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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I just don’t get this dish. I followed the recipe to a T and the flavors were just okay for us. The marinade on the chicken didn’t really seem to do much (marinated for about 20 hrs). Sorry, I think this is the first of your recipes that is a disappointment.
Thank you for all of the other amazing recipes we love. 🙂
We were not to sure with the prunes, but oh my goodness I’m glad we tried this recipe. It was amazing and couscous was perfect with it. A real keeper like all of your recipes. Every recipe we have tried by you is the best!
This is FABULOUS! Leftovers are just as tasty! I couldn’t marinate it for 12 hours so chose to marinate it early which ended up being 22 hours! — worked fine! Thank you!!
This was so easy to make, and delicious. I didn’t baste with pan juices, only after I took it out of the oven, and the brown sugar made such a pretty brown crust there was no need to broil. All the contrasting flavors blended so well.
First, I’ve made this recipe several times and it is outstanding. Flavor is amazing and the preparation could not be easier. I usually make it the night before I need it which takes about 10 minutes and then it’s 5 minutes to get it in the oven. I am serving it tonight with steamed asparagus.
Jenn, I’m not sure if you’ll see this before I need to bake the chicken for tonight’s holiday dinner, but I have a question on internal temperature for dark vs white meat. I have bone in 4 breasts and 8 drumsticks. I’ve read that dark meat can/should been cooked to 185 as that higher temp will have more of the collagen, etc broken down since dark meat doesn’t dry out as much. Do you recommend cooking the drumsticks to a higher temp and the breasts to 165? Thanks!!
Yes, that’s what I would do. Hope that helps and Happy New Year!
You are so speedy! Thank you and Shana Tova!
I did not have this recipe before, so I am really appreciative that you shared. We ate this last night and I know this will become a favorite. It feels fancy, but was not difficult to pull off. I made it with all drumsticks since that is what my family loves. My chicken looked just like your photo and was worthy of a special occasion meal, especially with the gravy. I served it with couscous and the entire plate was juicy and flavorful!
Jenn, love your recipes, thanks so much. This is my first time trying this one. Can I cook a day ahead and then just reheat when ready to eat?
Yep – and so glad you enjoy the recipes! ☺️
I made this for my husband’s birthday dinner last night – THE MOST AMAZING CHICKEN ever! I’ve had the Silver Palate Cookbook for years and never tried this recipe! This will be on regular rotation in our home. THANK YOU JENN!!!!
Jenn, if there any reason why I could not bake this at a higher temp do that the skin would crisp
Hi Carol, Not sure it will crisp up with all the gravy in the baking dish, but you can definitely give it a go.
Jenn , used 6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, well trimmed (about 1/2 the amount of chicken called for) and all the marinade and wine. 425 for 45 minutes and it was gorgeous…used extra prunes and olives. When I make the full amount of chicken, I will double the marinade and wine. That’s pretty much what is called for in the Silver Palate. Devine aroma
Hi Jenn, I’m really looking forward to making this recipe. I notice the calorie count is pretty high but in looking at the recipe I don’t really see why.
Hi Sandie, Bone-in chicken pieces are high in calories because they account for the skin. Additionally, the program I use calculates the marinade/sauce as part of the nutritional data for this recipe since the chicken is cooked in it and it’s served on the side. The true calorie count is likely much lower without all the marinade and sauce. Hope that clarifies and sorry for any confusion!