One Pan Chicken Marbella Recipe

During my time as an Assistant Editor at Cuisine at Home Magazine, I developed a ton of quick and easy chicken recipes. It was always the most requested type of recipe, so each issue of the magazine needed a handful.

I’ve developed recipes with rotisserie chicken, chicken breast, chicken thighs, you name it. And to this day, this is still one of my favorites. It’s got insane flavor for being done and on the table in under an hour. Plus, it’s all made in one pan which means your kitchen isn’t a disaster by the end of the night.

What is Chicken Marbella?

Chicken Marbella came to popularity in the 1980s thanks Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso and their culture-shifting cookbook, The Silver Palate Cookbook. This cookbook opened many home cooks’ eyes to unfamiliar ingredients which are now commonplace in our kitchens.

Chicken Marbella is a bold, briny chicken dish made by brining chicken pieces (traditionally four whole chickens quartered) overnight in an olive oil marinade flavored with tons of garlic, bay leaves, capers, prunes and olives. The chicken, marinade and all, is transferred to roasting pans with white wine, then covered in brown sugar and roasted until brown. 

The beautiful thing about this dish, aside from being sweet, salty and so dang savory, is that the chicken gets marinated, roasted and braised all in the same recipe.

Watch How to Make Chicken Marbella

Chicken Marbella Recipe Ingredients

Green Olives

Any ‘ol green olive will do—if you can’t find green olives use kalamata. Avoid regular black olives.

Prunes

Look for pitted prunes in the dried fruit aisle. Dice up any leftovers and toss them into oatmeal, cereal bars or mix into granola bars.

Garlic

You know how we feel about garlic—if it isn’t fresh we don’t want it! If your garlic has sprouted (happens to us all) you can still use it. Just slice the clove in half, peel out and discard the sprout, then use the rest of the clove.

Capers

You can find capers (sun dried flower buds packed in vinegar) next to the olives and pickles in most grocery stores. Use any leftovers in our Sour Cream Potato Salad.

Anchovies

Look for anchovies in the tinned fish area (near the canned tuna and salmon). Just a few fillets add a deep savory note to this dish.

We like to buy anchovies sold in jars since they can easily be stored in the refrigerator. If you opened a can, store the leftover anchovies in the fridge in a glass container with a tight fitting lid.

Spices

A mix of dried oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper are used in the olive “paste” while dried bay leaves are used to enhance the sauce as the dish braises.

Chicken Thighs

Bone-in chicken thighs is what you want here. Purchase bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs then remove the skin yourself (or ask the butcher). This way you get all the goodness of chicken thighs without the fatty skin.

Chicken Broth

Opt for low-sodium broth as the capers, olives and anchovies make this dish quite salty. Then season the dish to taste as you cook.

Dry White Wine

Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio work wonderfully here. Just ⅓ cup is needed, leaving you ample amount for sipping on while cooking. Don’t want to open a whole bottle for this? Grab a small airplane-sized bottle of white wine to use, or substitute with additional broth and a splash of vinegar.

Parsley

Finish with some fresh parsley to brighten up the savoriness of this dish. We also like to serve with a few lemon wedges.

How to Remove Skin from Chicken Thighs 

For this recipe we use bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed. You can easily remove it yourself with a pairing knife, or ask your butcher to do it for you.

To start, peel back the skin from the thigh as far as you can. Once you have a clear view of where it is attached, use a sharp paring knife to trim and remove the skin.

How to Make Chicken Marbella Thighs

This is an overview of the recipe, with step-by-step photos to guarantee success. Find the full recipe in the recipe card below.

1. Start by making the paste by processing olives, prunes, oil, garlic, capers, anchovy, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a mini food processor. Set this aside.

2. Next, prep the chicken by patting it dry and seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Cook some of the paste in a large skillet until a fond starts to form on the pan.

4. Deglaze the pan with some broth, then stir in the wine, olives, capers and bay leaves.

5. Nestle the chicken into the sauce, spoon some of the sauce over the chicken, then transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

6. Using the back of a spoon, spread the olive-prune paste over each chicken thigh.

7. Sprinkle some whole prunes around the chicken and continue to roast until cooked through.

8. Top with parsley and serve with lemon.

What to Serve with Chicken Marbella 

• Lemony Parsley Rice (use this brown recipe as a guide—add lemon zest and parsley instead of lime and cilantro). 
• This dish is full of salty, umami flavors. Serve it with this Simple Fennel Salad to balance it out.
• A bright and Creamy Cucumber Salad is the perfect pairing for this cozy dish.
• These Milk Bread Rolls are the perfect vehicle for soaking up the luscious sauce.
• Serve the chicken marbella (and lots of sauce) over a bed of Celery Root & Parsnip Mash.

How to Store Chicken Marbella Thighs

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat Chicken Marbella Thighs

This recipe for chicken marbella serves 4–6 people, but don’t let the serving size turn you away, this makes fabulous leftovers. 

To reheat the dish as it was originally served: transfer chicken and sauce to a skillet and reheat in a 350ºF (277ºC) oven until the sauce and chicken are warmed through, 8–10 minutes. 

Or revamp the leftovers into something new: remove the chicken from the bones and roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Bring chicken chicken and sauce to a simmer in a skillet over medium. Whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch into 2 tablespoons water or chicken stock (cornstarch slurry); stir into chicken and cook until thickened; about 3 minutes.

If you’d like it thicker, add more cornstarch by making another slurry with ½ teaspoon cornstarch and 2 teaspoons liquid. Serve over cauliflower rice, couscous, or rice.

More Chicken Recipes to Try

If you like an impressive chicken dish, you may also like this cornish hen dish. Hens are quicker cooking than a whole chicken, but with all the same juicy, flavorful benefits. Plus, it’s simply impressive.

Chicken & Turkey

Chicken Paillard with Browned Butter Pan Sauce and Arugula Salad

Dinner

Sheet Pan Gochujang Chicken Breast

Healthy Dinner

Easy Salsa Verde Chicken

This recipe and article were originally published on February 18, 2021.