I cooked for a Sephardic Jewish family the other day. And they requested this dish. It’s called Chicken Marbella When I asked them about it, they said it has Spanish/Moroccan Jewish origins.

I had never made it but I was intrigued. It’s kind of weird. The recipe calls for chicken with olives, prunes, capers, and brown sugar. I didn’t know what to expect. But, it was actually really tasty. The briny-ness of the capers and olives works really well with the sweet parts of it.

Most people make the version where you have to marinate the chicken overnight. But, I didn’t have time for that. So this is the 45-minute weeknight version. I made it all in a large saucepan and it worked out beautifully.

Now I cant wait to make it for myself. I would serve is with some mashed or roasted potatoes. Or you could even try couscous.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Change up your typical weekly chicken dinner
• Using chicken thighs keep it really moist
• Dish holds well so you can make it for meal prep
• It’s pretty healthy and light

Chicken Marbella Recipe

TOTAL TIME:
45 minutes 1 hour
YIELD: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ½ pounds 6 bone-in chicken thighs
• 6 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
• ½ cup pitted prunes (halved)
• ½ cup pitted Spanish green olives (halved)
• ¼ cup drained capers plus 1 tablespoon brine
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken, skinned side down, then cook until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Flip chicken, cover again and cook until golden on second side, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the prunes, olives, capers and brine, bay leaf and oregano to the skillet, arranging them evenly around the chicken. Season the chicken with brown sugar, salt and pepper. Pour the chicken broth and vinegar over top and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Carefully transfer the chicken to a serving platter then return the skillet to the stove over high heat.
6. Spoon pan sauce and over chicken and serve.

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