Pull up a chair for Chicken Provençal Recipe, a sunny French dinner full of ripe tomatoes, black olives, and fragrant herbs. The chicken browns in olive oil, then cooks in a wine-scented sauce that catches every delicious bit from the pan. A final scattering of garlic and parsley brings the whole dish to life. It's generous, inviting food with very little fuss. A piece of bread for the sauce is practically compulsory!
Explore more scrumptious recipes from France's Provençal area like Mediterranean chicken with olives, and chicken in white wine sauce when you fancy another comforting French chicken dinner.
🔍 Quick Look: Chicken Provençal Recipe
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 45 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 4
- 📊 Calories: 1094 kcal per serving
- 🔥 Cook Method: Pan-searing and covered simmering
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Savory, briny, with French herbs flavouring ripe tomato and wine sauce balancing the richness of the chicken and olive oil.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
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What Is Chicken Provençal Recipe?
Chicken Provençal is chicken cooked in the style of Provence in southern France traditionally called Poulet à la Provençale, where tomatoes, olives, olive oil, and herbs bring familiar Mediterranean flavors to the table. This pan-cooked version finishes with persillade: finely chopped garlic and parsley that give the sauce a fresh, lively lift.
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Chicken Provençal Recipe
- What Is Chicken Provençal Recipe?
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions
- Variations For Provençal Chicken With Tomatoes And Olives
- Secrets From Judith's Kitchen For Chicken Provençal
- Judiths Top Tip
- How To Make Chicken Provençal
- What To Serve With This Chicken Dish
- Best Wine To Pair With Chicken Provençal Style
- Chicken Provençal Recipe FAQ
- More Recipes Like This One
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Key Ingredients
For The Chicken
- Chicken thighs: Their rich flavor suits the tomato-and-olive sauce, as well as drumsticks and wings.
For The Sauce
- Ripe tomatoes: Peeled, chopped tomatoes provide the sauce's juicy body and gentle acidity.
- Black olives: Lightly crushed, pitted olives add briny depth and release their flavor into the sauce.
- White or rosé wine: Wine lifts the browned bits from the pan and adds brightness; chicken stock is an alcohol-free option.
NOTE: See recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Without wine: Replace the wine with the same amount of chicken stock, preferably low-sodium so the olives do not make the sauce too salty.
- Different chicken pieces: Use drumsticks and wings, or thighs. Check each piece for doneness and adjust the cooking time.
- No fresh tomatoes: Use the same 350 g weight of chopped canned tomatoes in place of the fresh tomatoes, keeping the 2 tablespoons of tomato purée recipe; reduce any excess liquid as needed.
- Prepared tomato sauce: You can substitute 2 cups of French tomato mother sauce in place of both the fresh tomatoes and tomato purée. Check its seasoning and consistency before adding salt.
- Olive alternative: Use pitted green olives for a sharper flavor, or omit olives if needed; the result will lose some of its characteristic briny taste.
The base recipe contains no dairy or flour. For specific allergies or dietary needs, check the labels on stock, olives, and prepared tomato sauce.
Variations For Provençal Chicken With Tomatoes And Olives
- A spicy finish: Add a small pinch of chili flakes to the tomato sauce, then taste before increasing the heat.
- A lemony finish: Stir a little finely grated lemon zest into the garlic-parsley mixture for extra freshness without making the sauce thinner.
For an oven-cooked alternative, try my delicious roasted chicken Provençal.
Secrets From Judith's Kitchen For Chicken Provençal
- Crush the olives lightly: A gentle press with the flat of a knife opens them up so their briny flavor mingles with the tomato sauce rather than staying inside whole olives.
- Choose your garlic finish: Add the persillade during the last few minutes for mellow warmth, or scatter it over the finished dish for a sharper, fresher garlic flavor.
Judiths Top Tip
Give the chicken room to brown: cook in batches if needed, then return every piece to the sauce to finish at a gentle simmer.
How To Make Chicken Provençal
Preparing And Browning The Chicken
- Step 1: Slice the onion, peel and chop the tomatoes (Depending on your tomatoes, peeling is not necessary. I seldom do.), and lightly crush the pitted olives. Tie the bouquet garni together or place its herbs in a small cooking sachet.
- Step 2: Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning to color it on several sides. Work in batches if necessary so the pieces brown rather than steam.
Transfer the browned chicken to a plate while you build the sauce. It is not necessarily cooked through at this stage.
Making The Sauce And Finishing The Dish
- Step 3: Add the sliced onion to the same pan with a little extra olive oil if needed and fry for about 1 minute, stirring.
- Step 4: Pour in the wine or stock and add the bouquet garni. Scrape up the browned bits and let the liquid reduce by about half, about 10-15 minutes.
- Step 5: Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, and olives.
- Step 6: Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce starts to come together.
- Step 7: Return the chicken and its collected juices to the pan. Cover, lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and begin checking after 8-10 minutes. Continue cooking as needed until every piece reaches at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, away from bone; larger pieces may need considerably longer.
- Step 8: Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste the sauce before adding more salt, then serve the chicken hot with plenty of tomato-and-olive sauce.
