Name: Chicken and Peas Italian-Style
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts halved lengthwise (cut again in half for smaller pieces.); 1/2 cup milk; 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (if making your own, add in 1/4 cup dried parsley.); 1/4 cup grated Italian cheese (Romano or Parmesan); 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup frozen or canned peas; 1 cup chopped frozen spinach (you can use fresh spinach); 3-4 whole crushed/smashed garlic cloves (by keeping them whole, they don't become overpowering.)

Welcome! This post may contain affiliate links which means I may earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. You can read my disclosure for more details.

Ciao friends! Today, I am excited to share with you a simple and quick Italian chicken recipe that brings together the delicious flavors of tender chicken and vibrant peas. Inspired by a recent visit to my parents and aunt, this recipe offers a seamless combination of ingredients without any complicated steps.

Jump to Recipe

With basic pantry staples and a straightforward one-pan cooking method, you can effortlessly create a tasty dish that showcases the delightful blend of chicken and peas.

About This Chicken and Peas Recipe

This recipe makes two large servings and can be made in approximately 30 minutes. Nor does it require any high degree of culinary skills. So whether you’re new to cooking or a seasoned Italian home chef, this recipe is perfect for anyone.

The two main ingredients are chicken and peas. If you keep the peas separated when serving it could actually serve as a main dish with the peas as a side, rather than serving the peas on top of the chicken.

But I also have another ingredient that you can use or omit, and that is spinach! Many chicken and peas recipes I have seen over the years are very boring and bland. But this recipe cooks everything together and by adding in the fresh or frozen spinach, we add just enough of another layer of flavor to take it up another notch.

But as is with all my recipes, I want this to be an easy Italian recipe, so use what you have and take the liberty to adjust quantities to suit your own tastes!

Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients needed for this recipe along with a few notes. Specific quantities are found below in the recipe itself.

2 chicken breasts
Milk (for dipping the chicken breasts)
Breadcrumbs (seasoned or plain with fresh or dried parsley)
Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (mixed with breadcrumbs)
Chopped frozen spinach (or fresh, if available)
Peas (canned or frozen works well)
3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed
Olive Oil

How to Make Chicken and Peas Italian-Style

Step 1: Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise in half so you get two pieces out of each, making 4 all together. You can also cut them into smaller sizes by cutting each in half, as seen in my images. Just remember, we don’t want them too thin, but not so thin they are like Italian chicken cutlets.

breaded chicken breasts for chicken and peas recipe

Step 2: Dip the chicken breasts in a bowl of milk then dip the breasts into your breadcrumbs. I recommend using a plate or large bowl for the breadcrumbs so there is room to coat the chicken by pressing the breadcrumbs into it.

Step 3: Heat the olive oil in a large frying or saute pan until hot. I use my 5.5qt Cuisinart saute pan which has high sides, perfect for dishes like this or other chicken recipes like my pasta alfredo with chicken recipe.

Step 4: Add the breaded chicken breasts and lightly fry for 3 minutes on each side or until the breadcrumbs are a nice golden brown and the chicken breast is mostly cooked.

Step 5: When the chicken is mostly cooked, create a free space in the pan and add the peas, spinach, and smashed garlic cloves.

Step 6: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and allow the chicken, peas, and spinach to cook thoroughly for about 20 minutes.

Step 7: Once fully cooked and the chicken has reached an internal temp of 165F, serve the chicken with the peas.

Recipe Cooking Tips

chicken peas for dinner — *Here’s my chicken and peas for dinner, made in one pan!*

Here are some tips that you might find helpful in making this dish a complete success!

To maintain crispy chicken, consider cooking the spinach in a separate pan to avoid moisture from the frozen spinach affecting the breadcrumbs. I don’t care to have the chicken crispy as this isn’t a fried cutlets recipe.
Fresh spinach produces less water compared to frozen spinach. If you use fresh spinach, add some water to help steam and cook the spinach. The same applies with the peas – if you need to add water to help steam and cook them, do so.
Whether you use fresh or dried herbs for the breadcrumbs, both work well. Just ensure you are generous with the seasoning to enhance the flavors.
Feel free to experiment with other vegetables such as zucchini, squash, or tomatoes, or even asparagus following the same cooking technique. Avoid overcooking the vegetables to maintain their texture.

Side Dishes

You can pair this dish with the following side dishes.

Serve with some authentic Italian bread or other artisan bread.

Use my Italian green beans recipe as a perfect side dish to chicken and peas.

Try zucchini with butter and garlic as a great vegetable dish to use and is easy to prepare.

Similar Pasta Recipes You May Enjoy

This pasta with asparagus and peas is super easy and delicious. It uses asparagus, peas, and even zucchini in a light white alfredo sauce.

Enjoy our pasta with breadcrumbs, a simple and easy way to make a delicious pasta dish.

Enjoy our pasta with peas, another easy Italian recipe that’s ready by the time the pasta is done boiling!

[mailerlite_form form_id=0]

I hope you give this a try!

Let me know how it turns out and please feel free to provide any feedback – especially if you gave it your own creative twist!