Chicken Scampi

One of our favorite Italian inspired dishes here at home is a shrimp scampi. My husband recently suggested this dish and when I didn't have any shrimp on hand, I improvised and used chicken instead. Some folks may be familiar with Olive Garden restaurant's chicken scampi dish on their menu and this Chicken Scampi recipe is inspired by that. It has a nice punch of garlic, a butter and white wine sauce and a melange of colorful bell peppers and onions that make it a great meal perfect for a weeknight or even for guests!...

We can't get enough garlic in our house so any recipe calling for good amounts of it are welcomed in my kitchen! This recipe starts out with seasoning bite sized pieces of chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt and pepper. The chicken is browned in a skillet, which is then deglazed with white wine and lemon juice. The dish simmers a bit before adding the colorful bell pepper and onion slices. We've loved this dish tossed with angel hair pasta, just as they do at Olive Garden. However, another alternative is serving this over rice or even mashed potatoes.

Chicken Scampi
original Joelen recipe

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup white wine

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, minced + more for garnish
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded & sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded & sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded & sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced

In a skillet heat the butter and oil over medium high until the butter melts. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the chicken to the skillet along with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cook chicken until lightly browned.

Once chicken is browned, deglaze the skillet by adding the white wine, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and fresh parsley; stirring to pick up any bits on the bottom of the skillet combine. Lower the heat and allow the chicken to simmer for 10 minutes. Add sliced peppers and onions and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes until peppers are tender.

Serve tossed with buttered pasta (such as angel hair), over rice or with potatoes and garnish with additional fresh parsley.