Chicken Marbella
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One of the most popular dishes from the Silver Palate Cookbook, Chicken Marbella has been a family favorite for decades. Loved it back then; still love it now!
Chicken Marbella is probably the most famous recipe to come out of the beloved Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and the late Sheila Lukins. Growing up, this dish was a regular at our family dinners, especially during Rosh Hashanah and Passover. To this day, my mom prepares it for special family gatherings. I hesitated to share this recipe initially, thinking many of you might already have it tucked away. But then it dawned on me that an entire new generation of home cooks might be unfamiliar with it. After all, the cookbook hit the shelves in 1982 — and to put that in perspective, I was only 9 years old back then!
So, what makes Chicken Marbella so darn good? First off, the chicken itself is always tender and juicy. But more than anything, it’s in the unique Mediterranean flavor combination — a marinade of garlic and herbs, a savory-sweet wine gravy (which, I swear, is good enough to drink), and a mix of plump prunes, briny capers, and tangy green olives. It all comes together to make one gorgeous and memorable dish.
Table of Contents
“I made this for my husband’s birthday dinner last night – THE MOST AMAZING CHICKEN ever!”
If you don’t have the Silver Palate Cookbook, a 25th-anniversary edition complete with photos was published a few years ago. The recipes are as relevant today as they were in the 1980s. In fact, my mother still keeps her original copy by the stove, with the Chicken Marbella page (among many others) dog-eared and scribbled on.
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Marbella
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl combine garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers with caper juice, and bay leaves. Add the chicken pieces and coat completely with the marinade (use your hands to rub marinade all over and especially under the skin). Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.
Bake for about 1 hour, basting occasionally with the pan juices. The chicken is done when the thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest point, yield clear yellow juice (not pink).
At this point, you can serve the chicken as is, especially if you plan to remove the skin. However, if you prefer a crisper, browner skin, transfer the chicken pieces to a foil-lined baking sheet.
Broil 5 inches from the heating element for a few minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp; keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Then proceed to serve as above.)
With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Add some of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley. Pass the remaining sauce on the side.
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Chicken Marbella
One of the most popular dishes from the Silver Palate Cookbook, Chicken Marbella has been a family favorite for decades. Loved it back then; still love it now!
Ingredients
- 2 cut-up chickens, 2½ pounds each, quartered, bone-in, skin-on (see note)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup pitted prunes
- ¼ cup Spanish green olives
- ¼ cup capers, with a bit of juice
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers with caper juice, and bay leaves. Add the chicken pieces and coat completely with the marinade (use your hands to rub marinade all over and especially under the skin). Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions.
- Arrange the marinated chicken in a single layer in two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine around them.
- Bake for about 1 hour, basting occasionally with the pan juices. The chicken is done when the thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest point, yield clear yellow juice (not pink).
- With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter (discard the bay leaves). Add some of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley. Pass the remaining sauce in a gravy boat. (Alternatively, if you prefer a crisper, browner skin, transfer the chicken pieces to a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 5 inches from the heating element for a few minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp; keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn. Then proceed to serve as above.) Serve the chicken hot or room temperature.
- Note: You can substitute all white or dark meat depending on what your family likes. I've also seen appetizer versions made entirely with small drumsticks and wings.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 821
- Fat: 50 g
- Saturated fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Sugar: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 62 g
- Sodium: 963 mg
- Cholesterol: 280 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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This was so good! We served with mashed potatoes, asparagus & peas. The gravy from the chicken over the potatoes was delicious!!! Will definitely make again!
Hi Jenn, do you see an issue with marinating the chicken for longer than 12 hours? It would be marinating for 17 hours based on when I’m hoping to prepare it. Love your recipes from B.C., Canada
So glad you like the recipes! Marinating it for 17 hours should be fine. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Stupid question: If I just want to use one chicken – should I use the same amount of sauce in order to marinate it properly or do I cut all the other ingredients in half as well?
Sending you all the best from Vienna, Austria.
No question is a stupid question! yes, if you’re using half the chicken, you can cut the marinade in half. Hope you enjoy!
I have been making this for years as I have original Julie Russo cookbook. It’s always a hit. My husband has decided that he doesnt like red wine vinegar, so do you think it works to use balsamic vinegar instead? I have a balsamic that is aged and like a delish wine, so would I cut back on the actual wine or just substitute the balsamic for the red and continue with a white wine as in the recipe?
Hi Joni, you can replace the red wine vinegar with balsamic; because it’s a bit sweeter, you could reduce the brown sugar a touch if you’d like. (And I’d still use the wine.) Enjoy!
Hi, Jenn,
If I wanted to use only boneless breasts, how much meat (by weight) would that be?
Hi Libby, unfortunately, the recipe really won’t work with boneless breasts – sorry!
I think there needs to be an additional step. I found that the sauce was way too watery for my liking. So, after moving the chicken pieces to the broiler, I strained the sauce and then boiled the remaining liquid to reduce it to a more viscous consistency. Then added back the strained solids and the chicken pieces.
Jenn, I have followed your website for many years and have enjoyed many of your recipes. I hosted my first seder last night and made several of your recipes with much success: Chicken Marbella and the macaroons. As my sister said, “these are keepers!” Thanks so much for your great recipes and your great instruction! So helpful and inspirational to a fairly mediocre cook like me!! Chag Sameach!!
Jenn Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I made this recipe to serve for our Passover meal. I have the cooked chicken in my freezer and the cooked sauce is frozen separately. Please advise me how I should proceed to reheat this dish. Thank you
Josette
Hi Josette, Glad you like the recipes! To reheat, I’d put the chicken in a baking dish, cover with foil, and reheat in a 300°F oven til warmed through (I’m guessing about 30 min). You can put the sauce in the baking dish with the chicken. If you’d like to crisp up the skin a little, after it’s heated through, pop it under the broiler for a minute or two. Just keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Enjoy!
This recipe was absolutely fabulous and so easy to prepare. I used 6 boneless chicken thighs and marinated it overnight. I served it with pearl couscous and my husband devoured it.
Thanks Jenn for another outstanding recipe!