Delicious Baked Chicken - Chicken Marbella
This luscious baked chicken recipe is a classic. Chicken Marbella originally appeared in the Silver Palate Cookbook
It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory that elevates ordinary baked chicken into something special, making it a favorite that’s just as popular today as when it appeared as the first main-course dish at the famous Silver Palate shop in NYC.
If you have any doubt about its popularity, just do a Google search and see how many times it appears on recipe sites and food blogs!
It’s a real tribute to the talent of late cook and food writer, Sheila Lukins.
This baked chicken recipe, while not exactly the most easy chicken recipe ever, it’s not that hard and the results make it worth the effort.
It’s great served hot or at room temperature.
It keeps, can be reheated and is even better after several days of refrigeration, making it a great do ahead dinner.
I’ve made Chicken Marbella several times and it is always a hit, even with kids. I’d forgotten about it until I ran across it as I was flipping through my Southern Living: Our Readers Top-Rated Recipes
Use whatever cuts of chicken you like best. Last time I made it using all chicken thighs.
I know have three great recipes for Chicken Marbella, – the original long marinating baked chicken version, a quick recipe that uses chicken tenders and a slow cooker version, that’s the easiest of them all.
Classic Chicken Marbella Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Marinate Time: at least 8 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Although, the ingredient list is long, there’s nothing very unusual on it. If you are looking for a relatively easy baked chicken dish that is sure to impress, you’ll want to give it a try. All you need to do is stir the marinade ingredients together, let it all marinate in the refrigerator and then put it all in a pan, sprinkle some brown sugar on top, drizzle around some wine and let it bake.
The chicken needs to marinate at least 8 hours to insure it turns out juicy and flavorful, so you need to plan ahead.
Ingredients
3/4 cup pitted dried plums
1/4 cup capers
3/4 cup pimento-stuffed Spanish olives
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
5 to 6 pounds of bone-in skin on chicken pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Preparation
Combine the plums, capers, olives, garlic, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a large bowl or zipper-top freezer bag. Add the chicken pieces and turn to make sure they are well coated. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator at least 8 hours.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in 1 or 2 baking pans. Pour marinade evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the brown sugar. Pour wine around the chicken pieces.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, basting frequently, until done.
To serve, place the chicken on a large platter and drizzle with some of the pan juices and then sprinkle with parsley.
Quick Chicken Marbella Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings
I love Chicken Marbella’s unique combination of ingredients – green olives, prunes, garlic, bay leaves, white wine and brown sugar – and think it creates one of the most incredible sauces for chicken ever. It’s one of my favorite easy chicken recipes for dinner parties.
But, while easy, it’s not exactly quick to make, since it requires several hours of marinating time and cooking time.
I was excited to come across this recipe for a quicker easier version of the original baked chicken dish that uses chicken tenders instead of bone-in chicken, bottled vinaigrette and olives that are already chopped to cut down on preparation time in a fun cookbook called The Dinner Doctor
It calls for chopped olive salad, which is also known as olive spread or olive tapanade, depending on where you live and where you shop. If you can’t find it, place 1/4 cup pitted pimento stuffed green olives in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of darned capers and process them until smooth and use it instead.
Ingredients
1/2 cup light bottled balsamic dressing (Such as Newman’s Own)
1/2 cup store bought olive salad, olive spread or olive tapanade
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1-1/2 pounds chicken tenders
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup dry white wine
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the vinaigrette, olive salad, garlic, oregano, bay leaves and prunes until well combined. Add the chicken tenders and stir to coat them with the mixture.
Dump the mixture into a 9×13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and arrange the chicken tenders so they are in one layer. Snuggle the prunes around the chicken, spreading them around. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the chicken and pour the wine around them.
Bake the chicken tenders until their tops are golden brown and the juices are bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and discard the bay leaves. Serve the chicken warm, cold or at room temperature.
Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1/6th): 244 calories, 6.9 g fat, 17.1 g carbs, 1.1 g fiber, 23.7 g protein and 6 WW PointsPlus Value
Slow Cooker Chicken Marbella Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 to 6 hours in the slow cooker
Yield: 8 servings
Another easy version of Chicken Marbella, this one for the slow cooker. About 30 minutes, before serving you’ll want to cook the rice so it’s ready when it’s time to eat.
Ingredients
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/3 cup pitted green olives
8 chicken thighs (about 2-1/2 pounds) skin removed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
Directions
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the wine, brown sugar, oregano, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Ad the garlic, capers, prunes and olives and stir well to combine.
Add the chicken, snuggling it in among the olives and prunes. Cover and cook until the meat is tender and cooked through (on low 5 to 6 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours). Gently stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar and parsley.
About 30 minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package instructions. Serve the chicken, prunes, olives and sauce over the rice and enjoy
Nutritional Estimates Per Serving without Rice (1 thigh and 1/8th sauce): 224 calories, 4.5 g fat, 10. 4 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 29.6 g protein and 5 WW PointsPlus Value
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