If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner that’s also packed with a TON of flavor, this Chicken Marbella with Apricots & Olives recipe is the one for you. Every time I make this dish, I take a bite and say to myself “this is the best bite of food.” I love the combination of sweet and salty. The chicken thighs are juicy and perfectly textured with a sear before roasting. While the flavor combinations of sweet prunes and apricots paired with the brined and salty olives and capers keep your tastebuds alive and coming back bite after bite. This recipe makes for a great weeknight option, ideal for tossing together either the night before or the morning-of. This allows the chicken plenty of time to marinate and makes quick work of the cooking process come dinner time.
The grocery list.
- minced garlic – A great base of flavor for any savory recipe
- dried oregano – The flavors of the oregano and bay leaves blend well with those of the apricots and prunes
- kosher salt – Salt makes every other flavor pop!
- pepper
- red wine vinegar – The acidity from the red wine vinegar allows the flavors of the marinade seep into the meat
- bay leaves
- pitted prunes, chopped – Prunes and apricots add a delectable sweetness to this recipe
- dried apricots, chopped
- green olives (stuffed or not) – Olives have such a distinct and delicious flavor, they add a lot to this dish
- white wine (or chicken stock)
- maple syrup – The sweetness of the maple syrup elevates the flavors of the fruits
- capers— These little salty bombs add so much flavor to the dish
- ButcherBox chicken thighs — Chicken breast is a great substitution here although the cooking time will greatly differ as typically chicken breast are much larger and thicker than thighs. Thighs are ideal but if you don’t like them, breasts will work!
- fresh parsley– Fresh is always best. I’m always shocked how much flavor fresh herbs bring to the finish of a dish.
The preparation.
The marinade.
To make the marinade, combine the minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, pitted prunes, apricots, green olives, white wine, maple syrup and capers in a large glass dish. Add the chicken and bay leaves. Cover the container. Place the chicken in the fridge while it marinates.
The chicken must marinate for at least an hour, but ideally it should sit in the mixture overnight to best absorb the flavors.
The cook.
When you are ready to bake the chicken, start by preheating the oven to 375°F.
Heat a cast iron pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade but do not discard the mixture, reserve it. Sear the chicken in the cast iron pan for 5 minutes on each side.
Place the reserved marinade into a large roasting dish, but remove the bay leaves from it and discard them. Transfer the chicken into the roasting dish after searing it for 5 minutes on each side. Make sure some of the marinade goes on top of the chicken.
Bake the dish uncovered for 15-17 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
The presentation.
Spoon the sauce over each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to make the flavor pop! Serve the chicken and fixings over white rice.
Make Ahead.
This Chicken Marbella with Apricots & Olives is a perfect dish to make ahead. The flavors of the sauce blend best with the chicken when it is left to marinate overnight, so I recommend making this the night before you plan on serving it. Not only will you have a meal prepped and ready to cook, but it’ll taste even more delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
- ½ cup green olives (stuffed or not)
- ½ cup white wine (or chicken stock)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 2 pounds ButcherBox chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, pitted prunes, apricots, green olives white wine, maple syrup and capers in a large glass dish. Add the chicken and bay leaves. Cover and marinate for at least one hour but ideally overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat a cast iron over medium-high heat, remove chicken from marinade and reserve. Sear the chicken for 5 minutes on each side.
- Place the marinade ingredients into a large roasting dish, remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the chicken to a roasting dish and nest down into the marinade.
- Bake uncovered for 15-17 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Spoon the sauce over each piece of chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve the chicken and fixings over white rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information: serves 4 / 462 cals / 12g F / 51g C / 39g P
Looking for more recipes to make ahead?
Here are a few to try:
SANTA MARIA TRI-TIP WITH CHIMICHURRI
Lastly, if you make this Chicken Marbella with Apricots & Olives recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
- ½ cup green olives (stuffed or not)
- ½ cup white wine (or chicken stock)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 2 pounds ButcherBox chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, pitted prunes, apricots, green olives white wine, maple syrup and capers in a large glass dish. Add the chicken and bay leaves. Cover and marinate for at least one hour but ideally overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat a cast iron over medium-high heat, remove chicken from marinade and reserve. Sear the chicken for 5 minutes on each side.
- Place the marinade ingredients into a large roasting dish, remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the chicken to a roasting dish and nest down into the marinade.
- Bake uncovered for 15-17 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Spoon the sauce over each piece of chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve the chicken and fixings over white rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information: serves 4 / 462 cals / 12g F / 51g C / 39g P
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
- ½ cup green olives (stuffed or not)
- ½ cup white wine (or chicken stock)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 2 pounds ButcherBox chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, pitted prunes, apricots, green olives white wine, maple syrup and capers in a large glass dish. Add the chicken and bay leaves. Cover and marinate for at least one hour but ideally overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat a cast iron over medium-high heat, remove chicken from marinade and reserve. Sear the chicken for 5 minutes on each side.
- Place the marinade ingredients into a large roasting dish, remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the chicken to a roasting dish and nest down into the marinade.
- Bake uncovered for 15-17 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Spoon the sauce over each piece of chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve the chicken and fixings over white rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information: serves 4 / 462 cals / 12g F / 51g C / 39g P
4 comments
Do you use bone in thighs or boneless?
I like boneless because there is less interruption in the actual eating of a meal, it’s the quickest way to get the yummy food in my mouth. Bone-in works great as well but will need a longer cooking time, just make sure it’s fully cooked to 165F and you’ll be set!
Do you prepare AND cook this in advance, or prepare and then cook? If you reheat, what temperature and for how long. Many thanks! It looks divine!
I prepare it to marinate in advance and then cook it. Reheating (once fully cooked) is totally at your discretion for method and temp. I tend to like my food more on the room temp/warm side whereas Mat likes his food HOT.