Chicken Marbella is a classic chicken recipe with Mediterranean flavors. Tender and juicy chicken is enhanced with an incredible combination of sour and sweet adds. This is one of the tastiest one-pot recipes that definitely takes comfort food to the next heavenly level.
Chicken Marbella recipe can serve you a perfect dish either for family dinner or lunch. It is pretty easy to prepare, although you will need some patience while the meat is marinating. Chicken pieces are soaked in oil, vinegar, white wine and tossed with capers, olives, plums or dates, garlic, and herbs. The meat should be marinated for at least one hour, but an overnight spend in the fridge will make this dish spectacular.
Even this recipe has a Mediterranean origin, this recipe is very famous in the USA. Its spectacular serving makes it just perfect for a festive dinner. You can serve it as a cold appetizer or as a main dish. So, do not hesitate to put it on your menu either for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner or for any special occasion.
And what else makes chicken Marbella so special? Besides the fact that it is invariably tender and flavorful, it is also incredibly easy to make. But more than anything, the unusual combination of ingredients for marinade enhances the meat with a lovely flavor. Chicken Marbella is also a hearty and high-protein dish without spending a lot of money.
Did I convince you to try this chicken Marbella recipe? I hope I did! Let me know how the meat turns out in the comments below!
Do I need to marinate the chicken overnight?
Well, for best results and tender meat, I definitely recommend doing so. But trust me, even an hour of marinating the meat is sufficient to make it tender.
Can I substitute prunes in the Chicken Marbella recipe?
The original recipe comes with prunes. Even if you didn’t like them, I highly recommend you try them out cooked. I found that cooked prunes taste much different than dried ones. But anyway, you can easily replace them with dates or dried apricots. To be honest, I didn’t feel much difference between prunes and dates. Trust me, once you try them, you’ll get it.
Do I need to use boneless, skin-off chicken?
Chicken Marbella is a recipe for all times, so I am cooking it often. And I realize that boneless skinless thighs are best for this recipe. This meat cooks a bit faster and is definitely the finest part of the chicken.
How do you make Chicken Marbella recipe?
Elegant & delicious, sweet & sour, and incredibly flavorful – this chicken Marbella recipe will definitely impress your guests.
Most of the manipulation can be done the day before. And the manipulation is easier than you can imagine – simply rub the meat with the marinade. However, especially for boneless and skinless chicken, an hour is enough for marinating. Once the meat has soaked enough in the marinade, you are done. The final step is about your patience – bake it!
Follow the recipe steps and get crispy on the outside and tender on the inside chicken. Prepare the chicken pieces. Arrange them in a baking dish. Add gradually sun-dried tomatoes, dates, capers, dried oregano, pitted olives, rosemary, wine vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pour white wine. Rub in the marinade and then arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for at least one hour. In case you are supposed to marinate the chicken overnight – refrigerate it.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake chicken Marbella for about one hour. While the meat is baking, grease it every 20 minutes with marinade from the pan. To get lovely golden crispy chicken, increase oven temperature to 500° F for the last 5 minutes.
The result is savory chicken meat, with some salty notes from olives and capers, a slight sweetness from dates glistening in the lovely pan juice. It is an excellent dish for a big gathering.
What does the Chicken Marbella recipe go with?
Chicken Marbella is a delicious dish all on its own. But you can serve it alongside any side dish or salad. From plain bulgur wheat, hearty baked butternut squash, flavored sauteed zucchini, simple soba noodles to stir-fried vegetables, or super healthy baked Brussel sprouts.
Chicken Marbella Recipe
Equipment
- baking pan
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/4 cup capers
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup pitted olives
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1/4 cup wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken pieces. Arrange them in a baking dish.
- Add gradually sun-dried tomatoes, dates, capers, dried oregano, pitted olives, rosemary, wine vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pour white wine. Rub in the marinade and then arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer.
- Cover and let marinate at room temperature for at least one hour. In case you are supposed to marinate the chicken overnight - refrigerate it.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake chicken Marbella for about one hour. While the meat is baking, grease it every 20 minutes with marinade from the pan. To get lovely golden crispy chicken, increase oven temperature to 500° F for the last 5 minutes.
