The Lazy 3-Ingredient Chicken I Make on Empty-Fridge Nights

People assume that as a recipe developer, I’m always eating fabulous, elaborate meals. But I’m here to put an end to that myth once and for all. Like everyone else, sometimes I’m just too busy to do things like buy groceries or spend a bunch of time on dinner. 

It was on one of those harried days when the fridge was looking pretty empty that I came up with this dish, banana pepper chicken—a quick way to feed myself with only a few ingredients. 

Banana pepper chicken is made a lot like chicken piccata, a recipe I was testing at the time. I started with the same idea of searing chicken in a sauté pan, then deglazing the pan with something full of briny flavor—in this case, jarred pickled banana peppers rather than capers. I then finished the sauce with a little butter for richness. 

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the dish and found myself making it again for a quick lunch several days later.

Easy Recipe Tweaks

• Other pickles: You can adapt this recipe to suit whatever you have half a jar of in the fridge, including capers, olives, peppadew peppers, or sliced pepperoncini.
• Add herbs: For a fresh note, add chopped fresh herbs like parsley or basil to garnish.
• Flour the chicken: To create more of a crust on the chicken, dredge the chicken breasts in seasoned flour before cooking.
• Make a creamy sauce: To create a creamy version of the dish, skip the water and butter and instead add 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese to the skillet with the banana peppers and brine.

What To Serve With My Banana Pepper Chicken

Banana pepper chicken is an easy, quick-cooking main dish, so it needs side dishes that aren’t too fussy to go with it. Some of my favorites are frozen french fries, a simple green salad, polenta, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles.