Chicken Marbella is a flavorful dish that originated from The Silver Palate Cookbook in the 1980s. It's known for its unique combination of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. The recipe features chicken marinated with olives, capers, prunes, and herbs, then baked with white wine and brown sugar.
This recipe for Chicken Marbella is not new. I decided to post it here because I fell in love with it. For years, it has been one of my favorite recipes when I entertain. It is a classic dish and such a simple recipe that you can't go wrong with it.
The recipe comes from the famous The Silver Palate Cookbook- by Sheila Lukins & Julee Rosso. The book was first published in 1982, and it revolutionized American cooking. The authors brought Spanish, Mediterranean, and Asian flavors to a time when everyone was obsessed with French cuisine.
What makes Chicken Marbella so darn good is its remarkable blend of flavors that hit all the right notes. The prunes offer a sweet contrast to the briny capers and olives, creating a depth of flavor that's unexpected yet wonderfully harmonious.
Marinating the chicken not only infuses it with these flavors but also keeps it exceptionally tender. Baking it with wine and a touch of brown sugar adds a caramelized richness that ties all the elements together, making each bite irresistibly delicious.
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What You Need To Make Chicken Marbella
(Find the printable recipe card at the end of this article)
Expert tip
When you plan the menu, make sure you calculate about 6 to 8 ounces of chicken per person. You can get away with preparing only this dish, along with some light appetizers and maybe a salad as a starter.
How to make
This recipe is spectacular to serve for dinner, and it's excellent, both hot and cold.
Step 1. Marinate the chicken.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, chopped garlic cloves, oregano, pepper, coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves.
Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge, or place the chicken together with the rest of the ingredients in a plastic storage bag.
This is the first thing you need to do. The overnight marination is essential for the finished dish.
Step 2. Bake the dish.
The next day, when you are ready to prepare the dish, preheat the oven to 350F. Grab one or two shallow baking pans or a large baking dish and arrange the chicken in a single layer. Spoon marinade over it evenly.
Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour the wine around them.
Bake, but make sure you baste the chicken with pan juices. Chicken is done when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165F, and the juices run clear.
How to serve
When the chicken is done and golden brown, transfer everything to a serving platter. Pour a few spoonfuls of pan juices on the chicken and sprinkle generously with fresh parsley or cilantro.
Pass the remaining pan juices in a sauceboat for extra sauce on each plate. Some crusty bread would be awesome for dipping in the lovely sauce.
You can serve Chicken Marbella either cold or at room temperature. Allow the chicken and the juices to come to room temperature before transferring them to a serving platter.
If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juice over the chicken.
Leftovers
The leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen in a freezer bag for up to six months.
This Chicken Marbella is an elegant, beautiful, and delicious dish! Also, it is so easy to make that it doesn't even feel like you are cooking.
People will think you worked all day in the kitchen. How cool is that?
I also used less sugar. One cup seems to be too much for my taste, and it might be for you as well if you are not into sugar much or try to avoid it.
For dessert, if you don't want to make anything complicated, serve this easy recipe that you cannot fail at Five Minutes Triffle.
If you feel like baking something, try this Orange Almond Flan, a delicious Spanish recipe that will end the meal in style and everyone will enjoy.
The results are amazing. In fact, I cannot wait to have it for lunch tomorrow. I just made another batch tonight, and it came out divine. Leftovers are great, too.
Enjoy!
More recipes to love
- Roasted Chicken And Potatoes
- Chicken Soup With Sour Cream And Garlic
- Caldo de Pollo or Chicken Soup Mexican Style (Instant Pot)
- Peanut Butter Chicken
📖 Recipe
Chicken Marbella
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken parts bone-in chicken thighs, breast, legs
- 1 head of garlic peeled and finely pureed
- ¼ cup dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup pitted prunes
- ½ cup pitted Spanish green olives
- ½ cup capers with a bit of juice
- 6 bay leaves
- ½ cup brown sugar or to your taste
- 1 cup white wine
- ¼ cup Italian parsley and/or fresh coriander finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine chicken parts, garlic, oregano, pepper, coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and marinate it overnight in the fridge.
- On the next day, preheat the oven to 350F.
- Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly.
- Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, and baste the chicken frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when it reaches at least 165F inside, and the juices run clear.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.
- To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved liquid over the chicken.
Notes
Nutrition
The article was published initially in October 2016 and republished in May 2024.
Sara says
I want to try this recipe but 1/4 cup of oregano sounds like a lot. Can less be used? Thanks!
The Bossy Kitchen says
Hi Sara, 1/4 cup of dried oregano means 4 tablespoons. 4 tablespoons is not much when you look at the amount of chicken that the recipe requires, which is 10 pounds. It feeds 10 people so that 1/4 cup of oregano is not a lot. You can definitely scale back on ingredients if you do not make it for so many people.