People assume that as a recipe developer I always eat fabulous, detailed meals. But I’m here to put an end to that myth once and for all. Like everyone else, I’m sometimes just too busy to do things like buying groceries or spending a lot of time at dinner.
It was on one of the hard days when the fridge looked pretty empty that I came with this bowl, Banana Pepper Chicken – a quick way to feed myself with only a few ingredients.
BananaPeber chicken is made much like chicken piccata, a recipe I tested at the time. I started with the same idea of hovering chicken in a sauté pan and then breaking down the pan with something full of briny -flavor -in this case, pickled pickered banana pepper rather than capers. Then I finished the sauce with a little butter for wealth.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the dish and found that I made it again for a quick lunch several days later.
What to serve with my banana pepper chicken
BananaPeber chicken is a lightweight, quick-prepared main course so it needs side dishes that are not too fussy to go with it. Some of my favorites are frozen french fries, a simple green salad, polenta, mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.
Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
How to make my 3-ingredient banana pepper chicken
To make four portions you need:
- 4 boned, skinless chicken chops (or 2 large breasts, butterfly then knocked thin)
- Kosher salt and freshly painted black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup of jarred slices banana pepper with saline
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil in a 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat until it shines. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, approx. 5 minutes per Page. Remove the chicken from the pan and put it aside. (Don’t wipe your forehead!)
Add banana pepper fruits and their salt water to the now empty frying pan and scrape all browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add a splash of water (up to 1/4 cup) if the pan looks dry and bring to a sim. Reduce heat to low and stir the softened butter.
Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and baste them with banana pepper sauce. Cook until heated and the sauce is glossy, 2 to 3 minutes and serve.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Easy recipe adjustments
- You can customize this recipe to fit what you have half a jar in the fridge, including capers, olives, peppadew pepper or sliced pepperoncini.
- To a fresh note, add chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or basil for decoration.
- To create more of a crust on the chicken, muddy the chicken breasts in spicy flour before cooking.
- To create a creamy version of the bowl, skip the water and butter and add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese for the frying pan with banana pepper and salt water.