March 18, 2021

Simple Chicken Marbella

Name: Simple Chicken Marbella
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1/2 cup pitted prunes ((approx 10-12)); 1/4 cup pitted Spanish and or Castelvetrano green olives (halved, whole, or a combo); 1/4 cup capers; 3 bay leaves; 4 garlic cloves crushed with a garlic press; 1/3 cup fresh oregano combined with 1 tablespoon dried oregano or 2 tablespoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed of any excess fat); 1/4 cup dry white wine (See NOTES section below); 1-2 tablespoons light brown sugar (if your taste runs on the sweet side, use 2 tbsps); 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh oregano as garnish (optional)

Chicken Marbella is a Spanish and Moroccan inspired dish that combines briny and sweet flavors that never fails to please! While most Chicken Marbella recipes call for bone-in, skin-on chicken, my simple version uses boneless, skinless thighs which reduces the overall cooking time and significantly minimizes the amount of fat in the dish without sacrificing anything in the taste department!

Jump to Recipe

Prep of Base Ingredients

base ingredients: boneless, skinless chicken thighs, olives, pitted prunes, capers, bay leaves, oregano, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper

Organize and prep all of the base ingredients … olive oil, red wine vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, garlic, oregano (fresh and dried), salt, pepper, and chicken thighs,

Combine Ingredients

all base ingredients mixed together in a large baking dish

Simply combine all of the marinade ingredients together in an oven-proof baking dish, add chicken and mix to coat. Cover with plastic wrap (or place in a large plastic storage bag) and then refrigerate and let marinate overnight.

Addition of Flavor Boosters Before Putting in the Oven

wine and brown sugar are added to the chicken before putting in the oven to bake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees on Bake setting. Right before you put the chicken in the oven, add wine and then sprinkle on brown sugar. Bake until chicken is cooked, approx. 35-40 minutes, basting two or three times with the pan juices once the chicken begins to brown. (When basting, do not brush off the sugar, if possible.) If using an instant-read thermometer, the chicken temperature should be 165 degrees. I like to pop the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two so the sugar can caramelize. (This step isn’t necessary but I feel it adds a terrific candied layer to the dish.)

Simple Chicken Marbella

Before serving, discard the bay leaves and garnish with parsley or oregano if desired. Either serve directly from the baking dish or transfer to a platter. If serving directly from the baking dish be sure to set it on a trivet because the dish will be very hot.

Print Recipe

Simple Chicken Marbella

A Note about Portion Size: This dish will feed 4 people but only if served with a few sides. Otherwise it is more appropriate for 2-3 people.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American, Moroccan, Spanish

Keyword: Capers, chicken thighs, gluten free, green olives, oregano, prunes

Servings: 4 people

Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup pitted prunes (approx 10-12)
1/4 cup pitted Spanish and or Castelvetrano green olives halved, whole, or a combo
1/4 cup capers
3 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves crushed with a garlic press
1/3 cup fresh oregano combined with 1 tablespoon dried oregano or 2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed of any excess fat
1/4 cup dry white wine See NOTES section below
1-2 tablespoons light brown sugar if your taste runs on the sweet side, use 2 tbsps
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh oregano as garnish optional

Instructions

Trim chicken of any excess fat.
In a large oven-proof platter, combine all of the marinade ingredients together…olive oil, red wine vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, garlic, oregano (fresh and dried), salt, pepper,… and then add chicken thighs. Thoroughly coat chicken with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap (or place in a large plastic storage bag) and then refrigerate and let marinate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees on the Bake setting.
Before putting chicken in the oven, pour in wine and sprinkle with brown sugar .
Bake until the chicken is cooked, approx. 35-40 minutes, basting two or three times with the pan juices once the chicken begins to brown. (When basting, do not brush off the sugar.) If using an instant-read thermometer, the chicken temperature should be 165 degrees. I like to pop the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two so the sugar can caramelize. (This step isn't necessary but I feel it adds a terrific candied layer to the dish.)
Before serving, discard the bay leaves and garnish with parsley or oregano if desired and serve directly from the baking dish. Be sure to set baking dish on a trivet since baking dish will be very hot.

Notes

For the white wine, use whatever you have open in the refrigerator. If you don’t have any open, use a wine that you like to drink and have a glass with your meal.

This recipe is great if you are entertaining because most of the work is done in advance.

Dried apricots, currants, and/or raisins can be used in addition to or instead of the prunes.

Adjust the amount of prunes, olives, and capers to your personal preferences.

If you prefer to use a combination of white and dark meat I would recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Cook for approx. 50 – 60 minutes.

This recipe can feed more than 2 people but isn’t quite enough to feed 4 people. The recipe can easily be doubled to feed 5-6 people.

Original recipe is from The Silver Palate and was reposted by NYT Cooking. Modifications made by me.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with Lemon and Olives, Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Lemon-Shallot Sauce, and Sauteed Broccolini with Caramelized Leeks.

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.