Pepperoncini Take A Boring Chicken Dish And Give It An Electric Tang

Chicken is a staple in the meal rotations of many. But, let's be honest: Sometimes, it can get a bit boring. However, there's a secret ingredient that can really upgrade your chicken dish, and it's pretty simple to bring home to your pantry. Enter, pepperoncini. These tangy, slightly spicy peppers can take your chicken dish to the next level, and will be sure to have you going in for seconds.

You might know these small (but mighty) peppers as Tuscan peppers, or even Greek golden peppers. Believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region, pepperoncini have become an extremely versatile, and well-used, ingredient across cuisines. They bring a bit of brightness and a hint of spice to dishes, offering a dynamic (and delicious) way to elevate an otherwise standard plate.

Pepperoncini usually falls within 100 and 500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), so they're a bit milder than the popular jalapeño (2,000 to 8,000 SHU) and poblano peppers (1,000 to 2,000 SHU). They've got a bit of heat, but think of them more as a flavor enhancer, rather than a heat that takes over an entire dish.

Fresh pepperoncini can be a great way to bring a bit of brightness to a chicken dish. In recipes like chicken stir fry and chicken skewers, subbing out your typical bell pepper for pepperoncini can add an unexpected, but welcomed, twist to a classic meal. The pepper also compliments Mediterranean flavors nicely, so consider incorporating spices like basil, bay leaf, coriander, and paprika into your chicken dishes to really enhance the flavor of your chicken while elevating the tangy notes of the pepperoncini.

Similarly, in a chicken salad recipe, pepperoncini can be used to add a tasty twang and a bit of dimension to the creamy, mayo-based dish: Simply dice up the pepper and mix with cooked chicken, red onion, diced celery, and either mayonnaise or Greek yogurt. You can add as much, or as little, as you'd like — but the slightly spicy and tangy flavor balances this creamy dish.

When you're cooking with pepperoncini, you can remove the seeds to decrease the heat — or, depending on your spice tolerance, you can keep them in for more heat. Additionally, you can also give them a quick char beforehand to bring in a bit of a smoky flavor, which compliments chicken well.

While fresh pepperoncini can bring a nice brightness to your dish, pickled pepperoncini can be a great ingredient to enhance your chicken in a totally different way. They're the same Tuscan peppers we know and love, but preserved in a twangy brine made with vinegar, garlic, and other spices. Depending on the ingredients used, the pickled version can be a little bit spicier than fresh. The texture of pickled pepperoncini is crisp and on the firmer side, but the skin is just a touch softer than if it were fresh. And when it comes to taste, they have a sharp acidity that can cut through the richness of chicken.

While a popular garnish, it also makes for a great addition to a chicken dish. You can use pickled pepperoncini in a few ways, but there are two methods that stand out among the rest. First, you can incorporate them whole into a slow cooker chicken recipe to add a bit of heat and some exciting acidity. Similarly, you can use the brine in a chicken marinade for a unique, and unforgettable, zesty flavor.