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Green and black olives, tomatoes, shallots, white wine, capers, and garlic create a very fragrant, flavorful braised chicken Provençal highlighted with the bight aromas of herbes de Provence. It’s one of those fantastic, one-pan dinners, delicious and easy, using both fresh ingredients and pantry staples. This dish is a perfect way to bring the feeling of spring and summer in Provence to our table!
This simple one-pan dish is delicious and perfect for weeknight dinners or entertaining guests. Some rice on the side, fresh crusty bread on hand for sopping up the flavorful sauce, and a wine bottle for sipping make a perfect casual dinner.
Provence, the sun-soaked region in the southeast of France, borders Italy and the Mediterranean sea. Provençal cuisine focuses on fresh, bright tastes and seasonality, using fresh ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, herbs, extra-virgin olive oil, local olives, lemon, and herbs. You may have already heard of or even tried some other Provençal dishes like
- Bouillabaisse (classic fish and seafood dish of Marseille),
- Ratatouille (a traditional casserole of stewed vegetables – originated in Nice),
- Tapenade (a relish consisting of finely chopped olives, capers, and olive oil), and
- Aïoli (a thick sauce made from olive oil and crushed garlic).
In this version of the Chicken Provençal recipe, I have used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for maximum flavor. You may use any chicken cut, provided the cooking time is adjusted accordingly.
Keep in mind that it is always better, for food safety, to cook meat to temperature rather than by time. Check with an instant-read thermometer after 15 minutes. The chicken should be at 160°F or a bit above that temperature. The temperature will rise as it rests until it reaches the recommended safe temperature of 165°F. Adjust the final cook time accordingly.
Final cook times vary due to the thickness of the cut, internal starting temperature, or oven variations.
What kind of white wine, you may ask. Good question. It is better to avoid sweet wines like Moscato or Riesling or fruity ones when cooking. For this dish, I used a Pinot Grigio, my go-to white wine for cooking, as its aromas brighten and enhance the dish without overpowering the flavors and aromas of the recipe ingredients.
Herbes de Provence
Herbes de Provence is a mix of dried herbs typical to the Provence region. The cuisine of this region has traditionally used many herbs, which were often characterized collectively as Herbes de Provence, but not in specific combinations and not sold as a mixture. It is about fifty years since spice wholesalers formulated homogenized mixtures. The blends typically contain dried versions of marjoram, savory, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and other herbs. In the North American market, lavender leaves and buds are also added.
Herbes de Provence mix can be found online or in your local supermarket. If you prefer, you can easily make your own by mixing the herbs mentioned here.
Ingredients to use for this recipe
- Chicken – preferable thighs with their skin and bone.
- Extra virgin olive
- Shallots – you can use a small (or half large) white or yellow onion if that’s what you have.
- Capers – the un-ripened green flower buds of the Capparis Spinosa plant are either cured in salt or pickled in brine. This gives them their distinct savory, bright, briny flavor profile.
- Olives – Both green and Niçoise olives. However, use what you have available; for example, Kalamata olives go well.
- Garlic – Plenty of this.
- Tomatoes (Grape or Cherry) – These tangy-sweet little tomatoes pair nicely with the briny olives and capers.
- Herbes de Provence – The staple combination of herbs of the Provençal cuisine. If you don’t have any at hand, you can replace them with the same quantity of rosemary, thyme, and oregano mixture. With so many rich and bright flavors at play, the braised chicken will still be fragrant and delicious.
- Dry White Wine – Anything that you are drinking that day. I like to use a Pinot Grigio as my go-to white wine for cooking, as its aromas brighten and enhance the dish without overpowering the flavors and aromas of the recipe ingredients.
- Chicken broth.
- Fresh parsley – for garnish.
- Lemon – for garnish.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Tips on how to make the best Chicken Provençal
- I recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for maximum flavor. However, you may use any chicken cut (with or without the skin), provided the cooking time is adjusted accordingly.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking to allow them to get to room temperature.
- Pat dry the chicken thoroughly, which will bring extra-crisp skin when cooking.
- For food safety, cook the chicken to temperature rather than by time. Check with an instant-read thermometer after 15 minutes and adjust the final cook time accordingly. When the chicken comes out of the oven, the chicken should be at 160°F or a bit above that temperature. The temperature will rise as it rests until it reaches the recommended safe temperature of 165°F.
- Final cook times vary due to the thickness of the cut, internal starting temperature, or oven variations.
- It is better to avoid sweet or fruity wines when cooking. Their aroma and taste can alter or overpower the ingredients’ flavors and aromas of the recipe ingredients. For this particular dish, I used a Pinot Grigio.
Make-ahead tips and Storing leftovers
This chicken dish gets even more flavorful the next day while sitting in the sauce. You can make a double batch and refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. This will also freeze beautifully for a couple of months.
Other Chicken recipes
Chicken with Green Olives and Capers
Bon Appetit!
À bientôt
Chicken Provençal with Tomatoes and Olives
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 small Shallots (or 1 large) chopped
- 1/4 cup Dry White Wine 1/3
- 1/3 cup Niçoise Olives drained and halved
- 1/3 cup Green Olives drained and halved
- 1 pint Grape Tomatoes halved
- 1 tsp capers rinsed and pat dry
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth low sodium
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped
- 1 large Lemon sliced and then cutinto small wedges
Instructions
- Place the top oven rack in the center position and pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
- Add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive to a large cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Lightly season chicken thighs with salt and black pepper and add to a hot skillet. Cook until the skin is nicely browned and releases easily from the bottom of the skillet, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Flip and cook for another 4-5minutes on the remaining side. Transfer chicken to a platter and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add garlic and shallot and sauté, stirring continually, for 1-2 minutes or just until the shallot softens and develops some color.
- Add the white wine and deglaze the skillet by gently scraping it with a plastic or wooden spatula to release any browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the olives, tomatoes, capers, herbes de Provence, and chicken broth to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until heated through, approximately 1-2minutes.
- Remove from heat and nestle the chicken thighs in amongst the olive and tomato mixture. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads just over 160°F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat (but not touching the bone).
- Remove from the oven and loosely cover the skillet with foil for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and the lemon wedges before serving.
Notes
Tips on how to make the best Chicken Provençal
- I recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for maximum flavor. However, you may use any chicken cut (with or without the skin), provided the cooking time is adjusted accordingly.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking to allow them to get to room temperature.
- Pat dry the chicken thoroughly, which will bring extra-crisp skin when cooking.
- For food safety, cook the chicken to temperature rather than by time. Check with an instant-read thermometer after 15 minutes and adjust the final cook time accordingly. When the chicken comes out of the oven, the chicken should be at 160°F or a bit above that temperature. The temperature will rise as it rests until it reaches the recommended safe temperature of 165°F.
- Final cook times vary due to the thickness of the cut, internal starting temperature, or oven variations.
- It is better to avoid sweet or fruity wines when cooking. Their aroma and taste can alter or overpower the ingredients’ flavors and aromas of the recipe ingredients. For this particular dish, I used a Pinot Grigio.
Make-ahead tips and Storing leftovers
This chicken dish gets even more flavorful the next day while sitting in the sauce. You can make a double batch and refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. This will also freeze beautifully for a couple of months.Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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