Basque-style chicken breast en papillote with peppers and tomato

If you love Basque cuisine and are looking for a tasty, easy recipe full of personality, this Basque-style chicken breast with peppers, tomato and Espelette pepper, baked en papillote is a great choice. It's a juicy, aromatic and colourful dish – perfect for a flavourful home-cooked meal with that touch of reinterpreted traditional cooking we all love.

It's simple, comforting and packed with flavour – ideal for any day… but with a special twist.

And while we call it “Basque-style”, let’s be clear: traditional Basque chicken is typically slow-cooked, stewed gently and with care, usually in a casserole, allowing the peppers, tomato, onion and chicken to slowly meld into a rich, flavourful sauce. That’s the classic version, the one that's always been made – and it still makes perfect sense today.

Here, however, I suggest a slightly different version – more modern and practical for everyday cooking: we bake it en papillote. Why? Because this way the chicken cooks gently in its own juices, stays moist, and the flavours concentrate just as well – but with less hassle. It’s clean, convenient, lighter… and the result is something that truly captures the Basque spirit: juicy chicken, a vibrant sauce, and that touch of character that makes it special.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts (200 g each)
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 3 sprigs of parsley
• 1 pinch of Espelette pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the chunky tomato sauce base:

• 1 tin of peeled tomatoes with juice (300 g)
• 1 red pepper
• 2 shallots
• 65 ml white wine
• 3 g Espelette pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 sprigs of parsley
• Salt and pepper

For serving

• 3 sprigs of parsley
• 1/2 yellow lemon (zest and juice)

Preparation

1. Peel and chop the garlic. Wash and chop the parsley as well.
2. Coat the chicken breasts with mustard and season with Espelette pepper, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the chopped garlic on top and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes to absorb the flavours.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C, fan setting.
4. Meanwhile, wash the pepper, remove the seeds and slice into thin strips. Peel and slice the shallots. Wash and chop the parsley.
5. Place all the tomato base ingredients into the Emile Henry papillote dish, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Then add the chicken breasts.
6. Bake with the lid on for around 35 minutes. To make sure the chicken is perfectly cooked, use a kitchen thermometer – the internal temperature should reach 75 °C.
7. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with some parsley and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.