Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken

These saucy pepperoni roasted chicken thighs are a quick but delicious meal for a busy night. Serve them with large green salad or over pasta for a complete main course. 

We love crispy skin on roasted chicken so I was looking for a way to add in flavor without covering that gorgeous skin. One day, as I was examining the contents of my refrigerator and cupboards, this idea came to me. Tomato sauce with pepperoni, but only knee-deep so that chicken thighs can still turn a lovely golden brown. 

The chicken juices meld with the pepperoni and tomato sauce that cooks down as the liquid evaporates in the oven, making the most wonderful sauce for pasta. 

Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken

I used Italian passata, which is uncooked tomato puree, but if you can’t find it in your local grocery store, by all means use regular tomato puree. Or, if you’d rather start with uncooked tomatoes, puree canned crushed tomatoes in a blender. I’ve given the weight of my chicken thighs below but if yours weighs a little more or a little less, no worries. 

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs (about 1 lb 14 oz or 850g)

2 cloves garlic

1-2 sprigs fresh oregano

2 cups or 500g Italian passata

3 1/2 oz or 100g spicy pepperoni, thinly sliced 

1 teaspoon sugar

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

For garnish: fresh oregano leaves

To serve (optional): 

cooked pasta

crushed red pepper

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line the bottom of your baking pan with the pepperoni. My package had 48 slices of pepperoni and I used every single one. 

Peel and chop the garlic. In a mixing bowl, combine the passata with the garlic, oregano leaves and sugar. 

Remove the excess fat from the chicken thighs and lightly salt and pepper them. You can also remove the bones if desired but that’s not absolutely necessary. I didn't remove the bones but I did open the thighs up so I could rub some salt and pepper inside.

Pour the prepared tomato sauce into the pepperoni-lined baking pan.

Nestle the seasoned chicken in the sauce, skin side up. Tuck in the bay leaves. 

Roast in your preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until chicken thighs are golden brown and cooked through. 

Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle on a little fresh oregano for garnish. Serve over cooked pasta, if desired. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and I’m hosting with the theme “Chicken Delights.” Check out all the wonderful recipes everyone is sharing below:

• Chicken and Stuffing Bake from Palatable Pastime
• Chicken Biryani-Gujarati Style from Sneha's Recipe
• Chicken and Ramen Noodle Dump Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chicken Fajitas from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Creamy Spinach and Red Pepper Chicken from Making Miracles
• Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken from Food Lust People Love
• The Best Brine for Whole Roast Chicken from Amy's Cooking Adventures

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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