The combination of flavors in this easy Chicken Marbella recipe are out of this world! Chicken is marinated in a mix of capers, olive oil, garlic and a host of herbs – a delicious dish which balances sweet and savory – so good!
Silver Palate Chicken Marbella
This Mediterranean-inspired chicken recipe is much beloved because it is so flavorful and so easy to make! Chicken thighs and legs are oven baked in a delicious marinade. It’s a great holiday recipe that’s perfect for pleasing a hungry crowd.
Looking for more chicken thigh recipes? Why not also try my Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce and my Tandoori Chicken Thighs!
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Marbella Recipe:
- Sweet and Savory: Salty capers, sweet prunes and savory olives come together to create a lip smacking, sweet and savory dish.
- Tender: The chicken is oven baked, it comes out so juicy and tender.
- Mediterranean Flavors: Olives, capers, olive oil and a host of herbs, give this chicken dinner a Mediterranean hit!
Garlicky, herbal, sweet and savory – this easy chicken dinner hits all the right notes!
How to Make Chicken Marbella
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Place your chicken in a Ziplock bag with the marinade.
- Allow to marinate in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
- Place your chicken in a large pan, cover with brown sugar and pour the wine around the chicken.
- Bake for 50-60 mins.
- Remove form the oven, add the prunes and olives.
- Serve and enjoy!
Chicken Marbella is a sweet and savory Jewish-American chicken dish made famous by The Silver Palate Cookbook in 1982. It includes Mediterranean-inspired ingredients such as olives, prunes, capers, and white wine and is named after the city in Spain.
Yes, you can use an equal quantity of boneless, skinless chicken breasts to make chicken Marbella, but you will miss out on the delicious caramelized skin.
Chicken Marbella is delicious served over mashed potatoes or white rice, both of which absorb the tangy sauce.
The marinade not only gives this chicken a wonderful flavor but also makes the chicken super juicy and tender!
Make Ahead Instructions
Chicken Marbella can be cooked up to two days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. Serve chicken Marbella at room temperature or reheat in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover chicken Marbella in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions
Chicken Marbella can be frozen fully cooked or in the marinade for up to 3 months. Allow the chicken to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking or reheating. To cook marinaded raw chicken, follow the recipe instructions from step 5 on. For fully-cooked defrosted chicken Marbella, reheat in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes.
Ingredient Substitutions
Prunes: Substitute an equal amount of dried apricots or dates.
Capers: Substitute with an equal amount of chopped green olives.
Spanish Olives: Substitute with your favorite olives, such as castelvetrano, kalamata, cerignola, or picholine.
Tips for Perfect Chicken Maarbella
- Give the chicken time to marinate for the best flavor.
- Make sure not to “wash” off the brown sugar when you pour the wine and sauce over the chicken.
- This dish is famous and once you eat it you’ll know why! The sauce is rich and flavorful with notes of garlic and wine, the salty capers, acidic green olives and sweet prunes add so much, you will need a bite that includes a little of everything to get the complete picture.
Chicken thighs and legs, made super flavorful with a garlic and caper marinade – it’s bursting with Mediterranean goodness! Healthy, hearty and easy to make – perfect for a weeknight meal, fancy enough for a dinner party – win win!
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Chicken Marbella Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup capers
- 1 tablespoon caper brine
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup pitted prunes
- ¼ cup Spanish green olives
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian parsley
Equipment
- Instant-Read Thermometer Optional
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a blender and blend until the garlic is pureed.8 cloves garlic, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil
- Pour the garlic into a bowl. Add the oregano, salt, pepper, capers, caper brine, and bay leaves. Stir well.2 tablespoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ cup capers, 1 tablespoon caper brine, 3 bay leaves
- Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl or a large Ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Toss to coat.4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
- Place the chicken in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to marinate.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the chicken in a large pan and pour the marinade over the chicken.
- Spread the brown sugar over each piece of chicken. Pour the white wine around the pan, making sure not to pour over the brown sugar.½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup white wine
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. Baste the chicken with the broth from time to time, making sure not to wash the brown sugar off the chicken. When fully cooked, the juices should run clear and the meat should register 165°F.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place the prunes and green olives around the pan. Top with parsley.½ cup pitted prunes, ¼ cup Spanish green olives, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian parsley
Notes
- Give the chicken time to marinate for the best flavor.
- Make sure not to “wash” off the brown sugar when you pour the wine and sauce over the chicken.
- This dish is famous and once you eat it you’ll know why! The sauce is rich and flavorful with notes of garlic and wine, the salty capers, acidic green olives and sweet prunes add so much, you will need a bite that includes a little of everything to get the complete picture.
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