Crispy Pepperoni Chicken

By Ali Slagle

Published Dec. 24, 2022

Crispy Pepperoni Chicken
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(596)
Comments
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Imagine a topping made of crispy pepperoni and crushed pizza crust, and you’ve got pepperoni crumbs, the genius creation of Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, authors of the cookbook “Italian American” and chefs at Don Angie, a restaurant in New York. To make them, cook chopped pepperoni until it gives off its salty, spicy, garlicky and brawny fat, then toast bread crumbs in that fat. In the book, the crumbs are sprinkled on a wedge salad, but they do wonders for weeknight chicken, too. What simply seared chicken breasts lack in fat, flavor and texture, these crumbs make up for easily. As for sides, consider a radicchio salad, iceberg salad, roasted peppers, roasted broccoli rabe or simmered broccoli.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½ to 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed, plus more as needed
  • ½lemon or 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2ounces pepperoni, coarsely chopped (about ½ cup)
  • ½cup panko or dried coarse bread crumbs
  • ¼cup finely chopped parsley (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

499 calories; 26 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 52 grams protein; 635 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If you’re using chicken breasts, pound them to an even ½-inch thickness with a heavy skillet or meat pounder.

  2. Step 2

    Season the chicken breasts or thighs lightly with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Turn off the heat. Transfer the chicken to a platter or serving plates and squeeze the lemon over the chicken.

  4. Step 4

    Wipe the skillet out, or if there are burnt bits in the skillet, rinse and dry it. Return to medium heat and cook the pepperoni, stirring often, until it starts to brown and the pan looks oily, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. If at any point you don’t hear sizzling, that means the pan’s dry, so add more oil. (Turkey pepperoni is leaner than pork and will need additional oil.) Stir in the parsley, if using, then pile the crumbs on top of the chicken.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
596 user ratings
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Comments

PV

This recipe flummoxed me. Why were the crispy bits merely a topping? I followed the recipe, but put the chicken cutlets through an egg wash, dredged them in the topping, and fried them. It was very satisfying with some pasta and cherry tomatoes roasted in oil, balsamic vinegar, and sea salt.

Robert

Lesson learned - do not use thin pre-sliced pepperoni. Nor Turkey pepperoni

mb

queen you have done it again

Martin

We loved this, with a few tweaks. Doubled the topping. We made it with two packs of pancetta, trimming as much fat as possible. Added in about 1/2 cup of garlic scapes (~3 cloves of garlic), used a full cup of panko. I pounded down the breasts to 1/2” and reverse seared the chicken 330 until it was 145 degrees (~ 1/2hr). The put in a medium hot skillet 1 min per side. I like reverse searing because it ensures the breast comes out tender and juicy every time. Splash of white wine in the pan, added the drippings from the oven cook, then 4 mins for the pancetta and another 4 mins adding the garlic/panko. Didn’t bother with the lemon or parsley. Served with garlic bread or gnocchi. So good, this will be on our regular rotation.

Alan

My wife thinks this would be better with a bacony flavour instead

Alyson

Made recipe as written. Easy to make. Chicken was a little dry - could also use more lemon juice and red pepper if you like spice (which we do). I like the suggestions of using an egg wash to make the panko stick. Will try that next. Flavors were nearly there tho. Paired it with a caprese arugula salad.

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