This easy Jamie Oliver Chicken Arrabbiata is a quick, flavorful dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. Featuring tender grilled chicken, a spicy tomato sauce, and fresh basil, it’s a hearty and satisfying meal. You can customize it with pantry staples like olives or capers, making it both flexible and delicious for any occasion.
Ingredients Needed
- 4 free-range skinless chicken breasts (approx. 680g / 1.5 lbs)
- Olive oil (a good drizzle)
- 5 fresh red chillies
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 bunch of fresh basil (30g / 1 oz)
- 3 x 400g (3 x 14 oz) tins of quality plum tomatoes
- 10 black olives (stone in)
- 600g (21 oz) ripe mixed-colour tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons baby capers
- ½ a lemon
- Parmesan cheese (for grating)
- 2 handfuls of rocket (arugula)
How To Make Chicken Arrabiata
- Flatten the chicken: Place the chicken breasts between two layers of greaseproof paper and bash with a rolling pin until about 1cm (½ inch) thick.
- Season the chicken: Rub the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, then set aside.
- Prepare the base ingredients: Prick 4 chillies with a fork, peel and finely slice 4 garlic cloves, and pick the basil leaves, finely chopping the stalks.
- Cook the aromatics: Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a medium pan over low heat. Add the pricked chillies, sliced garlic, basil stalks, and half of the basil leaves. Cook for 15–20 minutes until softened but not colored.
- Remove chillies and basil leaves: Take out the chillies and scrape out their seeds, keeping the flesh. Remove the basil leaves, now translucent, and save them for later.
- Make the sauce: Turn the heat to medium, add the remaining basil leaves and the tinned plum tomatoes. Break the tomatoes with a spoon and let the sauce bubble for 20 minutes or until thickened.
- Add fresh ingredients: Tear up the olives and roughly chop the mixed tomatoes. Stir them into the sauce with most of the capers. Season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the chicken: Heat a griddle pan on high. Once hot, cook the chicken breasts for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
- Crisp the garlic and capers: Finely slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves and fry them with the rest of the capers in olive oil until crispy.
- Plate the dish: Slice the chicken into strips and place them on a serving platter over the tomato sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Finely chop the remaining chilli, and sprinkle it on top along with the crispy garlic, capers, grated lemon zest, and Parmesan. Finish with rocket and reserved basil leaves, then serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Flatten the chicken evenly: Make sure the chicken breasts are an even 1cm (½ inch) thick to cook them quickly and evenly without drying out.
- Adjust the spice level: If you prefer less heat, reduce the number of chillies or remove all seeds for a milder sauce.
- Griddle the chicken properly: Preheat the griddle pan until it’s very hot. This ensures the chicken gets a nice char without sticking.
- Don’t skip the fresh garnishes: The lemon zest, Parmesan, and rocket add brightness and texture, perfectly balancing the spicy sauce.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the Chicken Arrabbiata cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Allow the Chicken Arrabbiata to cool completely, then place it in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, move it to the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Place the chicken and sauce in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and cook for 8–10 minutes until fully reheated.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 265g)
- Calories: 443
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Cholesterol: 97mg
- Sodium: 284mg
- Potassium: 567mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 32g
- Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Sugars: 4g
- Protein: 22g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Bolognese Recipe
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Couscous
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Parcels
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Noodle Stir Fry 5 Ingredients
Jamie Oliver Chicken Arrabiata Recipe
Description
This easy Jamie Oliver Chicken Arrabbiata is a quick, flavorful dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. Featuring tender grilled chicken, a spicy tomato sauce, and fresh basil, it’s a hearty and satisfying meal. You can customize it with pantry staples like olives or capers, making it both flexible and delicious for any occasion.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Flatten the chicken: Place the chicken breasts between two layers of greaseproof paper and bash with a rolling pin until about 1cm (½ inch) thick.
- Season the chicken: Rub the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, then set aside.
- Prepare the base ingredients: Prick 4 chillies with a fork, peel and finely slice 4 garlic cloves, and pick the basil leaves, finely chopping the stalks.
- Cook the aromatics: Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a medium pan over low heat. Add the pricked chillies, sliced garlic, basil stalks, and half of the basil leaves. Cook for 15–20 minutes until softened but not colored.
- Remove chillies and basil leaves: Take out the chillies and scrape out their seeds, keeping the flesh. Remove the basil leaves, now translucent, and save them for later.
- Make the sauce: Turn the heat to medium, add the remaining basil leaves and the tinned plum tomatoes. Break the tomatoes with a spoon and let the sauce bubble for 20 minutes or until thickened.
- Add fresh ingredients: Tear up the olives and roughly chop the mixed tomatoes. Stir them into the sauce with most of the capers. Season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the chicken: Heat a griddle pan on high. Once hot, cook the chicken breasts for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
- Crisp the garlic and capers: Finely slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves and fry them with the rest of the capers in olive oil until crispy.
- Plate the dish: Slice the chicken into strips and place them on a serving platter over the tomato sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Finely chop the remaining chilli, and sprinkle it on top along with the crispy garlic, capers, grated lemon zest, and Parmesan. Finish with rocket and reserved basil leaves, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Flatten the chicken evenly: Make sure the chicken breasts are an even 1cm (½ inch) thick to cook them quickly and evenly without drying out.
- Adjust the spice level: If you prefer less heat, reduce the number of chillies or remove all seeds for a milder sauce.
- Griddle the chicken properly: Preheat the griddle pan until it’s very hot. This ensures the chicken gets a nice char without sticking.
- Don’t skip the fresh garnishes: The lemon zest, Parmesan, and rocket add brightness and texture, perfectly balancing the spicy sauce.
Jamie Oliver Chicken Arrabiata Recipe