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 sounds scrumptious! I plan to make it for 8-10 people. Should all the ingredients be doubled? I’m thinking parmesan orzo and a green salad as accompaniments.
Sound okay?
Sounds like a delicious meal! And I would either make 1 1/2 or 2 times the recipe. If you double it, you’ll likely have some (yummy) leftovers.
I made this last night for dinner. It was so good and so easy to prepare. My husband wasn’t sure he’d like it, but he ended up loving it and asking for more! Thanks for another winner Jenn!
Excellent dish for Girls Night Out Dinner Party.
I made this last night. My changes based on reviews were: 1. I used only fresh herbs including oregano, marjoram and thyme in the marinade. it was so flavorful. 2. I used bone and skin on organic chicken breast (split in half), thighs and drumsticks and baked on Convection roast for 50 minutes. 3. i served with brown and wild rice and Autumn salad . I had rave reviews. And it is a great made in advance dish that is so pretty to serve also.
Chicken Marbella is a huge hit at our house! At first the kids were like, “prunes and olives??” but now this dish is even requested on birthdays. I follow the recipe pretty much as is except I have never basted the chicken and it turns out perfect every time. Some days the chicken gets marinated overnight but mostly just for a day. Serve with rice and veg, always a happy family around the table.
Can I used chicken stock in place of the white wine? Thank you.
Yes- hope you enjoy!
Can I make this with boneless chicken breasts???
Hi Vicki, I don’t recommend breasts for this recipe; if you really want to use breasts, I suggest this recipe instead.
I am planning to make this for this Christmas for a party of 20. Can I make this a day ahead and reheat?
Yes, definitely. Enjoy!
Ok to serve with pickled brisket, roasted potatoes, etc Large rosh hashana dinner. Plan to make ahead and freeze, will make extra marinade when i reheat so it heats up moist. Does this make sense?
Hi Wendy, Yes, I think all of that could work together. Hope you have a great holiday!
My Italian prune plums are ready to pick, can I substitute then for the dried prunes?
Hi Beth, I think that’ll work. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it that way.
I’m having 6 women friends to my lake house for a few days. I’m looking through your recipes and setting up my menus. Starting off with crustless broccoli quiche for breakfast.
For supper I’m thinking of this chicken Marbella and Julia Turshein’s lasagna.
A) would you pair these two?
B) can they both be made day ahead and reheated?
I’ll be doing asparagus and possibly the roasted beet salad … What do you think?
Hi Louise, What a fun weekend that sounds like! If you’re looking for two different dinner options, I think those two are great choices (and yes they can both be made ahead of time and reheated) but I wouldn’t serve them together on the same plate. With the Chicken Marbella, I’d serve rice or orzo and asparagus on the side. With the lasagna, I’d serve a big salad and bread. Hope that helps!