This recipe started with a container of leftover ripe green olives in the fridge. The thought of marinating those salty olives with chicken sounded enticing. I began throwing together all kinds of complimentary flavors– lime juice for a mild tartness, honey for sweetness, garlic and oregano, plus red pepper flakes for a kick. The result is my Mediterranean Olive Chicken– now a favorite recipe on my site, which is cooked in home kitchens all around the world. Who knew those leftover green olives would lead to something so popular and enduring?
I grew up eating a lot of chicken and a lot of fish. My mom and stepdad stuck to a heart-healthy diet, which meant that we rarely ate red meat. I used to complain about this when I was 6 or 7 years old… in fact, I had a little saying, which I liked to proclaim in sing-song fashion:
Chicken or fish, chicken or fish, all we ever eat is chicken or fish.
My mother, bless her heart, refrained from scolding me. She’d just smile, hand me my plate, and cheerfully announce that I was on dish duty. I quickly learned that I’d better stop complaining and eat up, or I’d be stuck doing dishes until I went to college.
Looking back, I find it funny that I was bummed about the lack of red meat in my childhood diet. Nowadays, I don’t eat much meat at all– in fact, I would say we’re about 80% vegetarian. We eat Mediterranean-style most of the time, which means we enjoy lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains and olive oil, and very little red meat. We prefer vegetarian entrees, but when we do choose to eat meat, it’s usually chicken or fish… more often chicken.
Because of our Mediterranean inclinations, I’m always coming up with new and creative ways to prepare chicken. I developed this recipe back in 2013 to use up those leftover olives in the refrigerator. After marinating and roasting, the chicken turned out just lovely… aromatic, herby, juicy and full of flavor. The marinade created delectable olive-laden pan drippings, so I skimmed the fat, added white wine, and whipped up a delicious sauce. It would make a great weeknight recipe, and it’s even special enough for a holiday meal. Try it and let me know what you think!
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Mediterranean Olive Chicken
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chopped ripe green olives
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if sensitive to spice, omit)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- 4-5 pounds chicken pieces, bone in, skin on (I like using chicken thighs)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or potato starch (use potato starch for Passover)
NOTES
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the chopped olives, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, honey, lime zest, red pepper flakes and oregano. Season the marinade with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle the chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper. Place chicken pieces in a 9x13 ceramic or glass baking dish. Brush the pieces evenly with olive marinade, using all of the marinade to coat. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight (overnight is best).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the baking dish with parchment or foil. If using foil, pierce a few vents with a sharp knife around the outer edges. If using parchment, simply cover the dish loosely.
- Place the covered dish in the oven. Let the chicken bake for 60 minutes, then remove the parchment or foil and cook for an additional 15-30 minutes, basting periodically, until well cooked and tender. At the end of cooking, you may broil it for a minute or two to brown the skin-- watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn!Transfer chicken pieces to a platter. Carefully tip the baking dish so that the pan drippings and juices gather in one corner. Use a spoon to skim off the clear liquid fat, separating it from the solid drippings. Discard the fat.
- Pour the remaining drippings into a small saucepan along with ¼ cup of white wine. Heat the sauce slowly over medium.While sauce is heating, whisk together 1 tbsp cornstarch or 2 tsp potato starch and 2 tbsp water till smooth. Pour the starchy liquid into the saucepan and whisk until combined. Heat the sauce until bubbling and thickened.
- Serve the chicken topped with warm sauce. Note: this recipe is kosher for Passover if you use potato starch and Passover-approved products with a kosher hechsher.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Other Great Recipe Ideas
The Pioneer Woman: Herb Roasted Whole Chicken
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Recipe Girl: Cilantro Chicken
Kalyn’s Kitchen: Chicken Souvlaki
Leite’s Culinaria: Peruvian Roast Chicken
This looks so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Tori – This was one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever made! Thanks so much.
