yummy bits scrape up from the bottom.Ā This is called deglazing.
Add the chicken, oregano, salt and pepper into the pan and place the whole pan in a 400 degree oven UNCOVERED.
Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.Ā Remove the chicken from the oven and place back on the stove. Ā Bring the skillet back to a simmer, add the butter and peas and cook until a silky smooth sauce has formed, about 5 minutes. Ā Serve!
Oh and did I mention this is TOTALLY freezer friendly? Ā Yup sure is! Ā Go on make a triple batch!Ā
Print
Easy Chicken Vesuvio
- Total Time: 35 minutes
Description
A succulent and garlicky one pan roasted chicken dish with white wine, fresh herbs and sinfully delicious potatoes to mop up the sauce with!
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Cut Up Chicken or 3 pounds of leg quarters
- 10 whole garlic cloves
- 2 cups White Wine
- 16 Potato Wedges
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 sprig fresh oregano
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Sweet Peas
- Oil for Frying such as grapeseed or coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400-degrees F.
- Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat with the olive oil
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper LIBERALLY and place in the skillet skin side down to sear. Remember a good sear come with time! Allow the chicken to cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. DO NOT TOUCH IT.
- Remove the chicken.
- Add in the potato wedges and sautee for about 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned on each side.
- Add in the garlic cloves and let caramelize for a few minutes. Pour in the white wine scraping the bottom to make sure all the yummy bits scrape up from the bottom. This is called deglazing.
- Add the chicken, salt and pepper into the pan and place the whole pan in a 400 degree oven UNCOVERED.
- Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees
- Remove the chicken from the oven and place back on the stove
- Bring the skillet back to a simmer, add the butter and peas and cook until a silky smooth sauce has formed
- Remove the chicken and potatoes from the pan and pour the sauce over them.
Notes
Just remember I always use a convection oven, so if you have a plain oven your time may need to be increased until the chicken is done.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Mila how beautiful is this?? Can I just come over for dinner? That crispy skin is ridiculous! Should be R rated š
Total chicken porn š
Mila , can this be frozen before the bake or after the bake?
I would freeze before the bake!
Your blog is awesome, I’ve shared this great recipe on my Facebook page. I found you through Spoonfull of Sugar!
Thank you so much wheelie!!! I appreciate all the shares and kind words! Hope to see you here again soon and often š
This looks like a perfect comfort, Sunday night dinner. Great recipe.
Thank you Janette! It so is!!
Coincidentally, I was going to make something a bit similar to this this past weekend, but I had no idea it was called chicken vesuvio! What a great name! And how delicious-sounding!
Your live as a waitress certainly sounds colourful … I’m surprised you didn’t get your meals for free, though!
Helen… Sometimes I did š
Ooo…I haven’t had Chicken Vesuvio in ages! You’re making my mouth water Mila!
Btw, love your nicknames for Mr. Vino and Mrs. Botox š
lol Kathleen no better names for them š
What a fab looking chicken dish! And I was shocked to hear about that jerk with the bottle of wine. Why would someone do that? That’s awful!
Cus he had an American Express Black and thought he could. Oh well… at least I got some nice tips out of it! Thanks for coming by Lorraine! I am actually going to be making this chicken dish this weekend!
hi what should be the replacement for wine ? i cant use that.
Hi Ayesha… There really isn’t anything you can substitute… However if this is a religion reason the alcohol evaporates and all that is left is the flavor. I have several clients who are of the Baha’i religion and they were fine doing this … If you are still not k with this, just substitute the wine for low sodium chicken stock so that it develops a bit more flavor while roasting… Also add some lemon zest in there to freshen the flavors up a bit. Please let me know if you have any other questions
Thanks a lot for your help. I will go with low sodium broth.
Hello, may I know what brand of white wine do u use?
Hi Mel… I just used a random Pinot Grigio that I had in the house. But honestly any white wine will do.
okie dookie, I shall get one and try It this or next wk.
Please let me know how it comes out!
Hi Mila,
sorry it took me so long to finally try this chicken. It is absolutely delicious. We love it!!
May I ask for your advise , my husband doesn’t really like the potato that is a little too soft, what would be another alternative way I can cook this potato?
You can roast them seperately!!
Hello, Mila!
I made this chicken some time ago and it came out very good. All my family loved it. Unfortunately I forgot to get white wine and had to use red (which I normally do not like to do – I do exactly as recipe requires, at least when I use it first time), so chicken was great, but potatoes were not as good. Next time I will be better, promise. I am going to use this recipe – I cook chicken very often.
Irina
The red probablly made everything a bit purple looking…:) You will notice what a difference it makes in the potatoes!
Hi, what kind of white wine do you use? I do not drink alcohol of any kind, have no knowledge of wines. The kind I used made the dish awful. Thanks!!
I have use Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, pretty much any white wine š
LOL, Mila…”So long scenic landscapes, hello 9 split checks and an entire bottle of red wine spilled down my crisp white shirt. Lovely.” You always have me cracking up…and this chicken…well, how do you clean drool off of a keyboard? š
Hahha thanks Marissa!!! I am so glad you actually read the stories of my posts š Glad to have made you smile š And honey…just let the drool dry š
What a beautiful dish! My mouth is watering! Pinned!
Thank you so much Mira!!!
How much oil do you need for searing the chicken? And can you use olive oil?
Hi there!!! You just need enough to cover the bottom of the pan! And yes feel free to use olive oil! Happy New Year to you!
How long would you suggest in a normal (not convection) oven at 400 degrees?
Hi Eula! Typically regular ovens cook 30% slower than convection. I would start by adding another 15 minutes and check it with a meat thermometer.
Hi. I want to do first half in advance and then just pop chicken in oven when guests arrive. I have completed everything and have the chicken taters and sauce in a pan ready to go in the oven. Is this ok.? Refrigerate or no.
Yup sounds perfect! Sorry just saw this as it sadly went to junk š but I am sure you did great!
Thanks for the recipe — just wanted to let you know the link to the Dutch Oven does not seem to work (returns a 404 – Not found from your site, doesn’t get to Amazon). I got the product code B000N501BK from the middle of the URL, so I was all good to check out your product recommendation.
Thank you Paul!!! I will look into it!!!
The link is working great, now, thanks for fixing it, looks like a great product!
Excellent recipe! I’m from Chicago as well, and used to having it with artichokes, so the one recommendation I have is to saute 1 can of quartered artichokes in 2 tablespoons of butter for 2-3 minutes over Medium heat — be sure to drain the water from the can first, don’t use artichokes stored in oil as it is flavored.
I only had dry herbs, so I used 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano plus 1 teaspoon dried thyme (before doubling, see below).
Since I didn’t have the dutch oven, I used a tall aluminum pot (7″ tall, 10″ across; no spatters as well that way) for browning 3 rounds of 4 pieces of chicken (4 breasts, 8 thighs, all bone-in) and then the potatoes for round 4.
The oven cooking time took twice as long (40 mins.) to get the large pieces to 165, maybe because I had twice as much chicken as your recipe? So at the 20 minute mark I took out all the smaller pieces (thighs). With the doubled cooking time, half of the potatoes lost their form, so next time I will also remove the potatoes when the first pieces of chicken are done.
Also don’t forget, cast iron is the best insulator so food will cook faster in it for sure. But I am glad you figured it out!
I do a recipe that is called Chicken under a Brick where the whole chicken is split down the backbone, splayed open and seared well with another pot on top. I did this with above recipe and it was very good.
OMG that sounds absolutely incredible!!!