Optional: Mix the finely chopped garlic and parsley to make the persillade. Scatter the mixture over the cooked chicken just before serving. For a milder garlic flavor, stir it into the sauce during the final few minutes of cooking to give the garlic a chance to lose some of its strength.
What To Serve With This Chicken Dish
Keep the sides simple so the tomato, olive, and herb sauce has room to shine.
- Rice pilaf: Its light, fluffy grains catch the sauce without competing with it.
- Crusty bread: Serve a few slices for soaking up the wine-scented tomato juices.
- A crisp green salad: Lightly dressed leaves bring a fresh contrast to the rich chicken and olives.
Best Wine To Pair With Chicken Provençal Style
A dry Provençal rosé is a lovely match: its freshness balances the olive oil and chicken, while its gentle fruit suits the tomatoes and herbs. You can also use a dry rosé in the pan, keeping the flavors on the plate and in the glass comfortably in step.
Chicken Provençal Recipe FAQ
Chicken Provençal is chicken prepared in the style of Provence, usually with Mediterranean ingredients such as tomatoes, olives, olive oil, garlic, and herbs. This version cooks in a pan with wine or stock and finishes with garlic-parsley persillade.
Chicken Provençal can be made without wine by using chicken stock as a replacement. Choose low-sodium stock if possible, and taste before adding salt, since the olives already contribute plenty of seasoning.
Chicken Provençal works well with thighs, drumsticks, and wings. Use pieces of similar size where possible, and check that each one reaches at least 165°F (74°C); mixed cuts may need different cooking times.
Chicken Provençal can be made with 350 g chopped canned tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. Keep the 2 tablespoons of tomato purée and simmer away excess liquid if needed. I find canned Marzano tomatoes are the best for sauces and come with thick sauce instead of thin juice.
Chicken Provençal keeps for 3-4 days in a covered container in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Refrigerate within 2 hours, and reheat the chicken and sauce thoroughly to 165°F (74°C), adding a little stock if the sauce has thickened.
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📖 Recipe
👩🍳 Prep Like a Pro!
Before starting to cook: chop and measure your ingredients and gather your tools. The French call this mise en place - "everything in its place." A simple habit that reduces stress, prevents overcooking while you're searching for that missing ingredient, and makes cooking far more relaxed!
Chicken Provençal Recipe
Equipment
- heavy-bottomed pan
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 lb chicken thighs or a combination of drumsticks and wings. Skin-on, bone-in.
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper mix with coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion sliced.
- 3⅓ oz white or rosé wine or the same amount of chicken stock.
- 1 fresh sprig of oregano and marjoram each, and 1 bay leaf tied in a herb bag. Optional: Add the basil to the bag too.
- a small handful of basil. ( I like to add loose to the sauce.)
- 12⅓ oz ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped.
- 2 tablespoon tomato purée
- 12 pitted black olives lightly crushed.
- ½ teaspoon salt add more if needed after tasting.
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Persillade
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped.
- 1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped
Alternative to both tomato ingredients: 2 cups of French tomato mother sauce. Use instead of the tomatoes and tomato purée, not in addition to them. Easy homemade French tomato mother sauce.
Instructions
- Slice 1 large onion, peel and chop the 12⅓ oz ripe tomatoes, and lightly crush the 12 pitted black olives. Tie 1 fresh sprig of oregano and marjoram each, and 1 bay leaf together or place in a small cooking sachet. Add a small handful of basil.
- Pat 4 lb chicken thighs dry, and season all over with 2 tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp coarse salt, mixed. Heat the 4 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan or flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for about 10 minutes on all sides. Work in batches if necessary so the pieces brown rather than steam.
- Transfer the browned chicken to a plate while you build the sauce. (It is not necessarily cooked through at this stage.)
- Add the sliced onion to the same pan with more oil if needed and fry for about 1 minute, stirring often. Pour in the 3⅓ oz white or rosé wine or stock and add the herbs. Scrape up the browned bits and let the liquid reduce by about half.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato purée, and olives. (Alternatively, use the 2 cups of prepared French tomato mother sauce instead of both tomato ingredients.) Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce starts to come together.
- Return the chicken and its collected juices to the pan. Cover, lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and begin checking the chicken for doneness after 8-10 minutes. Continue cooking as needed until every piece reaches at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, away from the bone; larger pieces may need longer.
- Mix the finely chopped 4 garlic cloves and 1 handful fresh parsley to make the persillade. For a milder garlic flavor, stir it into the sauce during the final few minutes of cooking; for a stronger garlic flavour, scatter it over the cooked chicken just before serving. (I love the persillade sprinkled on the dish just before serving, but some family members find it too strong. So simply adding it for a few minutes in the sauce while it is cooking is delicious too)
- Remove and discard the herb bag. Taste the sauce before adding more salt and pepper, then serve the chicken hot with plenty of tomato-and-olive sauce.
Notes
- Use a pan suitable for acidic tomato sauce, such as stainless steel or enameled cast iron.
- Lightly crush the olives to release their flavor; taste before adding more salt.
- If using the 2 cups of French tomato mother sauce instead of both fresh tomatoes and tomato purée, it will change the seasoning, sauce consistency, and nutritional values. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like it and use a little tomato paste to thicken the sauce if needed.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use within 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
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