Chicken Marbella Recipe
A legendary dish from The Silver Palate Cookbook, this Chicken Marbella Recipe has been the ultimate dinner party pick for decades. Today’s adapted version carries through the beloved combination of sweet prunes, briny olives, and capers that meld together to create a truly unforgettable, flavor-packed chicken dinner!
One of the best things about this chicken marbella recipe is how simple it is to make ahead, assemble, and cook! The chicken pieces marinate overnight, allowing the flavors to deeply penetrate and tenderize the meat, which means your prep work is done a full day in advance. When it’s time to cook, simply arrange the chicken with remaining marinade in two baking pans, pour over the wine, and sprinkle with brown sugar for that signature caramelized glaze.
It’s elegant enough for a special occasion, while its comforting quality also makes it a perfect midweek family meal. The marinade and wine transform into one of the tastiest pan sauces as the chicken bakes – so delicious, it’s practically drinkable!
While this chicken marbella is great as is with a side salad or roasted veggies, I love to soak up all that flavorful sauce with air fryer garlic bread, mashed potato, or rice.
What is chicken marbella?
Chicken Marbella is a classic, crowd-pleasing dish straight from the iconic Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. It’s renowned for its bold sweet and savory flavors, achieved through an irresistible marinade of prunes, olives, salty capers, red wine vinegar, garlic, and aromatic herbs.
After marinating overnight to deepen the flavors and tenderize the meat, the chicken is arranged in two baking pans. It’s then generously coated with the remaining marinade, splashed with dry white wine, and sprinkled with dark brown sugar. As it bakes, the sugar melts to form a beautifully caramelized, golden crust.
The final dish is finished with a glossy pan sauce that masterfully balances rich, tangy, and sweet notes. A fresh sprinkle of chopped parsley provides the perfect garnish, making it ideal for serving over fluffy mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
Ingredients needed to make chicken marbella
- Marinade: This chicken marbella marinade consists of olive oil, red wine vinegar, pitted prunes, pitted Spanish green olives, capers, caper juice, bay leaves, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and ground pepper.
- Chicken: Boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces. Chicken thighs can be substituted but may require adjusted cooking time.
- Dark brown sugar: The sugar caramelizes to form a brown crust on top of the chicken pieces while also balancing the savory and sharp flavors of the marinade.
- White wine: A dry variety like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio adds brightness. White grape juice can replace it if needed.
- Garnish: Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, sprinkled over the cooked chicken just before serving for a pop of freshness.
How do you make chicken marbella?
Make the marinade:
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl or container.
- Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to fully coat.
- Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge to marinade overnight.
Bake the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Divide the marinated chicken pieces between two 9×13-inch baking pans in a single layer.
- Spoon the marinade over and around the chicken in each pan, followed by the wine (divided).
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the chicken and bake for 20 minutes, then baste the chicken with the pan juices.
- Continue to bake the chicken for another 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
Garnish and serve:
- Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and transfer to a serving platter.
- Spoon prunes, olives, capers, and some sauce from the baking pans on and around the chicken, then garnish with finely chopped parsley or cilantro.
- Pour the remaining sauce into a small serving jug and serve alongside the chicken marbella.
Serving
Chicken marbella is great served over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, or pasta.
For those looking for low-carb alternatives, try this chicken dish with cauliflower rice, or pair it with low-carb roasted veggies, such as zucchini, roasted Brussels sprouts, or broccoli. A simple salad is ideal for a light and refreshing side dish to this flavorful chicken dinner.
If carbs aren’t a concern, use some crusty garlic bread or buttermilk biscuits to soak up every last drop of pan sauce! And for dessert? Reward yourself with a slice of Chocolate Pudding Cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a way to round off the meal!
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover chicken marbella in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Once cooled, portion the chicken pieces into airtight containers and freeze for up to 2–3 months with any remaining sauce. Thaw overnight in the fridge to reheat before serving again.
- Reheat: Warm your leftover chicken marbella in the microwave or in a skillet with a splash of the leftover sauce or with some chicken broth.
- Prepare your sides: Prep sides like rice, Paula Deen’s Mashed Potatoes, roasted veg, or pasta in advance. Microwave rice packets save a lot of time!
- Different cuts of chicken: This recipe works well with chicken breasts, but you could try it with chicken thighs too for a richer flavor. Make sure to adjust your cooking time depending on what you choose to use. (Chicken breasts cook faster than thighs!)
- Use the correct size baking pans: You’ll need two 9×13-inch baking pans to comfortably fit the chicken pieces in a single layer. Smaller pans won’t work unless you halve the recipe.
- Test for doneness: Chicken is safe to eat when a meat thermometer reads 165°F. Since all ovens differ, it’s best to check on the chicken at about the 45-minute mark and then return to the oven for a few minutes longer, if needed.
- Uniform sizes: Try to cut the chicken breasts into uniform pieces so that they cook evenly at the same rate.
- Marinate time: If you’re in a rush you can marinade the chicken for 3-4 hours, although it’s best to plan ahead and allow the chicken pieces to marinate overnight or even up to a day for the best flavor and texture.
More flavorful chicken dinners you may want to try:
- Dutch Oven Chicken Cacciatore
- Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
- One-Pot Paprika Chicken Thighs
- Lemon Chicken Gnocchi
- Mayo-Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Get the Recipe:
Chicken Marbella Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup pitted prunes, or more, I add about 1 1/2 cups
- ¾ cup pitted Spanish green olives
- ½ cup capers, a 2-ounce jar, with 1 teaspoon of the juice
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 head of garlic, peeled and puréed
- ¼ cup dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 3 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Serve on mashed potatoes!
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, caper juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl or container.
- Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to fully coat.
- Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge to marinade overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Divide the marinated chicken pieces between two shallow baking pans in a single layer. (Or you can use 2 9×13 baking dishes)
- Spoon the marinade over and around the chicken in each pan, followed by the wine (divided).
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the chicken and bake for 20 minutes, then baste the chicken with the pan juices.
- Continue to bake the chicken for another 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and transfer to a serving platter.
- Spoon prunes, olives, capers, and some sauce from the baking pans on and around the chicken, then garnish with finely chopped parsley or cilantro.
- Pour the remaining sauce into a small serving jug and serve alongside the chicken marbella, wiht a bowl of mashed potatoes.
Notes
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover chicken marbella in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Once cooled, portion the chicken pieces into airtight containers and freeze for up to 2–3 months with any remaining sauce. Thaw overnight in the fridge to reheat before serving again.
- Serve with: Paula Deen’s Mashed Potatoes, roasted veg, or pasta in advance. Microwave rice packets save a lot of time!
- Different cuts of chicken: This recipe works well with chicken breasts, but you could try it with chicken thighs too for a richer flavor. Make sure to adjust your cooking time depending on what you choose to use. (Chicken breasts cook faster than thighs! TIP: Try to cut the chicken breasts into uniform pieces so that they cook evenly at the same rate.
- Use the correct size baking pans: You’ll need two 9×13-inch baking pans to comfortably fit the chicken pieces in a single layer. Smaller pans won’t work unless you halve the recipe.
- Marinate time: If you’re in a rush you can marinade the chicken for 3-4 hours, although it’s best to plan ahead and allow the chicken pieces to marinate overnight or even up to a day for the best flavor and texture.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
