Croatian Chicken Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 9, 2026 
When I’m craving a comforting, easy-to-make skillet dinner, I turn to this Croatian chicken recipe for the ultimate home-cooked meal. It’s packed with juicy chicken, sauteed mushrooms, and sweet bell peppers that are all coated in a bold and savory mix of spices all sauteed together in one pan.
I love to travel, and whenever I’m visiting a new place, I always try the local food. So when I went to Croatia last spring I had to try the infamous sausages served on bubbly bread called “cevapi“. But it just so happens that on my quest for that dish in a coastal village called Pula, I discovered something else delicious — a sandwich filled with sautéed chicken, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and herbs. Known as “piletina u povrcu“, or Croatian chicken and vegetables, this recipe is so simple, comforting, and tasty that I started making it regularly back at home. It kind of reminds me of roasted red pepper chicken because it’s savory and sweet, but it’s a lot lighter and wonderfully rustic.
Jessica – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ YES!!! I’ve been looking for a recipe that gives this kind of flavor! Thank you so much, it was awesome!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
One-Pan Meal – I always love a recipe that involves minimal clean-up, and that’s one reason why this chicken dish is a favorite. Just toss all the ingredients into a skillet and get cooking! Plus, the time you save cleaning is more time spent enjoying this delicious meal with family.
Rustic – This dish is made with simple and staple ingredients. It’s easy on the wallet, and you don’t need to trek to any fancy shmancy delicatessens for hard-to-find spices. You can serve it as-is for a healthy main dish, or scoop it onto buns for sandwiches.
Great for Leftovers – I always make enough of this chicken recipe to feed a crowd. Everyone goes for seconds, and it’s one of the best recipes for delicious meal prep throughout the week!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Chicken thighs – To make this dish juicy and tender, I always use boneless, skinless thighs. These chunks soak up the spices and flavors beautifully.
- Bell peppers – I use any color bell peppers to get that signature sweetness and crunchy texture. Plus, they give a great pop of color, too!
- Onion – Red onion adds just the right amount of bite and savoriness to this recipe. I also love the aromas from the onions as they soften and cook down.
- Button mushrooms – I love to use button mushrooms for this recipe because they’re easy to find and they provide a delicious earthiness and heartiness.
- Garlic – I’m a huge fan of garlic, so I always use a few cloves. Garlic really builds the flavor profile, and it makes the kitchen smell amazing.
- Butter – To get that rich and thick sauce that holds the entire dish together, you cannot skip out on butter! I use the unsalted kind.
- Thyme – For an herbal note that accentuates those rustic European flavors, I use a pinch of dried thyme.
- Paprika – Just a little bit of paprika goes a long way for me. It adds a smokiness to every bite and a beautiful red color.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Char the peppers – The first thing I do is grab my cast iron skillet and get it hot. Then, I toss in the chopped bell peppers, and I let them cook until they’re blistered. I set them aside.
Cook the base – I add the butter to the skillet, then saute the garlic and onions until they’re soft and tender.
Sauté chicken and veggies – Next, I add in the chunks of chicken thighs, mushrooms, thyme, paprika and a little bit of salt and pepper. I saute everything for a couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Combine everything – I add the charred bell peppers back into the skillet with the cooked chicken and veggies. I let that cook for a few minutes to let the flavors combine.
Enjoy – Now that the dish is ready to serve, I love to ladle a generous heap onto some bread or serve it over some white rice.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy – If you’re like me and you like a little bit of heat, you can stir in a dash of cayenne pepper or drizzle some hot sauce over the plated dish.
- Bacon – Mix some chopped bacon into the skillet to add more smokiness to this chicken dish.
- Cashews – For some crunch, add a handful of chopped, raw, unsalted cashews.
- Heavy cream – To make the sauce that binds all the flavors slightly creamier, I stir in a spoonful of heavy cream.
Serving Suggestions
This homemade Croatian chicken dish is seriously delicious and satisfying. Here are a couple of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- As a sandwich over Croatian Lepinja bread, in a soft pita, or a ciabatta roll
- Over some basmati rice or quinoa for a lighter meal
- With a heaping side of fresh mashed potatoes or Croatian cheese strukli
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just keep in mind that chicken breast tends to dry out a lot more easily than chicken thighs. Don’t overcook it.
Totally, and it actually tastes even better the longer you let the flavors meld.
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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Croatian Chicken Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped (any color)
- 1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves OR 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, char the bell peppers in a dry skillet, until lightly blistered. Remove the peppers and set aside.
- Add the butter, onions, and garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then push onions to the side of the pan.
- Add the chicken, mushrooms, thyme, smoked paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
- Toss the blistered peppers back into the skillet. Cook another 2 minutes. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve as-is, or on soft bubbly bread rolls, just like in Croatia. (I find soft ciabatta buns are the closest thing to Croatian sandwich bread found in the US.)
I’ve made this three times now, and every time I’ve made it I get frustrated because all of the filling falls out of my sandwich, and it’s too hard to stack the appropriate amount of yummy in between two slices of bread. Today I got the bright idea of toasting and buttering the bread and cutting it up into small squares and tossing it with the leftovers… it was delicious not only did it soak up all the juices. It was much easier to eat and have a bite of everything in one mouthful. This will be the way, going forward, although I don’t think that I would toss bread with the entire dish, unless you were going to eat the entire thing .
It was so delicious! Not what I normally cook, but tried when finding a recipe to use up mushrooms.
So much flavor!
Thank you!
I have made this recipe probably 20 times over the last few years, and it’s always a hit with guests!
Yep! Delish.
I haven’t fixed it yet, but I can already taste it! Such simple ingredients fixed in a way I hadn’t thought of. Definitely going in a crusty roll. Can’t wait for dinner!
LOVE this! It’s on frequent repeat at my house!
This is one of my go-to chicken recipes! I usually sub in crimini mushrooms, for more flavor
I have now made this twice in the past three days. A double batch today. I can’t get enough of this. Husband loves it too. Can put it in a low carb tortilla, over rice, on its own with a little mozzarella on it, in a crusty roll.
I actively crave it. The peppers are so fresh and crunchy when prepared like this, I’ve simply never thought of making peppers like that! Such a hearty, filling, fresh meal with so many textures and notes. THANK YOU! I will be making this at least once a week!
I don’t care for thighs, would chicken breast work or would they be to dry, thanks.
Hi Veronica,
Chicken breast will work just fine. Cook according to the recipe. :)
Very satisfied
My family and I really enjoyed this , I especially liked trying out cooking with some different spices . I’ve made this twice , the second time subbed chicken sausage, browned and sliced on warm tortillas (using what I had) it was really good too.
Absolutely delicious! I added some cashews on top. Yum Yum.
I like very much this kind of dishes..