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Crispy chicken thighs team up with a deeply flavorful stewed sweet pepper sauce for a comforting dinner recipe you’ll want on repeat.

A thick stewy sweet pepper sauce bursting with flavor works magic with crisp, juicy chicken thighs.

I live for a good chicken thigh recipe, and this is one of my favorites. I’ve made this recipe over the years, and it never fails to impress. The thick, stewy sauce has subtle sweet, smoky undertones that just work beautifully with crisp pan-fried chicken thighs. Leeks and plenty of garlic add a great aroma which makes the sauce even more irresistible.

This is a very loose nod to the classic Hungarian chicken paprikash which I adored when I was in Budapest. In this version, I don’t add sour cream to the sauce, so it’s a bit lighter than traditional paprikash. I used a mix of Spanish paprika and smoked paprika, but you could grab a jar of Hungarian paprika too. I’ve made this with Hungarian hot paprika for extra kick, and it’s divine that way too!

How to make chicken with stewed sweet peppers

What you need

Vegetables and aromatics: I use mini sweet peppers which I trim, deseed, and slice into rounds. You can use bell peppers if you prefer. I also use leeks and garlic as the aromatic base of the recipe.
Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. I don’t recommend boneless, skinless as they won’t have as much flavor. You could use split chicken breasts, but be mindful that they will take longer to bake in the oven. If you like, you could make this with a whole cut-up chicken or with drumsticks instead. Cooking time will vary.
Spices: I use Spanish paprika, smoked paprika, and cayenne powder.
Sauce: I thicken the sauce with flour and then add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. While you could use diced tomatoes, they will make the sauce a bit thinner. I recommend sticking with crushed!
For serving: White rice, pearl couscous, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes would all be delicious options. I also finish with freshly minced parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

How to make it

Step 1: Start with prepping all of the ingredients. The recipe moves quickly after you brown the chicken, so you want to make sure everything is sliced and minced and ready to go.
Step 2: Brown the chicken in an oven-safe skillet or large braising dish until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy. Remove it from the skillet and transfer to a plate. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of chicken fat in the skillet. You may need a bit of the fat later in the recipe, so don’t discard it just yet!

Step 3: Sauté the leeks and sweet peppers for 6 to 8 minutes until they soften. Add minced garlic and cook until just fragrant.
Step 4: Coat the vegetables in the sweet and smoked paprika and cayenne powder. Add the flour and cook briefly until the paprika deepens in color. If the pot seems dry, add a teaspoon of that reserved chicken fat now! You only need about 1 minute to toast the flour and spices.

Step 5: Next, add the chicken stock and stir until smooth. Add the crushed tomatoes and finish with a pinch of sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 6: From there, place the chicken thighs and on top and transfer to the oven for about 30 minutes or until the thighs register 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.

After that, you’re ready to serve! Finish the chicken with freshly minced parsley and serve with your side of choice.

Looking for more chicken recipes? Check my archives!

If you made this recipe, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment to tell me how you liked it! If you take a picture of it, please tag me on Instagram so I can feature you in my feed!

Crispy Chicken with Stewed Sweet Peppers

Easy to prepare, this crispy chicken with stewed sweet peppers is one of those perfect weeknight recipes.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Inactive time: 25

Total Time: 1 15

Servings:

Calories: 607kcal

Equipment

Ovenproof Braising Pot or Wide Skillet

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 to 8 thighs)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts only; halved lengthwise, thoroughly rinsed, and thinly sliced into half-moons)
6 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
1 pound mini sweet peppers (trimmed, seeded, and sliced into rounds)
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
14.5- ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (plus more to taste)

For serving:

1 tablespoon parsley (minced)
1 lemon (quartered)
Cooked egg noodles, white rice, or pearl couscous

Instructions

Brown the chicken:

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Pat the chicken dry and season all over with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
In an oven-proof wide skillet or braising pot, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until very hot.
Add the chicken, skin-side down and cook for 5 minutes until well-browned and crispy. Flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of chicken fat from the pot. Return the skillet to medium heat.

Sauté the aromatics:

Add the leeks and the peppers to the skillet and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes or they soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sweet paprika, 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon cayenne powder over the vegetables and toss to coat.

Prepare the sauce:

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. If the pot seems dry, add a teaspoon or two of the reserved chicken fat. Cook for 1 minute until the paprika begins to deepen in color, being careful not to burn the spices.
Slowly stir in the chicken stock until completely smooth. Bring to a boil and add the crushed tomatoes. Turn off the heat. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken:

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165ºF when inserted into the deepest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven.

To serve:

Scatter minced parsley over the chicken. Serve with cooked pearl couscous, rice, or egg noodles and a lemon wedge. Enjoy!

Nutrition

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Chicken with Stewed Sweet Peppers

A thick stewy sweet pepper sauce bursting with flavor works magic with crisp, juicy chicken thighs.