Italian-Style Chicken Recipes

October 06, 2009
Photo: Beau Gustafson
Turn your dinner table into an Italian restaurant with these easy chicken recipes that are perfect for weeknight dinners and entertaining.
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Charred Lemon Chicken Piccata

Photo: Justin Walker; Styling: Carla Gonzalez-Hart
Charred Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe
Lightly charring the lemon slices intensifies their flavor and creates a gorgeous look. Be sure to include any of the sweet, tangy liquid the lemons give off in the bowl; it adds incredible depth to the sauce.
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Chicken Parmesan over Zucchini Noodles

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Chicken Parmesan over Zucchini Noodles Recipe

A julienne peeler creates lovely "zoodles," but may we suggest a spiralizer? It works like a pencil sharpener, turning veggies into noodles (look for them at kitchen stores and amazon.com).

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Chicken with Pepperoni-Marinara Sauce

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr and Leigh Ann Ross
Chicken with Pepperoni-Marinara Sauce Recipe
Commercial marinara sauce and quick-cooking chicken cutlets give you a jump start on dinner when preparing this Italian-inspired chicken entree. Pepperoni slices and shredded mozzarella make this meal appealing to kids and adults alike.
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Fettuccine with Chicken and Squash

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps 
Fettuccine with Chicken and Squash Recipe
Incorporate more vegetables into your weeknight menu with Fettuccine with Chicken and Squash—a variation on a favorite Italian classic.

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Chicken Marsala

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett
Chicken Marsala Recipe
If you’re selecting a dish to serve to company, you can’t miss with this classic Italian chicken dish. This version is particularly tasty because you coat the thin pieces of chicken in a mixture of flour and ground pecans.

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Chicken Risotto with Spring Vegetables

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Pursell
Chicken Risotto with Spring Vegetables Recipe
Make a main dish meal of rice by adding chicken, asparagus, zucchini, herbs and cheese to a a creamy risotto.
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Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr
Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe
Freshen up a classic chicken dish by using Meyer lemons for the sauce. These lemons have a great tangy aroma and are sweeter and less acidic that regular lemons.

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Chicken Cacciatore

Photo: Dana Gallagher
Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
The online audience loves this Real Simple recipe, and one reviewer claims "When I make this dish it's like Giada came to my house and made it herself!"

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Tuscan Baked Chicken and Beans

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Mindi Shapiro
Tuscan Baked Chicken and Beans Recipe
This savory Italian-inspired recipe is a wonderful way to prepare a budget-friendly whole chicken. Fresh rosemary, cannellini beans, and canned diced tomatoes make this dish flavorful, yet simple to prepare.
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Chicken with Italian Sweet-Sour Fennel

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Chicken with Italian Sweet-Sour Fennel Recipe
Experiment with fennel—a great source of vitamins and minerals—for a fun new flavor that pairs well with chicken.

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Italian Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Soup

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Karen Shinto
Italian Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Soup Recipe
We like the fennel flavor of Italian sausage, but any chicken sausage will work. Artichokes and chard amp up the health factor of this heartwarming soup.

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Parmesan Polenta and Spicy Sausage Sauce

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Cindy Barr
Parmesan Polenta and Spicy Sausage Sauce Recipe
Top creamy parmesan polenta with a spicy tomato sauce filled with fresh herbs and sun-dried tomato chicken sausage.
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Italian Roasted Chicken

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Italian Roasted Chicken Recipe
Reserve the garlic skins, leftover herbs, and roasted bones for the slow cooker stock in Dinner 3. And be sure to save the chicken skin and one of the chickens, as directed in steps 2 and 4.

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Chicken Piccata with Capers

Photo: Lee Harrelson
Chicken Piccata with Capers Recipe
To make this classic Italian recipe, brown thin pieces of chicken in a skillet, deglaze the pan with lemon juice, wine and capers, and serve over pasta. It's easy enough for weeknight family fare, but special enough for company.

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Herbed Chicken Parmesan

Photo: Lee Harrelson
Herbed Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Take a shortcut with this classic Italian dish and use a jarred pasta sauce instead of making tomato sauce from scratch. Mixing herbs into the breadcrumb coating is an easy way to add extra flavor.
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Chicken and Basil Calzones

Photo: Beau Gustafson; Styling: Cindy Barr
Chicken and Basil Calzones Recipe
Making calzones is easy when you start with a can of refrigerated pizza crust dough. Because this recipe features ground chicken breast in place of ground beef, it's lower in fat and calories than a traditional meat-stuffed calzone.

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Grilled Chicken with Italian Salsa

Lee Harrelson
Grilled Chicken with Italian Salsa Recipe
Make a simple salsa with fresh tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and a splash of orange juice, and spoon it over grilled herbed-marinated chicken breasts.

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Italian Chicken with Chickpeas

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Melanie J. Clarke
Italian Chicken with Chickpeas Recipe
This rustic meal is cooked in one skillet in about 20 minutes, making it ideal for a quick weeknight dinner. Pantry items such as canned tomatoes, canned chickpeas and bottled minced garlic keep the preparation simple.
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Sicilian Chicken

Lee Harrelson
Sicilian Chicken Recipe
Simmering the chicken pieces in tomatoes, olives, golden raisins, balsamic vinegar and basil provides the flavors of Sicily in this one-skillet dish.

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Grilled Chicken Parm with Croutons

Photo: Iain Bagwell
Grilled Chicken Parm with Croutons Recipe
Scatter croutons around the chicken, then spoon marinara sauce, and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling.

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Chicken Stuffed with Sausage and Breadcrumbs

Randy Mayor
Chicken Stuffed with Sausage and Breadcrumbs Recipe
Stuffing chicken breasts with a mixture of sausage and breadcrumbs is a great way to turn plain chicken into an extraordinary entree.
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Pesto Fettuccine with Chicken

Pesto Fettuccine with Chicken Recipe
Pesto and pasta are two quintessential Italian ingredients, and when you combine them with tomatoes and chicken, you've got dinner.

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Italian-Seasoned Chicken Breasts

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen
Italian-Seasoned Chicken Breasts Recipe
One of the easiest ways to add Italian flavor to chicken is to coat it with Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs and serve with an herbed tomato sauce. The sauce in this recipe uses pantry ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

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Chicken Focaccia Sandwiches

Photo: Beau Gustafson
Chicken Focaccia Sandwiches Recipe
Top sliced chicken with onion, bell pepper and cheese, and serve on focaccia bread for a quick and easy main dish sandwich.
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