Grandma's Chicken Thighs Sauce and Peas

I just love to make recipes that remind me of my grandmother Victoria and this meal with chicken thighs sauce and peas was the best!

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.

The secret to this dish is to saute the chicken on both sides first then add the tomatoes fresh or canned and any vegetables you prefer we love peas but if you don't substitute what you like.

The chicken melts in your mouth with a delicious tomato wine sauce and peas sticking to each delectable piece.

Through the years we managed to recreate this dish for other cooking methods, slow cooking, instant pot, and baking besides on the stovetop all included in this post.

Dad managed to duplicate the exact flavors of her chicken meal and after years of practice, I finally nailed it too.

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.

Easy Steps

1. choose a cooking method
2. brown the chicken with olive oil and season
3. add the tomatoes and paste
4. simmer slowly on the stovetop or baking methods (the slow cooker or instant pot came great when searing the meat first and browning)
5. once this is simmered and the chicken is fork tender it's done and the sauce has thickened
6. add the peas into the sauce the last 20 minutes

Shopping List for Chicken Thighs and Peas

• chicken parts, we used wings or thighs
• peas fresh, canned, or frozen, note: (or use chickpeas, white large kidney beans, or another bean you prefer)
• garlic
• salt, pepper
• peppers
• plum tomatoes (you can use a good grade name brand of canned also)
• tomato paste
• olive oil
• Optional: cayenne pepper for heat, bell peppers, onions, or substitutes you prefer

Cooking Methods

1. Stovetop: cast-iron or porcelain cast-iron pan
2. Dutch Oven: use for oven baking method
3. Instant Pot: Sear chicken first then use the pressure cooker mode for 45 minutes or refer to your instruction booklet
4. 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 Suggestions

• 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.

Other Recipes To Try

Chicken Francese


Baked Taste Like Fried Lemon Chicken Cutlets


Bundt Pan Roasted Chicken

Grandma's Chicken Thighs Sauce and Peas Pin for later

Old Fashioned Recipes:

This recipe is over 100 years old and even though Grandma passed on in 1976, I still make this in her memory and it remains a family favorite.


We have many economical meals to stretch your budget, vintage, delicious and easy to make so check out my One Pan Meal recipes also.

Grandma's Chicken Thighs Sauce and Peas

Yield: 6

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M

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

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, bell peppers
• If you would like a stew then you can also add finger carrots, cubed potatoes, zucchini cubed, green beans, cubed eggplant

Instructions

1. 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.
2. Add the garlic and saute for two minutes then stir in the tomato paste.
3. Add the peppers.
4. Mix in the tomatoes, wine, spices, herbs onions, and anything else except peas that you are using.
5. Simmer on low for at least 1 hour or more on the stovetop, until the sauce thickens and stirring occasionally.
6. Around 20 minutes before the sauce is completed stir in the peas.
7. Notes: See notes below for other cooking methods
8. 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 Suggestions:

• 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

Cooking Methods

1. Stovetop: cast-iron or porcelain cast iron pan
2. Dutch Oven: use for oven baking method
3. Instant Pot: Sear chicken first then use the pressure cooker mode for 45 minutes or refer to your instruction booklet
4. 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.

Similar Recipes

Marry Me Chicken

1950s Style Church Chicken

Baked Chicken Zucchini Tomato Casserole

Oven Fried Chicken

Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Air Fried Tempura Chicken Strips

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Italian

Grandma's Chicken Thighs Sauce and Peas Pin for later

Try my other favorite Chicken Recipes:

Slow Cooker Cacciatore

Parmesan Crusted Thighs with Peppers

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Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2017. It was edited and re-published in 2023.