Chicken and Olives

The sharp, briny bite of olives pairs perfectly with chicken in Chef John's recipe for chicken and olives.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 642 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into four pieces
• 4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• 0.25 cup sliced shallots
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin
• 0.5 cup pitted and sliced green olives
• 0.5 cup brine-cured pitted olives, such as Kalamata, halved lengthwise and brine

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Season skin sides chicken with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper; flip and season skinless sides with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and herbes de Provence. Flip again so skin sides facing up; rest 10 minutes.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken skin-side down; reduce heat to medium-high and cook chicken until skin well-browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until just browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Step 3

Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots; cook and stir until just softening and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in olives; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Step 4

Add chicken broth; bring to a boil while scraping browned bits off bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Add 2 tablespoons reserved olive brine, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cumin; increase heat to high and cook until sauce is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5

Reduce heat to low; return chicken, skin-side up, to the skillet. Cover the skillet; cook until chicken no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to a plate; cover with aluminum foil.

Step 6

Stir parsley and butter into sauce, stirring constantly, until butter melted and sauce shiny. Spoon sauce over chicken.