A hearty, rustic, and deeply satisfying one-pan meal, this dish brings together juicy chicken thighs with crisped skin, savory Italian sausage, tender potatoes, and sweet roasted bell peppers. Everything cooks in the same skillet, so the flavors build in layers: the chicken renders flavorful fat, the sausage caramelizes at the edges, and the vegetables soak up every bit of that rich, seasoned goodness. It’s the kind of dinner that feels comforting and generous, yet it’s simple enough for a busy weeknight and impressive enough to place right on the table for guests.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs, skin on (bone-in for extra flavor if available)
- Italian sausage links, sliced into rounds
- Assorted bell peppers (red, yellow, green), sliced
- Potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, oregano
- Optional: paprika, garlic powder, or crushed red pepper for extra flavor
Instructions
- Prepare your pan and heat it properly.
Choose a large, heavy skillet or sauté pan with enough surface area to hold the chicken, sausage, potatoes, and peppers without overcrowding. Place it over medium heat and let the pan warm up for a minute or two so it’s ready to sear. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, just enough to coat the bottom in a thin, even layer. Allow the oil to heat until it shimmers slightly, which helps the chicken skin crisp instead of sticking. - Sear the chicken thighs skin-side down.
Lay the chicken thighs in the pan skin-side down, arranging them so each piece makes direct contact with the hot surface. Once they’re down, resist the urge to move them right away. Let them cook undisturbed for several minutes so the skin can turn golden and crisp. This step is essential: it creates a deep savory flavor and helps render fat from the skin, which becomes the flavorful cooking base for everything else in the pan. When the skin looks crisp and richly browned, you’ve built the foundation of the dish. - Create space and add the sausage slices.
Using tongs or a spatula, push the browned chicken thighs to one side of the skillet, keeping them in the pan. In the empty space, add the sliced Italian sausage rounds in a single layer as much as possible. Cook them for 3–4 minutes, letting the edges caramelize lightly. This quick browning deepens the sausage flavor and adds another layer of savory richness to the pan. As the sausage cooks, it will mingle with the rendered chicken fat and olive oil, intensifying the aroma and creating a delicious base for the vegetables. - Add the potatoes and bell peppers to the pan.
Scatter the diced potatoes and sliced bell peppers into the skillet, distributing them around the sausage and chicken. Stir gently, being careful not to tear the chicken skin. The goal is to coat the potatoes and peppers in the hot, flavorful fat already in the pan. This coating is what helps the potatoes cook up tender and well-seasoned, and it encourages the peppers to soften into sweet, roasted strands rather than staying watery. - Add optional spices at the right moment.
If you’re using any of the optional spices—paprika, garlic powder, or crushed red pepper—sprinkle them in now, while the vegetables are freshly added and still being stirred. Adding spices at this stage helps them bloom in the warm fat and spread evenly through the dish, so you get consistent flavor in every bite without needing extra steps or extra ingredients. - Season generously and add herbs for aroma.
Season the entire pan with salt and pepper to taste. If using optional fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano, add them now as well. As the dish cooks, the herbs release their aroma into the steam under the lid and into the rendered fat in the pan. This infuses the chicken, sausage, potatoes, and peppers with earthy, comforting notes that make the final dish taste slow-cooked and deeply savory, even though it’s made in one pan.
- Cover, reduce heat, and let everything cook together.
Reduce the heat to medium-low so the contents simmer gently rather than scorch. Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid to trap steam and help the potatoes cook through while keeping the chicken juicy. Let everything cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you stir, focus on moving the potatoes and peppers around so they cook evenly, and keep the chicken thighs positioned so the skin stays as crisp as possible. During this covered cooking time, the potatoes should become tender, the peppers should soften and turn sweet, and the chicken should finish cooking through. - Adjust timing if using bone-in chicken thighs.
If your chicken thighs are bone-in, they may need a few extra minutes beyond the 20–25 minute range. Keep the pan covered and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are fully tender. The benefit of bone-in thighs is extra flavor and juiciness, so the slightly longer cook time is worth it. - Serve straight from the pan for a rustic presentation.
Once everything is cooked through, bring the skillet right to the table for serving. This dish is meant to look abundant and homey: browned chicken thighs with crisp skin, savory sausage rounds, tender potatoes, and vibrant peppers all piled together. Serve generous portions so everyone gets a bit of everything. Each bite should combine the crisp, savory chicken skin, the rich sausage, and the vegetables that have absorbed all the seasoned pan flavors.