This recipe for crispy chicken with pancetta and butter beans is a real midweek winner. Golden, crispy chicken sits on top of a rich tomato sauce studded with soft onions and creamy butter beans, all simmered together with pancetta and rosemary.
Squash some of the butter beans into the sauce as it cooks and you won’t need rice or pasta on the side – just serve it with crusty bread so everyone can dip in and mop up all that delicious sauce.
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Bacon works just as well as pancetta in this recipe, and Parma ham is another good alternative if that’s what you have to hand.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 chicken, jointed into 8 pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you)
- 200g pancetta or streaky bacon
- 4 red onions, cut into wedges
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 1 sprig of rosemary, whole
- 250ml/9fl oz wine (red or white both work well)
- 250ml/9fl oz chicken stock
- 2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes
- 2 x 400g tins butter beans in water, drained
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper, to season
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 170ºC / 350ºF.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken in batches until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the pancetta to the pan and fry until it’s just beginning to brown, then add the onion, garlic and finely chopped rosemary. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, then pour in the wine and the stock.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the onion wedges start to soften and the liquid has reduced by half.
4. Add the tomatoes, beans, sugar, bay leaf and whole rosemary sprig, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and bring back to a simmer. Transfer the mixture to a roasting tin and sit the chicken on top.
5. Bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and crisp, the sauce is bubbling and the onions are soft.
Recipe by Judy Kavanagh, food writer and mum of 2.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. The sauce base (onions, pancetta, wine, stock, tomatoes and beans) can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Bring it back to a simmer, then add the browned chicken on top and finish in the oven as directed.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of a whole jointed chicken?
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or a jointed chicken give the best flavour and crispiest skin, but if you prefer, bone-in breasts will work too – just keep an eye on cooking time as they can dry out faster than thigh pieces.
What can I serve with this instead of crusty bread?
While crusty bread is perfect for dipping, mashed potato or a simple green salad also work well alongside this dish if you’d like something extra.
Can I freeze this dish?
The sauce freezes well on its own. However, the chicken skin won’t stay crispy after freezing and reheating, so this is best enjoyed fresh if you want that crispy finish.
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