One Pan Chicken Marbella and Rice

Name: One Pan Chicken Marbella and Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 6 Chicken Thighs (bone-in, skin on); ¾ Cup Dry White Wine (chardonnay); ¼ Cup Olive Oil; 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar; ½ Cup Brown Sugar; ½ Cup Prunes; ½ Cup Spanish Olives (sliced); 2 Tablespoons Capers; 10 Cloves Garlic (minced); 3 Tablespoons Dried Oregano; 3 Bay Leaves; 1 Teaspoon Salt; 1 Teaspoon Chili Flake (optional); 1 Cup White Rice; 1 Cup Water

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This dish brings together Chicken Marbella and its favorite side dish, white rice, to form a delicious and restaurant worthy dish in one big pan. Sweet prunes are the perfect compliment to sharp, salty olives, capers, and unctuous garlic.

finished chicken and rice with in cooking pan with serving spoon

Chicken Marbella is an amazing flavor packed chicken dish that broke the mold and stood the test of time. A creation of Sheila Lukins and Julie Russo of the Silver Palate, this dish became the centerpiece of many a dinner party in the 1980s, highlighting bold Spanish flavors in a time when French cooking was considered the height of sophistication. This beautiful dish lives on as a tried and true centerpiece for American home cooks and high end restaurants alike.

The use of prunes, olives, sugar, wine, and an intense amount of garlic strike the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. This dish is often served with white rice which soaks up the bold, rich flavors of the marinade.

This recipe marries this commonly served side dish into an easy home cook’s one pan chicken Marbella and rice. The marinade serves as a flavorful cooking liquid to punch up the plain rice and delivers chicken as bold and succulent as any restaurant can produce.

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Ingredients

Instructions

FAQs

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📖 Recipe

One Pan Chicken Marbella and Rice

Ingredients

Bone-In Chicken Thighs- I like to use chicken thighs because they are pretty even in size and have a lot of good dark meat. You can also use leg pieces or quarters.

Dry Chardonnay- You are looking to avoid adding sweetness from the wine, so a dry white like Chardonnay adds the perfect crisp and acidic touch to the Marbella Marinade.

Red Wine Vinegar-Good acidic bite is a huge part of this dish and the red vinegar is slightly pungent.

Brown Sugar-Using a good helping of brown sugar balances the acidity and helps add deep caramelization to chicken.

Prunes- Dried fruit adds sweetness and tang as well as texture. They soak up the cooking liquid and act like little flavor bombs throughout the dish.

Spanish Olives- These olives are salty and have firm flesh that stands up to cooking.

Capers- Another touch of salt and texture, they too take on the flavor of the sauce.

Oregano- This strongly flavored herb adds deep peppery flavor and a touch of bitterness.

Bay Leaves- These aromatic leaves add a mild aroma and a slightly bitter taste.

Fresh Garlic- There is an amazing amount of garlic in this dish and the spice it adds is wonderful and warm.

Long Grain White Rice- The rice is the perfect way to round out this dish for a complete meal in one pot. The white rice soaks up the deep flavors from the Marbella cooking liquid and makes every bite wonderfully flavorful.

As you can see, this recipe includes sour, acidic ingredients, sweetness, salty elements, and bitter herbs with a touch of spice that triggers all of our flavor receptors at the same time. This concept is modernly referred to as Umami.

Instructions

Step 1

Start by measuring your Marbella marinade ingredients and putting them in a food storage bag. It is best to slice the green olive and press or mince the garlic.
Then, use a paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry. Cut off any extra skin that folds around the back of the chicken pieces and place the thighs into the marinade. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken pieces.
Let the meat sit in the marinade for at least 15 minutes. You can marinade up to overnight, however, if you plan to marinade for more than 30 minutes the chicken should be placed back in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.

Step 2

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, remove your chicken pieces from their marinade and let the excess liquid drip off. No need to pat dry! Reserve your Marbella Marinade to make the rice dish and finish the chicken.
Then, place the thighs in the skillet skin side down and let them brown for about seven minutes.

Step 3

Next, turn the pieces over and brown the underside for about three minutes.
Remove the browned chicken from the skillet and place them on a plate. They will not be fully cooked at this point.

Step 4

Pour all of the reserve marinade into the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan and let it come to a simmer for 5 minutes. This will help bring the flavors together and kill any bacteria from the raw chicken.
Next, add one cup of water to the marinade and bring it to a low simmer.
Stir in one cup of long grain white rice.

Step 5

Then, turn the heat down to low. Place the browned chicken thighs skin side up back into the cooking liquid and rice.
Simmer on very low heat with a lid on for 30 minutes.

Oven Method

You can also finish this dish in the oven. The oven method is nice because you don’t have to worry about controlling your heat on the stove and burning the rice at the bottom of the pan. It can sit for a bit longer in the oven if you aren’t ready for the dish.

Be sure to preheat your oven to 400° and use an oven safe pan and lid. Bake with a lid on for 40 minutes.

FAQs

How long does Chicken Marbella need to marinade?

The chicken pieces should sit for at least 15 minutes, but can be left as long as overnight. This marinade has a lot of acidic elements and shouldn’t be left on for multiple days.