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You’ll love this faster and lighter Chicken Marbella. Chicken thighs are cooked on the stove-top with prunes, Spanish olives, capers, garlic and oregano for a flavorful and straightforward Mediterranean-style dish!

Lightened-Up Chicken Marbella

I really like finding latest ways to cook chicken thighs, and this Mediterranean style dinner is bound to develop into a daily in your recipe rotation! The mix of the sweet prunes and the salty tang of the capers and olives makes Chicken Marbella a delicious dish that balances the taste of the contrasting flavors beautifully. Another chicken thigh recipes that you simply might want to ascertain out are Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushroom and Leeks, Baked Chicken Thighs, and Air Fryer Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs.

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Chicken Marbella is one in every of my favorite recipes from the classic Silver Palate Cookbook. Before making this dish, I had NO idea how much I liked prunes, ha! I also had no idea how perfectly prunes paired with olives and capers… it’s a sweet and salty combo that just works.

How To Make A Healthier Chicken Marbella

The unique Chicken Marbella recipe is made with 1 cup of brown sugar (yikes), an entire head of garlic pureed (time consuming!), 1 cup of wine (that’s much more sugar)… plus, the chicken must marinate overnight.

I made a decision to attempt to make this dish not only much lighter, but in addition much faster. First, I in the reduction of the sugar to only 1 tablespoon. As an alternative of skin on chicken pieces, I used removed the skin from my chicken thigh pieces. I also swapped your complete pureed head of garlic for just 6 chopped cloves, and I used low-sodium chicken broth instead of the white wine.

Also, as an alternative of using a marinade for the chicken, I just cooked all the pieces on the stove-top, making a delicious pan-sauce with the pan juices at the tip. Truthfully, I like this lighter and faster version even higher than the unique!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need (see full ingredients with measurements are at the underside of this post within the recipe card):

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds a wealthy, fruity base to start out the cooking process.
• Bone-in Chicken Thighs: The primary protein, with the skin removed offering juicy, flavorful meat that becomes tender when cooked.
• Garlic Cloves: Thinly sliced to infuse the dish with an fragrant flavor.
• Pitted Prunes: Halved and added for a sweet contrast that balances savory flavors.
• Spanish Green Olives: Halved for a briny, tangy kick that enhances the sweetness of the prunes.
• Capers plus Brine: Bring a burst of salty, pickled flavor, with the brine (the juice from the jar) adding an additional zing.
• Dried Bay Leaves: Impart a subtle, herbal essence that deepens the dish’s complexity.
• Dried Oregano: Adds a touch of earthy, minty flavor that’s classic in Mediterranean cooking.
• Brown Sugar: Dark brown or light brown sugar provides a touch of sweetness to round out the savory notes.
• Kosher Salt: For flavor.
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Adds a slight heat and fragrant depth.
• Low Sodium Chicken Broth: The liquid base that helps to cook the chicken while keeping it moist and adding flavor.
• Red Wine Vinegar: Introduces an acidic brightness, balancing the wealthy and sweet elements.

How To Make Chicken Marbella

1. First, heat olive oil in a big skillet over high heat until it’s shimmering. Next, add the chicken, skinned side down, then cover and let it cook until it turns a deep golden brown. After that, flip the chicken over, cover it again, and let it cook until it’s golden on this second side. Following that, add garlic to the skillet and stir until it becomes fragrant.
2. Then, introduce the prunes, olives, capers and brine, bay leaves, and oregano into the skillet, spreading them out evenly across the chicken. Season the chicken with brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the chicken broth and vinegar over all the pieces and produce it to a boil.
3. Afterward, reduce the warmth to low, cover, and let it simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through. Next, rigorously move the chicken to a serving platter, then bring the skillet back to the stove over high heat. Let the sauce cook, swirling it occasionally, until it has reduced and barely thickened.
4. Finally, spoon the pan sauce over the chicken on the serving platter and serve. (See full recipe and directions within the recipe card below.)

Variations

• Chicken: Use bone-in chicken breasts or drumsticks as an alternative. When you don’t mind the additional calories, you can too use skin-on chicken.
• Fresh Herbs: Top with fresh Italian parsley

What To Serve with Chicken Marbella

I serve this dish over couscous with an enormous green salad and my husband at all times gets excited when Marbella is on the menu. This is able to also go great with crusty bread, rice or rice pilaf, roasted potatoes, and even cauliflower rice to maintain it light. Let me know within the comments if you happen to love this dish (and prunes!) as much as I do.

What’s Chicken Marbella?

Chicken Marbella is a classic dish that first gained popularity within the Eighties, because of “The Silver Palate Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. It’s known for its unique combination of flavors, mixing sweet, sour, and savory in a way that was quite progressive for its time. The dish is made with chicken marinated in olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, and a mixture of herbs and spices, then baked until golden and tender.

Are you able to freeze Chicken Marbella?

Yes, Chicken Marbella freezes quite well, making it a terrific make-ahead dish for meal planning or preparing food ahead for the month.

How To Reheat Chicken Marbella

If frozen, it’s best to thaw chicken marbella overnight within the fridge. It may possibly be reheated within the oven, covered, at 350°F (175°C) until heated through, about 20-Half-hour or microwaved 3 to 4 minutes.

Storage

To refrigerate or freeze this chicken marbella recipe, place the chicken in airtight freezer-safe containers or zip-top freezer bags. If using a plastic storage bag, squeeze out as much air as possible to stop freezer burn. Pour in a number of the cooking sauce to maintain the chicken moist. Refrigerate as much as 4 days or freeze as much as 3 months.

More Chicken Thigh Recipes

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 43 minutes mins

Total: 58 minutes mins

Yield: 6 servings

Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with sauce)

• Heat olive oil in a big skillet over high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken, skinned side down, then cover and cook until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.

• Flip chicken, cover again and cook until golden on second side, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.

• Add the prunes, olives, capers and brine, bay leaves and oregano to the skillet, arranging them evenly across the chicken. Season the chicken with brown sugar, salt and pepper. Pour the chicken broth and vinegar over top and produce to a boil.

• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15 to twenty minutes.

• Fastidiously transfer the chicken to a serving platter then return the skillet to the stove over high heat. Cook sauce, swirling occasionally, until reduced and barely thickened, about 5 minutes.

• Spoon pan sauce and over chicken and serve.

Last Step:

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Serving: 1 chicken thigh with sauce), Calories: 323 kcal, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Protein: 38 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Cholesterol: 179 mg, Sodium: 713 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g