Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 126 votes

Chicken Marbella (Updated Silver Palate Recipe)

Chicken Marbella made with chicken thighs is a twist on the classic recipe from the Silver Palate cookbook. Just mix chicken thighs with a marinade, let it sit overnight, then bake in the oven the next day for an elegant, flavorful meal that's easy to prep ahead of time!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Marinating Time
1 d
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 704 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 12 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs preferably air chilled (see notes)
  • 8 cloves garlic peeled and crushed (see notes)
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more if needed
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more if needed
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup pitted prunes quartered or roughly chopped
  • ½ cup pitted green olives halved
  • ¼ cup capers (plus 1 tablespoon of the juice)
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup white wine or chicken broth
  • ¼ cup parsley and/or cilantro finely chopped

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, mix together the chicken thighs (12), crushed garlic cloves (8), dried oregano (2 tablespoons), kosher salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (½ teaspoon), red wine vinegar (¼ cup), olive oil (¼ cup), chopped pitted prunes (½ cup), olives (½ cup), capers (¼ cup), and caper juice (1 tablespoon). Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you think of it, stir it around a couple of times as it marinates, but don't worry about this too much.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using tongs, place the chicken in a baking dish (approximately 9" x 13") in a single layer. Spoon the marinade on top of the chicken. Sprinkle the brown sugar (⅓ cup) evenly on top of the chicken. Pour the white wine (½ cup) around the chicken pieces (being careful not to pour over the chicken so the marinade and brown sugar aren't rinsed off).
  3. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked (see notes).
  4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and solids from the marinade to a serving dish. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and/or cilantro (¼ cup) Spoon a little of the juices on top of everything. Optional: pour the rest of the juices into a gravy boat or similar serving dish to pour over individual servings as needed. I recommend skimming some of all of the fat off.
  5. Serve immediately or allow to cool a bit to room temperature. See notes for more about making this ahead of time.

Notes

  • Other cuts of chicken may be used. The original recipe from the Silver Palate cookbook uses quartered whole chickens (use 2 chickens for this recipe). Split chicken breasts (8 bone-in, skin on) may also be used, or drumsticks mixed with thighs. Boneless skinless thighs may also be used and may need less cooking time. Boneless skinless breasts can work here, but are easy to overcook and dry out, so keep a close eye on them.
  • I recommend air-chilled chicken because it has less water in it, which can dilute the marinade and the flavor of the chicken. You can usually see this labeled on the package or ask at the butcher counter. It's a bit more expensive, because you aren't paying for the extra water weight of the water-chilled chicken. If you don't buy air chilled chicken, you can place your chicken pieces on a wire rack nestled in a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt on both sides, and let it sit uncovered in the fridge for 4-24 hours before using it for this recipe. This will draw some of the water out. If you do this, use less salt in the recipe. 
  • If you like, you can trim and discard some of the fat/flaps of skin off the chicken thighs before adding to the marinade using kitchen shears.
  • Chicken thighs can come in different sizes, so anywhere between 8-12 is good for this recipe for 4-6 servings. Don't overthink this - use more if you are unsure, because the leftovers of Chicken Marbella are delicious!
  • To peel and crush garlic cloves, place the side of your knife on top of the clove and use the side of your hand in a fist to punch the knife down (carefully!). You can also use the heel of your hand to smash down directly on the garlic. The clove should smash, and the peel will come right off. No need to chop the garlic beyond crushing it for this recipe.
  • Nutrition information is calculated using an automatic API and calories/fat will decrease if fat is trimmed off of chicken thighs before cooking and sauce is skimmed at the end. Please see nutrition disclaimer below for more.
  • Chicken thighs are technically fully cooked at 165 degrees F, however, can benefit from being cooked a little longer to a temperature closer to 185-195 degrees F. I love my Thermapen for getting super fast, accurate temperature results.
  • Bay leaves may be added to the chicken marinade mix if you like - the original recipe required 6 of them. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 704kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 38g (76%) Fat 48g (74%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 9g Monounsaturated Fat 23g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 221mg (74%) Sodium 947mg (39%) Potassium 665mg (19%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 18g (36%) Vitamin A 584IU (12%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 84mg (8%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 704

% Daily Value*

Calories 704kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 38g 76%
Fat 48g 74%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g 53%
Monounsaturated Fat 23g 115%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 221mg 74%
Sodium 947mg 39%
Potassium 665mg 14%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 18g 36%
Vitamin A 584IU 12%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 84mg 8%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.