Martha Stewart Brick Chicken Vinegar Peppers Recipe

You press a chicken flat under a hot skillet and the skin turns into something you did not know chicken skin could be. Martha Stewart’s Brick Chicken with Vinegar Peppers is a roasted chicken recipe where you sear the halved bird under weight, then finish it in the oven at 450 degrees with a sweet and sour Italian pepper sauce.

I make this every fall when peppers are cheap and everywhere. The whole thing takes under an hour and the vinegar pepper sauce with capers and rosemary is honestly what I come back for, not just the chicken.

Try More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Risotto
• Poached Chicken
• Grilled Chicken and Eggplant

Why You Will Love This Brick Chicken:

• The skin gets unbelievably crispy: Pressing the chicken under a heavy skillet forces every inch of skin against the hot pan. It comes out shatteringly crunchy in a way roasting alone never does.
• The sauce makes itself while the chicken roasts: Peppers, onion, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and capers all go into the same pan. By the time the chicken is done the sauce is done too.
• It looks way harder than it is: People see this on a plate and think you spent all afternoon. I tell them it took 50 minutes and they never believe me.

Brick Chicken Vinegar Peppers Ingredients

• 1 small chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), room temperature, halved and patted dry
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds mixed Italian frying peppers, sliced (about 7 cups total)
• 1 small onion, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 sprigs rosemary (each about 4 inches)
• Creamy polenta for serving

How To Make Martha Stewart Brick Chicken Vinegar Peppers

1. Heat the oven and season: Set the oven to 450 degrees with a rack in the center. Season both sides of the chicken halves generously with salt and pepper.
2. Sear under weight: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add the butter and 1 tablespoon of oil. When the butter foam dies down, put the chicken in skin-side down. Lay foil on top and press a second heavy skillet on it. Cook without touching it for 10 to 12 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crusty.
3. Cook the peppers: Take the top skillet and foil off. Move the chicken to a plate skin-side up. Pour out the fat, put the pan back on medium-high, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the peppers and onion, season with salt, and cook 4 to 5 minutes until browned in spots. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
4. Build the sauce: Stir in the broth, vinegar, sugar, capers, and rosemary. Season and bring to a boil. Pour everything into a 9-by-13 roasting pan and nestle the chicken in skin-side up with any juices from the plate.
5. Roast: Put the pan in the oven and roast until a thermometer reads 160 degrees in the thickest part, about 20 minutes.
6. Reduce the sauce: Move the chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Put the vegetables back in the oven for 10 more minutes so the sauce thickens. Serve everything over polenta, spooning the juices on top.

Recipe Tips

• Use a cast iron skillet as the weight: It needs to be heavy enough to press the chicken flat. A regular nonstick pan is too light. I use my cast iron and it is the perfect weight without me having to hold anything down.
• Let the chicken come to room temperature first: Cold chicken seizes when it hits the hot pan and the skin sticks. Twenty minutes on the counter before cooking makes a big difference in how evenly it sears.
• Do not lift the chicken while it sears: Twelve minutes feels long but the crust needs that time to form and release on its own. I peeked once at 8 minutes and tore the skin right off. Leave it alone.

Pick Whatever Peppers You Have

Martha says use any mix of Italian frying peppers and I take that seriously. I have used Cubanelles, Jimmy Nardellos, shishitos, and whatever random sweet peppers are at the market. The sauce works with all of them because the vinegar and sugar do the heavy lifting on flavor.

If you want heat, throw in a few cherry peppers or leave the seeds in one hot pepper. If you do not want any heat at all, stick to sweet peppers only. I usually do half sweet half mild and it lands right in the middle.

What Goes Well With This Brick Chicken

The recipe says polenta and that is the right call because the sauce pools into it and every bite is perfect. When I do not feel like making polenta I tear up sourdough bread and use it to soak up the vinegar pepper juices.

A side of eggplant parmesan leans into the Italian thing if I have time, or just baked potatoes split open to catch the sauce.

How To Store Leftovers

Keep the chicken and peppers together in the same container. The sauce keeps the meat moist so do not drain it off. Fridge for 3 to 4 days.

I reheat everything in a skillet over medium until the skin crisps back up, about 5 minutes. Or I shred the leftover chicken into the peppers and put it on a roll with provolone for a sandwich that is better than the original dinner.

FAQs

• What is brick chicken? It is an Italian technique called pollo al mattone where you press a flattened chicken under a heavy weight while it cooks. The weight forces the skin flat against the pan so every bit of it gets crispy. You do not need an actual brick, a heavy skillet works.
• Can I use chicken pieces instead of a halved chicken? Bone-in skin-on thighs work but the cook time changes. Press them for about 8 minutes instead of 12 and check for doneness earlier in the oven. I have done this when I could not find a small whole chicken.
• What if I do not have a second heavy skillet? Wrap a brick in foil, use a heavy Dutch oven lid, or fill a regular pan with canned goods to add weight. Anything heavy and flat that can sit on top of the chicken without you holding it.

More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Taco Salad
• Adobo Chicken Quesadillas
• Chicken Sausage Casserole

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 530
• Total Fat: 31g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Cholesterol: 165mg
• Sodium: 580mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 12g
• Protein: 45g