I have been making this dish for many years. It has become a staple in my go-to recipes. This is a dish that is easy to prepare (you make it the night before) yet will look and taste as if you have been cooking it all day!

This recipe is courtesy of the beloved Silver Palate Cookbook. It is deserving of a post as I hope to pass it on to those of you who have not tried it yet.

The marinade for this dish is extraordinary. The combination of the olives, prunes and capers give it a Spanish style flavor and helps the chicken to come out moist, tender and juicy. It also provides a unique texture that will be a delight to your guests!

This recipe is a must try! 

Today’s Hint: Always read the entire recipe before you start cooking. This will help you organize your preparation plan and remember details you might miss along the way. Measure, chop and prepare all the ingredients first. Set them aside until you need them. This will make the actual process of cooking your recipe more efficient with less mistakes. It will also prevent you from discovering missing ingredients at the last minute.

Ingredients for Chicken Marbella

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup dried oregano
3 tbsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tbsp pepper
2 chickens, cut into eighths
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup of good, dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley or fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and their juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper into a flat pan. Cover the chicken with the mixture, rubbing it well onto the chicken.

Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat 350.

Spoon mixture over top of the chicken again.

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the chicken and pour the white wine around them.

Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices, for 50 minutes up to 1 hour. Prick the thigh, the juice should run clear, not pink.

Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Spoon pan juice over the chicken and sprinkle generously with the parsley.

It’s that simple! I promise you will love this recipe!