Featured Reader Review
Sarah said, “Unbelievably delicious. This will be a staple in my home. I served it over garlic mashed potatoes.”
I could make this recipe with my eyes closed and hands tied behind my back.
Alright, perhaps hands being tied is a step too far. How would I transfer the skillet to the oven? But no joke, we make this skillet chicken with anchovies at least once every month and have done so for the last few years. Why do we love it so much?
- Anchovies and garlic add a ton of flavor. And before you scream about how much you don’t like anchovies, trust me — you do. The anchovies melt into the sauce, so it’s not like you’re biting into a piece of fish. They add a salty, umami flavor.
- Skillet chicken is quick and easy, going from prep to oven to your dinner plate in less than 30 minutes.
- The sauce is so, so, so rich and flavorful!
- The ingredients are extremely inexpensive making this a budget-friendly meal.
- Major bonus? Skillet chicken with anchovies is Whole30 compliant and gluten-free!
We serve this chicken recipe as a reliable dinner party staple but also on cozy date nights. Big thanks to Melissa Clark for gifting this recipe to my family and yours!
Ingredients For Skillet Chicken With Anchovies
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic cloves, and lots of them!
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Anchovy filets
- Capers
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Lemon
- Fresh parsley
Clean, simple ingredients! Major bonus: skillet chicken with anchovies is Whole30 and gluten-free! We often make this when our bodies crave real, unprocessed food.
If you’re not following a GF or Whole30 lifestyle, but love full flavored chicken recipes, please oh please add this cozy one pot chicken and rice to your dinner rotation next!
How To Cook Chicken In A Skillet
Cast iron cooking is a favorite around here. What we love about this recipe is that while you start the chicken on the stove top, it finishes quickly in a preheated oven, keeping the chicken thighs tender and juicy.
- Preheat an oven to 350 F. Season chicken thighs generously with Kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Mince one of the garlic cloves and set it aside for later.
- In a large, cast iron or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. When oil is hot, add the 5 smashed whole garlic cloves, anchovies, capers, and crushed red pepper. Let cook, stirring with a wooden spatula to break up the anchovies, until the garlic browns around the edges and the anchovies dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful, the oil will splatter — we recommend a splatter guard if you have one (see above).
- Add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5-7 minutes. Flip the thighs, place the pan in the oven and cook another 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Chicken is safe to eat when the internal temperature is 165 F.
I recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
Finish, Then Serve!
- When chicken is done, transfer thighs to a plate (be careful, as the pan handle will be hot). Place skillet back on the heat and add minced garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat, then return chicken to the pan to coat in the sauce.
- Transfer everything to a serving platter. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
You can’t even begin to imagine the flavor packed into this dish! Garlic, anchovies, and capers forever. Truly, one bite and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without anchovy chicken.
My Favorite Side Dishes
We love to serve anchovy chicken with Sicilian cauliflower or roasted veggies (broccoli or broccolini are our go-to’s), roasted or mashed potatoes, or a big green salad. Baguette is also great to have on standby for soaking up that anchovy sauce!!
Crazy about anchovies? We think you’ll love these recipes as well!
Trust me: skillet chicken with anchovies is going to make you very, very happy.
If you make Melissa Clark’s Anchovy Chicken recipe, please let us know by leaving a rating and review below.
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For more Whole30 recipes, check out the following:
- Warm brussel sprout slaw
- Shrimp lettuce wraps
- Dinner party chicken
- Asian stuffed peppers
- Sheet pan sausage and veggies
Tell Us What You Think!
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25-Minute Anchovy Chicken (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1¼ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 5 thighs
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 anchovy filets, drained
- 2 Tbsp capers, drained, patted dry
- 1 large pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon, halved
- fresh parsley, for serving, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the aromatics. Preheat oven to 350F. Season chicken thighs with Kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Finely chop 1 of the garlic cloves, then reserve for later. In a large, cast iron or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add ¼ cup olive oil. When oil is hot, add 5 smashed garlic cloves, 5 anchovy filets, 2 Tbsp drained capers, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Let cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies, until the garlic browns around the edges and the anchovies dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful, the oil will splatter.
- Cook the chicken thighs. Add the chicken thighs then cook nicely for 5-7 minutes on the first side. Flip over, place the pan in the oven, then cook another 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and registers an internal temperature of 165F.
- Make the pan sauce. When chicken is done, transfer thighs to a plate (be careful, as the pan handle will be hot). Place the skillet back on the heat and add remaining minced garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat, then return chicken to the pan to coat in the sauce.
- Finish, then serve! Transfer everything to a serving platter. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs with bone-in, skin-on thighs or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but cook time will increase by ~2-4 minutes. Chicken is safe to eat at 165 F internally.
- Serving suggestions: roasted potatoes, rice, grilled vegetables, crusty bread.
Unbelievably delicious. This will be a staple in my home. I served it over garlic mashed potatoes.
Isn’t it the most amazing flavor?!?! LOVE IT. xo, Ari
OMG! This was so, so good. Made it with chicken breast tenders, since that’s what I had on hand. Will try the thighs next time. But definitely adding it to our rotation! Thank you Ari!
Amazing!! We love this one so much too! xo, Ari
The recipe looks good, but one thing confuses me. You say to preheat the oven to 350 degrees, but you never say in the recipe to put it in the oven. Am I missing something?
Hi Bonnie — that instruction is in Step 2. Please see the recipe card for full instructions and let me know what you think! Best, Ari
Thank you. I see it now. I must have read it six times.
All good, it happens. Enjoy and let me know what you think!! xo, Ari
So flavorful! Easy to make, but yes, the oil splatters! Next time I’ll make more since I’m making the mess anyway. I was just trying to use up some anchovies, and found this recipe in my search! Definitely a keeper and will make many more times again! I will serve with mashed potatoes next time as well. Thank you!
LOL yes, the oil really does! I have a splatter guard (have you seen those?!) to put on top of the pan which makes a HUGE difference. It’s like a vented lid for skillets and sauté pans. Super helpful. Thanks for the review, Audrey! And agree, so great with mashed potatoes! xo, Ari
My husband surprised me with some beautiful sardines from an Italian market so I had to make something special! Found this recipe and it did not disappoint. It was easy to make and even easier to eat. So much flavor packed into this dish. It was magnificent. I will make it again and again. PS I didn’t have red Chile flakes so I substituted a chile crisp in oil. Worked well.
My husband surprised me with some beautiful anchovies from an Italian market so I had to make something special! Found this recipe and it did not disappoint. It was easy to make and even easier to eat. So much flavor packed into this dish. It was magnificent. I will make it again and again. PS I didn’t have red Chile flakes so I substituted a chile crisp in oil. Worked well.
First of all, well done hubby! I’d take a container of high-quality anchovies over a bouquet of flowers any day of the week. But also I’m so glad you found this recipe because it’s truly one of my family’s favorites. Absolutely bursting with flavor from the anchovies and garlic. So glad you enjoyed, thank you Shirley! xo, Ari