By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on October 4, 2026
Chicken Bolognese
Recipe GLPRf1f5d0b4912621
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Average rating: 4.3 (1)
A rich and savory Italian-inspired sauce made with ground chicken, aromatic vegetables, red wine, and tomatoes, finished with a touch of milk for silky smoothness. Served over your favorite pasta and topped with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
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Ingredients
2 tbsp Olive oil
¾ cup Medium onion, finely chopped
½ cup Celery stalks, finely chopped
⅓ cup Small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 oz Ground chicken
1 cup Whole milk
1¼ cup Dry red wine
2 fillets Anchovy fillets, mashed
½ tsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Tomato paste
28 oz Canned crushed tomatoes
1 lb Dried spaghetti, pappardelle, tagliatelle, or penne pasta
¼ cup Fresh basil leaves
Parmesan cheese
½ tsp Powdered gelatin
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to caramelize, about 8–10 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon or wooden utensil, until no longer pink and lightly browned, about 4–5 minutes. Drain off excess fat if needed.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to caramelize slightly and intensify its flavor.
Add the mashed anchovy fillets and soy sauce, stirring until well incorporated. The anchovy and soy will dissolve into the sauce and add savory depth.
Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by about half, approximately 5–7 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently, uncovered, for about 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken and the flavors will meld.
Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the sauce and stir gently until dissolved. This helps achieve a silky texture.
Stir in the whole milk slowly, incorporating it fully into the sauce. Continue to simmer for another 10–15 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency and any alcohol flavor has mellowed. Do not boil.
While the sauce is finishing, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
To serve, place cooked pasta in bowls or on plates. Ladle the chicken Bolognese sauce generously over each portion. Tear or chop the fresh basil leaves and sprinkle on top. Finish with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Comments
This is a solid weeknight bolognese that uses ground chicken instead of beef, keeping the ingredient list manageable across Charlotte chains like Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Kroger. The real cost driver is anchovy and gelatin, both available at major grocers but ingredients many home cooks skip, adding roughly $2 to the overall bill; budget around $1.50 per serving for a family of four. The technique is straightforward—soffritto, brown the meat, build the sauce—but the use of gelatin (likely to mimic the body of long-simmered ragù) signals this is not a quick weeknight dish despite simplicity, and milk-based chicken bolognese does not reheat as elegantly as a traditional beef version. It's a smart, Charlotte-friendly riff that works for a family dinner, but the gelatin trick and departure from classic proportions ask you to commit to the recipe as written rather than improvise.
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