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5 from 2 votes

Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Olives, Spinach and Capers

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
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.