Chicken Puttanesca & Side Salad

Life’s been pretty busy lately, so we haven’t done any big batch meal prep in a while.

Instead, we’re keeping it simple and cooking dinners at home, making enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Last night’s dinner?

Chicken Puttanesca with a side salad.

It was super easy to make, loaded with flavor, and checked all the boxes for a satisfying, healthy meal.

Why This One’s Going in the Rotation

This dish has everything we look for on a weeknight:

• It’s quick to cook (only takes about 30 minutes)
• Packed with nutrients that support energy and hormone health
• Easy to adjust depending on what you have in the fridge

Chicken thighs give you a protein-rich base that’s tender and full of flavor. We used canned diced fire roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning to build a simple sauce. We skipped the olives this time (you can totally add them if you have them — they give a nice salty punch), and topped it all with chopped parsley and green onions for a fresh finish.

We served it with a quick side salad of mixed greens, shredded carrots, baby tomatoes and lemon vinaigrette, which made the whole meal feel fresh and balanced.

Here’s What We Used (Serves 2)

• 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 Chicken Thighs With Skin (bone-in) [boneless & skinless will work too!]
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 Yellow Onion (medium, sliced)
• 4 cloves Garlic (chopped)
• 3 tsps. Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (canned, with juices)
• (Optional) 1/2 cup Green Olives (pitted, halved)
• 2 tbsps. Fresh Parsley (chopped, for garnish)
• 2 tbsps. Green Onion (chopped, for garnish)

How We Made It

Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until browned. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for another minute.

Add diced tomatoes (and olives, if using). Bring to a simmer, then return the chicken to the pan. Cover with a lid, lower the heat, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Top with parsley and green onions, then serve!

The Side Salad

We threw together a simple salad with mixed greens, shredded carrots, baby tomatoes, and a lemon vinaigrette. It was a perfect contrast to the richness of the chicken — light, fresh, and full of fiber to keep things moving (literally and figuratively).

Final Thoughts

This Chicken Puttanesca is officially going in our weeknight dinner rotation@ It’s warm, comforting, and makes enough for lunch leftovers the next day. 

If you try it out, let us know how it turned out for you!