Name: Grandma's Chicken Thighs Sauce and Peas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 bell peppers cut in strips (optional); 2 cans peas or 2 cups fresh peas; 12 fresh plum tomatoes crushed or use 1 large 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 teaspoon chopped parsley; 1/2 teaspoon oregano; salt and pepper to taste; pinch of cayenne; 1/2 cup white; 3 cloves minced garlic; extra virgin olive oil; 6 to 8 fresh bone-in chicken thighs, wings, or legs; 1 fresh basil leaf; Optional additions: 1 small sliced onion, 8 ounces of fresh sliced mushrooms; If you would like a stew then you can also add finger carrots, cubed potatoes, zucchini cubed, green beans, cubed eggplant

Some recipes don't need fancy ingredients or complicated techniques to become unforgettable.

This Grandma's Chicken and Peas Stew is one of those timeless family meals that has been passed down through generations.

Tender chicken slowly simmers in a rich tomato broth with sweet peas, fragrant garlic, herbs, and olive oil, creating a rustic Italian stew that fills the kitchen with memories as much as wonderful aromas.

An easy depression food back in the 1960s, now a gourmet comfort food, and I remember growing up this was a favorite style of chicken stew.

Unlike many chicken stews that rely on cream or heavy stock, this traditional Italian version develops its rich flavor from slowly simmered tomatoes, garlic, herbs, olive oil, and the natural juices from the chicken.

The peas add a subtle sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes while keeping the stew light instead of heavy. It's simple home cooking at its very best..

Although a vintage dish, it's still a family favorite we make often and so easily.

We love all chicken dishes, and another favorite is Marry Me Chicken and her Oven Baked Chicken two other recipes you may like to try.

Scroll down to the bottom of the recipe card for this great vintage recipe.

chicken in tomato sauce with peas on a white plate

Why You Will Love This Recipe For Grandma's Chicken and Peas

Budget-friendly ingredients.
One-pot meal with easy cleanup.
Rich Italian flavors with minimal effort.
Perfect for meal prep and leftovers.
Naturally gluten-free.
Easily customizable with vegetables you already have.
Great for feeding a large family.
Even better the next day after the flavors develop.
Delicious with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty Italian bread.

Chicken to Try

Bone-in chicken thighs
Drumsticks
Wings
Leg quarters
Split chicken breasts
Boneless chicken thighs

Boneless chicken breasts (add later to avoid drying out)

this is the Pioneer Woman slow cooker and in the pot is chicken sauteed with tomato sauce and peas

Cooking Methods

Stovetop: cast-iron or porcelain cast-iron pan
Dutch Oven: use for oven baking method
Instant Pot: Sear chicken first, then use the pressure cooker mode for 45 minutes or refer to your instruction booklet
Slow Cooker: brown the meat first on the stovetop, and set the slow cooker for 6 hours on low

Note: Although this recipe was only made on the stovetop, through modern technology I have tried every method of cooking, and cast iron on the stovetop is still my first choice.

Tips and Mix-ins

Use bone-in chicken parts
Cook low and slow
Always use fresh ingredients for herbs
Fresh plum tomatoes make a big difference in flavor
Use leftover sauce and debone the chicken for another meal
Always brown the chicken first
Cast-iron skillets and saucepans were used back in the 1960s. Serving suggestions sop up the sauce with hard-crusted Italian bread, over pasta, rice, or even a baked potato
Substitute peas (if you're not fond of them!!!) for another vegetable IE zucchini, white beans, chickpeas, peppers, mushrooms (whatever you like, the sauce is what makes this recipe fantastic!), etc
Fingerling potatoes
Yukon Gold potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Baby carrots
Fresh green beans
Zucchini Yellow, squash
Eggplant
Celery
Mushrooms
Onion
Bell pepper
Spinach, Escarole, Kale or Swiss chard

Grandma's Chicken Thighs Sauce and Peas Pin for later

Grandma's Cooking Memories

Every family has that one comforting meal everyone requests, and this Chicken and Peas Stew was ours.

Made with simple ingredients, fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and tender chicken simmered until perfectly cooked, this recipe reminds us that some of the best meals aren't complicated—they're simply made with love.

Whether you're preparing this for Sunday dinner or a hearty weeknight meal, it's the kind of recipe that creates memories around the table for generations to come.

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Italian

Yield: 6

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Grandma's Chicken Thighs Sauce and Peas

This is a vintage recipe for Chicken in tomato Sauce with Peas and Peppers stovetop, slow cooker or instant pot methods

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 45 M

Ingredients

2 bell peppers cut in strips (optional)
2 cans peas or 2 cups fresh peas
12 fresh plum tomatoes crushed or use 1 large 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne
1/2 cup white
3 cloves minced garlic
extra virgin olive oil
6 to 8 fresh bone-in chicken thighs, wings, or legs
1 fresh basil leaf
Optional additions: 1 small sliced onion, 8 ounces of fresh sliced mushrooms
If you would like a stew then you can also add finger carrots, cubed potatoes, zucchini cubed, green beans, cubed eggplant

Instructions

In a large saucepan, saute the chicken in 3 tablespoons of olive oil till golden brown on each side for around 4 minutes on both sides.
Add the garlic and saute for two minutes then stir in the tomato paste.
Add the peppers.
Mix in the tomatoes, wine, spices, herbs onions, and anything else except peas that you are using.
Simmer on low for at least 1 hour or more on the stovetop, till sauce thickens and stirring occasionally.
Around 20 minutes before the sauce is completed stir in the peas.
Notes: See notes below for other cooking methods
For serving suggestions: you can use boneless chicken if you prefer and this can be served over rice, pasta, and hard-crusted Italian bread.

Notes

Tips and Mix-ins

Use bone-in chicken parts
Cook low and slow
Always use fresh ingredients for herbs
Fresh plum tomatoes make a big difference in flavor
Use leftover sauce and debone the chicken for another meal
Always brown the chicken first
Cast-iron skillets and saucepans were used back in the 1960s. Serving suggestions sop up the sauce with hard-crusted Italian bread, over pasta, rice, or even a baked potato
Substitute peas (if you're not fond of them!!!) for another vegetable IE zucchini, white beans, chickpeas, peppers, mushrooms (whatever you like, the sauce is what makes this recipe fantastic!), etc
Fingerling potatoes
Yukon Gold potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Baby carrots
Fresh green beans
Zucchini Yellow, squash
Eggplant
Celery
Mushrooms
Onion
Bell pepper
Spinach, Escarole, Kale or Swiss chard

Cooking Methods

Stovetop: cast-iron or porcelain cast iron pan
Dutch Oven: use for oven baking method
Instant Pot: Sear chicken first then use the pressure cooker mode for 45 minutes or refer to your instruction booklet
Slow Cooker: brown the meat first on the stovetop, set the slow cooker for 6 hours on low

Note: Although this recipe was only made on the stovetop, through modern technology I have tried every method of cooking, cast iron on the stovetop is still my first choice.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

478

Fat (grams)

31 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

8 g

Carbs (grams)

18 g

Fiber (grams)

5 g

Net carbs

13 g

Sugar (grams)

7 g

Protein (grams)

32 g

Sodium (milligrams)

424 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

165 mg

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