This low carb chicken and peppers: olive oil and garlic style is as nourishing as it is delicious. You’re sure to get two thumbs up from everyone at your table.

Happy New Year! I hope you had a lovely holiday season. To kick off the new year, today I’m sharing an extra-special recipe with you: chicken and peppers, olive oil and garlic style.

Maybe you’ve had chicken and peppers before, and you’re wondering what makes this version extra-special.

Well, first of all, what I’m about to share with you is a super-secret family recipe. Oooh… doesn’t that sound intriguing. But it’s true. I’ve only shared this recipe once before. That was 20 years ago in a church cookbook.

This recipe was handed down to me from my late mother-in-law, who got it from her mother-in-law (John’s Italian-American grandmother) who got it from her mamma. And now I’m sharing it with you, dear reader.

Chicken and peppers simmered in olive oil

Now here’s the thing. I googled pages and pages of chicken and peppers recipes, but I haven’t seen one like this recipe. All of the recipes I saw were made with a tomato-based sauce (or as the Italians like to say, gravy).

This one isn’t. The chicken is simmered in extra-virgin olive oil. It’s so tasty and tender the meat literally falls off the bone.

Since this chicken and peppers ditches the red sauce (a sneaky source of sugar), it’s a perfect low-carb, keto delight.

Okay, if all the above goodness isn’t enough, here’s one more thing that will make this dish one of your go to recipes.

Shhhh… this is only for you. It’s really easy to make.

Ingredients you’ll need

You just won’t believe how these simple ingredients (chicken, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, onions, and peppers) combine for a mouthwatering dish. This is a flavor party in your mouth.

Instructions

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

Ask your butcher to cut up a whole chicken into sixteenths.

My local butcher in New York was always helpful with such unusual requests. But when I asked my new butcher here in Raleigh, he looked at me as if I had two heads. When I explained why I wanted the chicken cut into sixteenths, he understood and said, “sure”.

Oh well. If your butcher thinks your request is so strange that he won’t cut up your chicken for you, go to Plan B.

Recipe shortcuts

You can usually find a whole chicken in the meat showcase that’s been cut into about eight pieces. Then you can easily cut the breasts and thighs up into smaller pieces when you get home.
And pre-cut peppers and onions and even garlic can be found in the produce section of your grocery store. This will cut your prep time in half. I knew you’d like that!

Okay. Let’s get started. Once you have all your ingredients together, remove the skin from all the pieces of your chicken and season with salt.

Now, cover the bottom of your Dutch oven pot with extra-virgin olive oil. Add onions and garlic and brown the chicken over a low heat keeping the pot covered.

Continue to turn the chicken pieces until they’re no longer pink, and the meat begins to pull away from the bone. This will take about 30 minutes.

Then add your pepper slices. My mother-in-law used to make this dish with green peppers, but today I use both red and green peppers. It’s up to you.

Stir in the peppers and cover and simmer for one more hour. Keep stirring every so often while the juices from your chicken combine with the oil to make a wonderful gravy.

And that’s it! Juicy and delicious low carb chicken and peppers: olive oil and garlic style. Made with love.

Pro tips and recipe notes

Cutting the chicken into 12 -16 pieces gives you smaller pieces of chicken that are sure to absorb the oil. No dry chicken here.
I haven’t changed my mother-in-law’s recipe at all except for the potatoes. Once the chicken was done, she would take the chicken out of the pot and set the chicken aside in a bowl and cover it. Then she would peel and cut up four potatoes, season them with salt, add them to the pot and cook the potatoes in the gravy for about 20 minutes. Then toss your cooked chicken back into the pot, combine, and serve. Everyone absolutely loves it! But in keeping with my low carb diet, I skip the potatoes.
If you tend to like dark meat as my family does, you could make this dish with only drumsticks and thighs.
Leftovers will last up to 4 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

What goes with chicken and peppers?

You can serve this dish on its own or with any favorite side dish such as: a tossed green salad or sautéed broccoli with garlic.

My mother-in-law is no longer with us, but whenever I make this it reminds me of good family times. I can almost see her smile and hear her coaxing us all to take a second helping of this delicious dish. Yum.

Thanks to all the moms who kept this recipe alive. Remember, “la mamma è sempre la mamma” (mother is always mother). I hope you love this dish as much as we do.

P.S. If you make this low carb chicken and peppers, share your snap on Instagram and tag #glutenfreehomestead. I always love seeing your photos.

Love chicken? Try these recipes

Keto Chicken Piccata – This buttery and lemony keto chicken piccata is a super low-carb twist on an easy delicious family favorite.

One-Pan Chicken Alfredo – Tender chicken breasts are tossed with baby spinach and delicate mushrooms and covered in a velvety sauce. Bacon takes this meal to the next level.

Grainless Crispy Chicken Nuggets – Chicken nuggets are coated in a spicy batter before frying. This dish is absolutely delicious and goes from stovetop to your table in 30 minutes flat.

One-Pan Roast Chicken And Potatoes – Tender marinated chicken thighs roasted in their own juices on a bed of vegetables, sausage, and potatoes is a delicious one-pan meal.

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