Mediterranean Chicken Recipe with Lemons & Olives
Updated Jun 25, 2023
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This Mediterranean chicken recipe combines juicy garlic and herb-seasoned chicken with fresh lemon, olives, and onions. Everything cooks in one pan for a complete, flavor-packed summer dinner that’s ready in under an hour!
One-Pan Mediterranean Chicken Recipe
My cravings for the flavors of my homeland often influence recipes like Mediterranean bowls, baked lemon chicken, and chicken orzo on any given weeknight. And one-pan dinners don’t get much dreamier than super-juicy, crispy baked Mediterranean chicken with olives and zesty lemons. The smell of this cooking takes me right back to summers in Macedonia.
Picture this: Succulent chicken thighs marinated with garlic and herbs, waiting their turn to sizzle in a hot skillet. In fact, all the ingredients end up in the same pan!
What Makes This Mediterranean Chicken So Good
Fans of chicken Marbella and artichoke chicken, I think you’re going to have this Mediterranean chicken recipe on your dinner rotation from now on. Here’s why:
- One pan. Does it get better than one pan to clean after a weeknight meal? I think not.
- Stovetop, no oven. Oftentimes, I can’t be bothered to switch on the oven and heat the kitchen in the summer months. A tasty stovetop recipe is the solution.
- Under an hour. I love pouring myself a glass of wine, putting on some music, and preparing this Mediterranean chicken. Before I know it, dinner is ready to serve.
- Bright, zesty flavors. All that flavor from the lemon and olives infuses into the chicken. It’s briny, savory, tangy, and delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need
These are the ingredients in this delicious olive and lemon chicken recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe details with exact measurements.
- Chicken Thighs – I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Bone-in, skin-on, or even chicken breasts will work in this recipe. Note that bone-in chicken thighs will need longer to cook. On the other hand, chicken breasts cook more quickly, so you will need to adjust the cooking time so they don’t become overdone and dry.
- Garlic – Garlic paste is garlic blended with oil; you’ll find it in most major grocery stores. You can also use freshly minced garlic.
- Seasonings – Dried oregano, Italian seasoning, plus salt and pepper to taste. You can substitute the dried seasonings with fresh herbs, but you’ll need up to three times the amount.
- Olive Oil – I recommend a good-quality extra virgin olive oil or your preferred cooking oil.
- Onion – Finely minced yellow onion or shallot.
- White Wine – Choose a dry white wine that you like to drink. Good options are Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.
- Chicken Broth – Or vegetable stock. You can substitute the wine with more broth if you’d prefer to cook without alcohol.
- Olives – Use your favorite brand of marinated olives, flavored or unflavored. They can be green, black, Kalamata, etc. If your olives are on the larger side, slice them in half.
Recipe Tips
- Marinate ahead. To enhance the flavor, you can marinate the chicken with garlic, herbs, and spices a few hours ahead of cooking, or even overnight.
- Choose the right wine. When the recipe calls for wine, use one that you enjoy drinking. The flavor concentrates as it cooks. If you don’t consume alcohol, you can substitute wine with additional chicken broth.
- Add flavor with skin-on chicken. While the recipe calls for skinless boneless chicken thighs, using skin-on can add more flavor. Just be sure to cook the skin side first in the hot pan to render some of the fat and get a nice, crispy sear.
- Adjust the sauce. If you find the sauce is a bit thin for your liking at the end of cooking, remove the chicken and boil the sauce for a few minutes to reduce it. Conversely, if it’s too thick, add a little more chicken broth or water.
What To Serve With Mediterranean Chicken
This is such a versatile dinner recipe! Whether I serve this chicken with noodles or Mediterranean rice, or on its own with lavash bread or homemade focaccia for sopping up the leftover sauce, everyone always cleans their plates.
- Grains and pasta. Pair this Mediterranean chicken recipe with brown rice, quinoa, or couscous.
- Low-carb. Serve over cauliflower rice or with a side of steamed or braised veggies, like tomatoes and green beans. Try this flavorful eggplant caponata as a starter.
