Oven Baked Fried Chicken Puttanesca. A fusion of southern fried chicken with a classic Italian pasta sauce that just works! Such a delicious and satisfying combination of flavours in a quick weekday meal.
This combination may seem odd but when you think of the herbs in the fried chicken, they are very common to Italian cuisine as well. So, this chicken pairs very well with the simple puttanesca tomato sauce.
This is a delicious idea that really works and the fact that the chicken is oven baked instead of fried is an added bonus.
The recipe is very forgiving too, add extra tomatoes to stretch the sauce if you like. Add more or less chili flakes to make it spicier, or leave them out altogether.
The same goes for optional ingredients like capers and olives, add more, less, or omit them to make the recipe to your own taste.
You can simplify the spice mix here as well. Something as simple as salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder can be very delicious too.
As I always say, any recipe is just a starting point. It’s up to you to make it just the way you like.
NOTE: I like to debone my own chicken breasts so that I can roast the bones and skins for stock later. I freeze them until I have enough to cover a baking sheet then use the instructions in my post on making Chicken Stock here.
If you can’t get enough of great pasta dinner recipes, please check out our collection of 20 Best Pasta Dinners!
Originally published March 2012
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Oven Baked Fried Chicken Puttanesca
Oven Baked Fried Chicken Puttanesca. A fusion of southern fried chicken with a classic Italian pasta sauce that just works! Such a delicious and satisfying combination of flavours in a quick weekday meal.
Ingredients
For the Oven Fried chicken
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 eggs mixed with 2 tbsp water to make an egg wash
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tbsp ground sage
- 1/2 tbsp dried basil
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tbsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional or to taste )
For the Puttanesca Sauce
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 8 large very ripe, tomatoes, chopped ( or one 32 oz can crushed tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional or to taste)
- 3 tbsp chopped capers (optional)
- 1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried basil)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
- 2/3 cup kalamata olives ( optional, sun dried olives are excellent too)
- 1 small red pepper chopped
Instructions
To prepare the Oven Fried Chicken
- I like to prepare the chicken first and ten make the sauce while the chicken is in the oven,
- Combine the flour with all of the herbs and spices.
- Cut the chicken into large nuggets or fingers.
- Dip the chicken pieces in the flour and spice mixture, pressing it on firmly to coat the pieces evenly.
- Quickly dip each piece into the prepared egg wash and then back into the flour and spice mixture.
To bake the chicken pieces
- Coat the bottom of a cookie sheet or large baking pan with the 3 tbsp vegetable oil. I use a pastry brush to evenly coat it.
- Place the coated chicken pieces in the oiled pan and, if you like, lightly spray the tops with olive oil from a spray bottle.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces or until thoroughly cooked at the center.
- Turn the chicken pieces over once, half way through the cooking time.
To prepare the Puttanesca Sauce
- Saute over the garlic and olive oil over medium heat for only a minute.
- Add the tomatoes, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes, capers, anchovy paste, basil, oregano,.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper
- Simmer together for about 10 - 20 minutes until a thick sauce develops.
- Add the olives and red pepper.
- Cook together for another 2 to 3 minutes, just to warm the peppers and olives through.
- Serve over cooked pasta along with the fried chicken pieces.
- Garnish with additional fresh herbs and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutritional information does not include the pasta.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 653Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 249mgSodium 812mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 6gSugar 13gProtein 61g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.