Chicken Marbella with Prunes, Olives, and Capers
Chicken Marbella with Prunes, Olives, and Capers is an easy and delicious savory dish that is prepped ahead of time.
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I’ve been writing this blog for several years now, yet it’s not unusual that I come across recipes that I’ve been making for so long and/or make so often that I enter a state of disbelief when I realize I haven’t written about them yet.
Sometimes I hold off on sharing them because the dish in question is one I deem challenging to photograph. Let’s face it – some foods are just not that pretty. This Chicken Marbella with Prunes, Olives, and Capers is one of those recipes. It may not be much to look at, but it tastes great!
The first time I made this chicken, it was probably 2010 or 2011 after I had gotten the recipe from a coworker. I can’t remember how exactly the recipe came up in conversation at work.
Perhaps she brought in leftovers for lunch, or perhaps she was just talking about it because she was making it for dinner. In any case, she was describing the ingredients and how it was one of the few dishes her son, who had many food allergies, could eat without modifying the recipe.
After hearing about this magical dish, several coworkers (myself included) were dying to try the recipe, so she shared it with all of us. It wasn’t long until I tried the recipe, and over the years (as with most of the recipes I share) made my own modifications to make it my own.
How to Make Chicken Marbella
The great thing about this dish is that it’s totally prepped ahead of time. You marinate it for a full day, which means you throw the ingredients together right into the dish you plan to bake it in before bed one night, then the next day you stick it in the oven an hour before you plan to eat.
Chicken Marbella Ingredients
Don’t get thrown off by the odd-sounding combination of ingredients. The result is a savory dish with some saltiness from the olives and capers and a slight sweetness from the prunes. It’s a great dish for entertaining, and all you need to make it a meal is a simple green salad and some bread or cooked grains or potatoes.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best
- Pitted prunes – Save time by purchasing your prunes already pitted vs. having to remove the pits yourself.
- Pitted green olives – You can choose plain pitted olives, or olives that are stuffed with pimento or garlic.
- Capers – Capers are a type of pickled flower bud. They are typically sold in brine in jars, but might also by dry-packed in salt. They come in a variety of sizes, but I recommend the smaller “nonpareil” variety for this recipe. You can find capers in well-stocked grocery stores in the aisle with other pickles.
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar – or substitute white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Bay leaves
- Dried oregano
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – While chicken thighs are juicier and more flavorful than chicken breasts, you can substitute an equal amount of chicken breasts in this recipe if needed. I would recommend cutting them into smaller pieces to allow more surface area for the marinade to penetrate.
- Brown sugar – I recommend light brown sugar for this recipe, but dark brown will work too.
- Water – use whatever water you normally drink. Cold tap water is fine.
- Minced fresh parsley – This is optional, and used to sprinkle over the top of the finished dish.
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Chicken Marbella Nutrition Notes
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for 1/4 of the recipe. If your portion is larger (or smaller) than this, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.
Serve chicken marbella with cooked grains, potatoes, or bread as well as a fresh green salad or cooked vegetables to make it a complete meal.
Chicken Marbella with Prunes, Olives and Capers
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine the minced garlic, chopped prunes, chopped olives, 2 Tablespoons capers, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 bay leaves, and 1 Tablespoon dried oregano together in a 9×9" glass baking dish or similarly sized casserole dish. Add 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs and toss to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate the dish for at least 4 hours or up to overnight to marinate.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons brown sugar evenly over the chicken and pour 3 Tablespoons water over the top. Bake until the center of the thighs measure 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 45-60 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley, if desired.Â