Classic 1-Pot Chicken Murphy Recipe

We may never know the identity of the eponymous Murphy whose name was immortalized in a chicken dish, but the evidence points to a New Jersey origin as the dish has long been popular in the Garden State. This Italian American stew features chunks of chicken breast sharing the pot with Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, and peppers.

While some chicken Murphy recipes call for pepperoncini and may even include hotter peppers such as poblanos, developer Julianne De Witt opts to walk on the milder side by sticking with bell peppers and pickled Peppadews. The latter she describes as "delightfully sweet peppers with a hint of heat." She doesn't just use the peppers but also includes some of the brine from the jar. The latter adds what she describes as a "zesty, acidic element" to the stew. (If you have any extra peppers, Peppadews can make a delicious addition to stuffing.)

As we mentioned above, the stew is made with chicken breasts (boneless and skinless) and Italian sausages (which can be with or without casing, as you prefer) along with an onion, red potatoes, cremini mushrooms, bell peppers, and Peppadews (peppers and brine). You're also going to need avocado oil, garlic, chicken stock, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add chicken and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Sear chicken until browned, working in batches if necessary, approximately 2 minutes per side. Place chicken in a bowl.

Add sausage and sear until brown on both sides, approximately 1 minute per side. Remove sausage and add to chicken.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, garlic, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Saute for 2 minutes.

Return chicken and sausage to Dutch oven. Add chicken stock, Peppadews, brine, and potatoes.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir and cover.

Cook in oven for 30 minutes or until potatoes are done and serve. Garnish with parsley, if using.

De Witt assures us that this recipe is both easy and customizable. While she makes hers with chicken breasts, you can also use chicken thighs. Though do note that when substituting chicken breasts for thighs or vice-versa, the meat will cook at different rates. The best way to be sure the chicken, white or dark meat, is properly cooked is to use a meat thermometer.

Another way to change up the stew is to amp up the heat level. You can do this either by using hot Italian sausages in place of mild ones or by supplementing the Peppadews with something spicier like hot cherry peppers. You could also tweak the consistency of the stew a bit. "I prefer to keep the base as more of a broth," De Witt says, "but if a thicker stew is more to your liking, you can dredge the chicken in flour before browning to achieve this."

You can also make this hearty stew even more filling by serving with pasta or rice. But the best accompaniment might just be some crusty bread. This is De Witt's choice, so she can "soak up all the deliciousness" of the sauce.

De Witt favors using red potatoes for her chicken Murphy. This variety works well in this dish because it's classified as a boiling potato. The difference between boiling and baking potatoes is that the former, which are also known as waxy potatoes, are less starchy and therefore don't absorb as much moisture from the cooking liquid. 

Waxy potatoes also tend to hold their shape better than baking potatoes, aka mealy, potatoes, another reason why waxy potatoes are usedin stews such as this one. Additionally, waxy potatoes have thinner skins. While the thicker peel of russet potatoes is an advantage when it comes to making stuffed potato skins, it can be a bit obtrusive in a stew.

Though baking potatoes aren't the best choice for chicken Murphy, there are several different types of boiling potatoes that could be used. These include not only red potatoes, but also baby potatoes, fingerlings, and new potatoes. You could also opt for Yukon Golds as these potatoes fall somewhere between mealy and waxy in texture and are therefore well-suited for both baking and boiling.