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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Julee Rosso, not Julie.
Thanks for pointing that out! I just updated the recipe.
I made this for Christmas (exactly as written) and it was fabulous!This time I plan to try it with boneless, skinless thighs, as several are trying to cut calories. I know you don’t recommend boneless, skinless thighs, but if I do use them should I skip the brown sugar!? Also, would the cooking time be longer without bone-in?
Hi Tess, it’s okay to use thighs and I’d still use the sugar. Also, the cooking time may be a bit shorter, so keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
Although I am in my 50’s, neither I nor anyone in my extended family had heard of this dish. I made it to use up some extra olives, and it was unexpectedly complex in flavor. Everyone really enjoyed it. It was very easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly, using boneless skinless chicken thighs, except I halved the sugar due to diabetic constraints. It still turned out delicious. Will definitely be adding this to our dinner rotation. Thank you Jenn for posting this. Another great recipe!!
I have made chicken marbella many times using boneless, skinless thighs. It is always yummy but after reading all the comments I’m going to leave the skin on for even more flavor and moistness. I recently got a new oven with convection bake and convection roast options. I have not used either function yet and wondered if one of these methods would work well for this recipe. Also what temperature would you suggest? My daughter and I love all of your recipes and I am giving her your cookbooks for Christmas this year. Thank you!
Hi Rose, I would recommend sticking with the regular setting on your oven as I find using the convection setting tends to dry out chicken and beef. Also, so glad both you and your daughter like the recipes – thanks for your support of the cookbook! 💗
Thanks for reminding me of a recipe I made often years ago. Made it tonight and it was as good as I remember. I used only chicken thighs because that’s what we like and tossed in a few extra prunes and olives to have 2 of each for each serving. I roasted the chicken and turned on convection for the last 20 minutes and it browned up beautifully.
I have been making this for many years. Easy and always good for weeknight or guests. Last night I served it to friends with quinoa and roasted asparagus. Started with a spring greens, baby spinach, cucumber, shredded carrot, hearts of palm, yellow peppers, snap peas, tomato craisins and a balsamic vinaigrette topped with blue cheese crumbles. Warm apple crisp for dessert.
i have been making this for years the “right way”, but its too hot for the oven, so i modified. (no time for marinating). Using a dutch oven, I seared the chicken quickly, then dumped in all the ingredients. got it boiling, then covered and turned way down. it was delicious and done top to bottom in an hour. loved this. definitely adding to my summer recipes. <3
Another outstanding recipe, thank you. So easy to make and so delicious to eat. All my kids absolutely love this one. A++
i made it and it did not turn out. The sauce was very watery and when i tried to boil it down it did not taste good.
Hello,
I am making this wonderful dish as part of Easter meal. My question is can I put the baked chicken and juice in a crockpot to keep warm since my sisters main oven and smaller ovens will be in use. It will be baked on Saturday and taken to her home Easter Sunday. I would think so but just wanted to check. Thank you. It’s a fabulous dish!
Glad you like it, and yes, that should work. Happy Easter!