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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 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
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.