Why You’ll Love This this Rustic Italian Chicken Murphy
This hearty, one-pot wonder brings together tender chicken, savory Italian sausage, and perfectly cubed potatoes in a wine-spiked sauce that’ll make your kitchen smell like a rustic Italian trattoria.
The beauty of Chicken Murphy lies in its forgiving nature – you can dial up the heat with those cherry peppers or keep things mellow, depending on whether you’re feeding spice lovers or, well, people with functioning taste buds.
Plus, when you serve this golden, saucy masterpiece over a bed of angel hair pasta, you’re basically guaranteeing that everyone at your table will be too busy eating to complain about anything else.
Ingredients List
This rustic Italian feast calls for simple, hearty ingredients that you can probably grab during your regular grocery run.
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cubed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 lb Italian sausage, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 4 large potatoes
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sliced hot cherry pepper
- 1 lb angel hair pasta
Here are a few things to keep in mind about these ingredients:
- The combination of chicken and Italian sausage gives you plenty of protein, though it does bump up the overall fat content.
- Those potatoes add good carbs and fiber, especially if you leave the skins on.
- White wine adds flavor but most of the alcohol cooks off, so you’re not getting those empty calories.
- The cherry peppers pack vitamins A and C along with that spicy kick.
- Angel hair pasta keeps things light compared to heavier pasta shapes, and you can always swap in whole wheat if you want extra fiber.
Step by Step Directions
Making this hearty Italian dish is straightforward and perfect for feeding a crowd on a weeknight.
- Dredge the cubed chicken breast in flour until well coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the floured chicken until golden brown, then set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, cook the diced onion and Italian sausage pieces in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until the sausage is thoroughly cooked.
- Stir the golden chicken back into the sausage mixture.
- Microwave the potatoes until tender but not mushy, then cube them (keeping skins on or off based on preference) and add to the meat mixture.
- Combine white wine, vinegar, and water in a medium bowl, then pour into the Dutch oven.
- Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Add the sliced hot cherry peppers and continue cooking until you reach your desired spice level (longer cooking time equals more heat).
- While the chicken and sausage mixture simmers, cook the angel hair pasta in boiling water until al dente, then drain.
- Serve the chicken and sausage mixture over the pasta.
For best results, use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven which provides superior heat retention and even cooking for this rustic dish.
Substitutions and Variations
- Potato alternatives – Sweet potatoes add an interesting twist, or try fingerling potatoes for a fancier presentation that makes you look like you know what you’re doing.
- Pasta variety – Any long pasta works here, really. Linguine, spaghetti, even penne if that’s what’s hiding in your pantry.
- Heat level control – Can’t find hot cherry peppers? Regular cherry peppers work fine, just add some red pepper flakes to bring the heat back.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This hearty dish practically begs for some classic Italian sides that won’t compete with all those bold flavors.
- Garlic bread – Because to be frank, you need something to soak up that amazing sauce, and plain bread just feels sad next to all this Italian goodness.
- Simple green salad – A basic mix of greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar cuts through the richness without overwhelming your taste buds.
- Roasted vegetables – Zucchini, bell peppers, or broccoli work beautifully, though I’d skip anything too fancy since the Murphy is already the star of this show.
- Caesar salad – The creamy dressing and crunchy croutons make a nice contrast to all that tender chicken and sausage.
- Steamed broccoli – Sometimes the simplest sides are the smartest choice, especially when you want something green on the plate that won’t steal the spotlight.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Getting this dish right comes down to timing and a few sneaky tricks that’ll save you from kitchen disasters.
- Don’t skip the flour dredging – That light coating on the chicken isn’t just for show, it helps create a golden crust and thickens your sauce naturally as everything simmers together.
- Cook your sausage until it’s actually done – I’m talking about that moment when it stops looking like sad, pale meat and gets those beautiful brown bits that add serious flavor to the whole dish.
- Microwave those potatoes first – Sure, it feels like cheating, but trying to cook raw potatoes in the skillet will leave you with either mush or rocks, and nobody wants either.
- Taste-test the pepper heat as you go – Those cherry peppers can range from “gentle warmth” to “call the fire department,” so add them gradually and let them simmer a bit before deciding if you need more.
- Save some pasta water – If your sauce looks too thick or your pasta seems dry, a splash of that starchy cooking water works magic to bring everything together.
- Let the wine cook off properly – You want that alcohol to evaporate so you’re left with the rich, deep flavor instead of a boozy mess that overpowers everything else.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty Italian-American dish packs substantial nutrition with its combination of lean protein, complex carbs, and vegetables.
- Calories: Approximately 650-750 per serving (serves 6)
- Protein: 45-50g from chicken breast and Italian sausage
- Carbohydrates: 65-70g primarily from pasta and potatoes
- Fat: 18-22g from olive oil, sausage, and minimal chicken fat
- Fiber: 4-6g from potatoes and pasta
- Sodium: 800-1000mg (mostly from sausage and cherry peppers)
- Potassium: 800-900mg from potatoes and chicken
- Iron: 3-4mg from meat and enriched pasta
- Vitamin C: 15-20mg from potatoes and peppers
- Calcium: 50-70mg from various ingredients
- Complex carbs: Provides sustained energy from pasta and potato starch
- Complete proteins: All essential amino acids from the chicken and sausage combination
Fun “Did You Know?”
Beyond its impressive nutritional profile, Chicken Murphy carries fascinating stories that’ll surprise you.
I uncovered this dish wasn’t born in Italy—it’s actually an Italian-American creation from New Jersey! The “Murphy” name likely comes from Irish-Italian neighborhoods where cultures blended beautifully.
Here’s what amazes me: the hot cherry peppers aren’t just for heat—they’re packed with vitamin C, containing more than oranges!
The dish traditionally uses whatever potatoes you’ve got on hand, making it a true “clean out the pantry” meal.
Most surprising? The white wine and vinegar combination creates natural tenderizing enzymes that break down tough proteins perfectly.
