Chicken with olives is a quick and easy recipe that is so divine! Popular in the south of France but found elsewhere as well. You can't do better than this if you want a nourishing meal in a hurry!
If you like this dish, you may also like to try Chicken Provençal, as it is also from the same area of France.
A really tasty and colorful dish to serve anytime!
This recipe is for 4 people, but you can vary it depending on how many you are cooking for. A chicken breast or leg for each person is needed, or more if serving big eaters.
🙌Variations & Similar Recipes
Substituting the 6 plum tomatoes with 11/2 cups of French tomato sauce is also a delicious alternative.
If olives are not your family's favorite, then try one of my most loved chicken recipes, Chicken Veronique, because the sauce is so delicious and made without flour or cornstarch, which is quite often the case with French cooking.
Many children do better with a pasta dish, and my Creamy Penne Pasta Chicken Dish is well-received.
For easy chicken dinners like this one, try this simple Chicken Cutlet Recipe, crispy and tender, or Mediterranean Grilled Chicken.
📖 Recipe
Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."
Mediterranean Style Chicken With Olives Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ripe plum tomatoes skinned and chopped or 1½ cups of tomato mother sauce
- 4 chicken breasts or legs with or without the skins, as you prefer
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove chopped (optional if using tomato sauce)
- 24 pitted black or green olives or a combination of both as you like them.
- A handful of basil leaves
- Salt and pepper
- See notes for adding potatoes.
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces on a plate, then season on all sides with salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the chicken pieces, and fry for 7-10 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked. Remove and keep warm.
- Fry the garlic for a few minutes until golden.
- Stir in the olives and cook for one minute, then stir in the fresh tomatoes or sauce. Cook 10 minutes more, stirring often.
- Shred the basil leaves and stir them into the mixture.
- Pour the mixture over the chicken pieces and serve immediately.
Loved it, tweaked it, or not your "cup of tea"... I’d really love to hear how it went for you.