Love your recipes and web site. The Mediterranean chicken a stand out as is your dessert ones. Thanks
This was an amazing find! I’m a huge olive fan and have been blanking on ideas to dress up chicken. This recipe will definitely be a frequent go-to. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious!
The only change I made because I like a browned and crispy skin-at step 6 above, I removed chicken from the pan to get the drippings. Once drippings in the saucepan, I put the chicken back in the 9×13, cranked up the oven to 400 degrees while I was making the sauce and maybe a little longer.
Resulted in browned crispy chicken (olives a little shrively, but not bad). We and our guests really enjoyed it!
Thank you for the recipe and congratulaions on the new arrival!
Mary
okay fixed, printed…now preparing to have for dinner, thanks!
Having Printing issue also. Clicked “Print” 3x
Thanks!
Hi, just to let you know, I am not able to print the recipes in your Rosh Hashana menu,the Mediterranean Chicken nor the date cookies.Can you direct me on how to get them? Thanks Natalie
Hi Natalie! Which device/browser are you using? There is a big Print Recipe button on all of my recipes just above the ingredients on the recipe card, which should automatically create a print version. Let me know if that doesn’t work for you, I can help you troubleshoot if you’re still having issues.
Yum!!… Looks so good!!..
I made this last year and it was a hit with my hubby and a friend. I will be making it again during Passover this year.
Seriously this is one of the best chicken recipes ever! I’m 62 and I made this with a chicken my wife and I raised yes we raised 30 broilers and this is by far one of the best. I have my mothers chicken cacciatore recipe from a cookbook from back in the late 50’s and I love it but this is as good as that. Different in some ways but really good. Thank you Kevin
This chicken dish was delightful. The sauce was out of this world. Love how healthy it is!
Dear Tory,
I made your crunchy sweet broccoli salad . It was a hit except I didn’t get to eat any of it on the second day as my husband ate it all up.
Davida
Ha! That’s great. Thanks for letting me know!
Hello! This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it. If I am making this on Friday, but going to serve it on Saturday, would you suggest making the sauce as directed and pouring onto the chicken before refrigerating and then reheating the whole dish as one the next day?
Hi Jacq, I would make everything and store the chicken covered in a dish, with the sauce stored separately in another covered dish. Reheat both and combine the chicken with the sauce just before serving. This way the chicken won’t become soggy and will retain the nicely browned skin.
Hi-this looks like?e a wonderful recipe for Passover. How do you think it would turn out with boneless -skinless chicken breast?
Please read the comments, as I have addressed this question already. 🙂
I have made this dish for Shabbat several times. It’s a hit!
Fabulous!
I bought agave for another one of your recipes and also want to make this Mediterranean olive chicken dish. Can I substitute agave for the honey in this dish and if so how much?
Yes, it’s a 1-1 sub so use the same amount. 🙂
Hi Tory,
I had made this dish a few times and it is always a hit. I have a quick question (I hope you read this before Passover!) How do you think this dish would turn out with boneless chicken breasts and thighs?
Hi Karen, I think it would be good– but the cooking time will need to be much shorter. Boneless breasts and thighs cook a lot faster, and especially if they’re skinless they can turn out dry if you overcook them. I don’t have an exact timing for you, but around 12-15 minutes on each side (24-30 minutes total) should do it. You can broil them a little at the end to brown them. Good luck!
Hi- How do you suggest cooking this using a whole chicken? Thanks!
Cut it up into pieces and it should cook pretty much the same. Just check the longest cooking pieces to make sure they’re done before you serve them. 😉
This was really terrific. Used skinless chicken thighs. Covered them in foil with the slits for an hour, then took the top off and dusted it with paprika for color. While that was finishing in the oven, I steamed some organic broccoli, and topped it with lemon zest and a bit of meyer’s lemon juice. Reduced the chicken drippings as recommended, adding a bit of corn starch/water mixture along with the wine. Served chicken on top of chicken quinoa, and added a crusty piece of bread and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!