January 16, 2020

Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Olives, Capers and Spinach

Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Olives, Capers and Spinach is a fantastic looking dish…restaurant quality. The deep yellow of the roasted lemons with the vibrant and varied shades of green of the spinach, olives and capers makes for a beautiful presentation. I often serve this dish when I have large family gatherings or friends over for dinner. This recipe elevates a simple chicken dish to the next level.

Jump to Recipe

Preparation for Roasting Lemons

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Thinly slice the lemons, remove any seeds and place slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them especially if you have sliced the lemons very thinly. You want them browned not burned! And, yes, the Roasted Lemons are edible and delicious.

Wilting the Spinach

While the lemons are roasting, add oil to a large saute pan and cook spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer spinach to a bowl and set aside.

Organizing all Ingredients for the Recipe

ingredients for recipe; broth, olives, capers, spinach, roasted lemons

Organize ingredients for the dish; wilted spinach, sliced green olives, drained capers, roasted lemons and chicken broth so that once the chicken nearly finished cooking you’re ready to go.

Dredging the Chicken Breasts

boneless breasts dredged in gluten free flour

Dredge chicken in the seasoned gluten free flour with tongs. In the same saute pan that was used for the spinach, add more oil and add chicken to the pan trying not to overcrowd the pan.

Chicken Preparation

Cook chicken on each side for approximately 3 minutes, until browned on each side.

Cooking the Chicken

Add the olives, capers and broth to the chicken. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Turn chicken as necessary. Then add the spinach and butter and cook until butter is melted and spinach is heated through and wilted, approximately 2 additional minutes.

Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Olives, Capers and Spinach

Carefully transfer chicken, olives, spinach and capers to a platter. Spoon sauce over the dish and garnish with Roasted Lemon slices.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Olives, Spinach and Capers

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Capers, chicken, dinner, gluten free, green olives, lemon, spinach

Servings: 4 people

Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

Roasted Lemons

12 thin lemon slices from 2 lemons
Olive oil
Kosher Salt

Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts thinly cut
1/2 cup Gluten Free all purpose flour for dredging
5 tablespoons olive oil divided
1/2 cup green Sicilian olives sliced and pitted
1 Bag of pre-washed baby spinach organic preferably
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces or margarine
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

For roasted lemons:

Preheat oven to 325°F on Roast setting (Bake setting otherwise)
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Arrange lemon slices in single layer on prepared sheet.
Brush lemon slices with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Roast until slightly dry and beginning to brown around edges, about 25 minutes.
Lemons can be made 1 day ahead. If doing so, transfer to container, cover and chill.

For chicken:

Season flour with salt and pepper and mix with a fork.
Cut breasts in half lengthwise to make thinner pieces (or pound halves) and then cut them in half horizontally for smaller portions. See above photo.
Dredge chicken in seasoned flour to coat both sides; shake off excess.
Cook Bag of Spinach in a large saute pan with 1 tablespoon oil until just wilted. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate or bowl and put aside.
In same pan, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.
Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
Once both sides of chicken are browned, add in olives and capers and give a little stir.
Then add stock and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet.
Boil until liquid is reduced and slightly thickened, approximately 3-5 minutes, turning chicken as necessary.
Add butter, cooked spinach and simmer until butter melts and chicken is cooked through, about 2 additional minutes.
Transfer to a platter. Season with salt and pepper.
Place Roasted Lemons on top of chicken and serve.

Notes

Be sure to have a little of the Roasted Lemon with each bite of chicken. It amps up the flavor significantly. Yes, Roasted Lemons are edible and delicious.

Butter amount can be reduced if watching calories. Margarine can be substituted for the butter.

I’ve added the spinach to the recipe. It soaks up the delicious sauce. You can omit it from the recipe if you desire. If so, add some chopped parsley as garnish before serving to liven up the greens.

I do not use canned olives for this dish. I buy good, meaty olives at the market.

Keep an eye on the lemons as they roast. You want them browned but not burnt.

When I double the recipe, I cook the chicken in batches and then transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Then I continue on with the sauce recipe and add the chicken back in at the end until heated through.

When working with raw chicken always use a separate cutting board and be sure to wash it and the counter thoroughly. I have a dedicated cutting board for chicken.

Recipe is from Epicurious.com (click here) and modified by me for gluten free eating.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these GFchow recipes. Crab pasta with Spicy Lemon Oil, Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with Lemon and Olives, and Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Lemon-Shallot Sauce.

Gluten Free Disclaimer

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.