- Salad. This tabbouleh salad goes perfectly with any Mediterranean-style dinner, or try my tomato burrata salad or farro salad.
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Mediterranean Chicken Recipe
This one-pan Mediterranean chicken dinner combines juicy pan-seared chicken thighs with fresh lemon, olives, white wine, and herbs. Ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste, or minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 pieces skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 small lemon, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup white wine, use your favorite
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup marinated olives
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Combine garlic paste, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and rub the paste into the chicken until evenly coated; set aside.
- Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet or pan over medium heat. Remove previously prepared chicken thighs from the bowl and add them to the hot oil. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken begins to brown; turn them over and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes, or until browned. Remove chicken thighs from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté. Add the onions and garlic to the pan; season with salt and cook for about 3 minutes, or until onions are soft. Stir frequently.
- Add lemon and wine. Lower heat to medium and add the lemon slices and wine, stirring to loosen any browned bits stuck to the bottom; cook for 3 minutes.
- Put it all together. Add the chicken broth, return the thighs to the skillet, and bring to a boil; lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the olives and continue simmering for 10 minutes.
- Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let stand 5 to 7 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed, but not all of it. Serve chicken and ladle olives and liquid over the chicken thighs.
Notes
- You can prepare the chicken thighs up to 24 hours ahead. Just cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Garlic Paste: This is blended garlic with a touch of oil, sold at most grocery stores. You can use fresh garlic instead.
- Wine: When a recipe calls for wine, use one that you like. The flavor of the wine will concentrate as it cooks, so it’s important to choose one that you enjoy.
- Chicken Thighs: This recipe calls for boneless thighs. If you want to use bone-in thighs, you can, but remember that bone-in chicken thighs will need to cook longer than boneless thighs.
- Olives: I used Tomato & Pepper Marinated Olives here, and they’re delicious, but you can use whatever marinated olives you have on hand. If they are on the larger side, cut them in half.
Nutrition
Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 549mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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How to Make Mediterranean Chicken
Ready to get cooking? These are the steps.
- Season the chicken. Toss the chicken thighs with a mix of garlic paste, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to coat.
- Cook. Next, brown the chicken in a large skillet over medium heat. Set it aside afterward while you cook the onions and garlic in the same pan.
- Add wine. Once the onions and garlic are tender, add the lemon slices and pour in the wine. Use a (non-metal) spoon or spatula to scrape up any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. This is called deglazing. Deglazing = flavor!
- Put it all together. Pour in the chicken broth and nestle the browned chicken into the skillet. Bring that to a boil, then simmer the chicken for 5 minutes. Add the olives and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Rest and serve. Switch off the heat, and let the skillet rest for 5-7 minutes, until some of the liquid is absorbed. Spoon the olives and remaining cooking liquid over the Mediterranean chicken when serving.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate. If you have leftovers, they will keep well in the fridge for 3 days. It makes this Mediterranean chicken a great option for meal prep.
- Reheat. Reheat the chicken gently on the stove or in the oven to avoid overcooking.
Could chicken breast be used?
Hi!! Yep, you can definitely use chicken breasts.
This looks sooooo flavorful! I love it!
That looks heavenly – love the flavor profile!
The chicken looks amazingly crispy, and THOSE OLIVES! What a great dish!
YUM! This chicken looks insanely flavorful! Adding this to our menu for the week.
This looks WONDERFUL! I so rarely think to add green olives to my cooking, but when I do, it’s always so good. I need to make this!
I love a chicken dish that it packed full of yummy flavors. I might buy one jar of olives for the recipe and one just for me!
Confession: I used to HATE olives, but now I absolutely LOVE them.
I probably would have eaten those olives first and had to buy a second jar. Olives don’t last at all here…my kids snack on them too! This chicken dish looks delicious though…right up my alley! I’m going to have to try it!
Great tasting dish…However, ingredient list says skinless and boneless thighs and the instructions say to brown the skin. It’s great both ways but I prefer skin on and properly browned to render the fat. And I would recommend you indicate to use a DRY red wine.
Hi!! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you also for chiming in with suggestions – I truly appreciate it!! Have a happy Memorial Day weekend!