Skillet Chicken with Olives

/ Recipes

Fall in love with the Mediterranean flavors of this one-skillet meal! The sharp, briny bite of the olives pairs well with the chicken breasts. Quick and easy to prepare, this dish looks like you spent a lot of time on it! For an extra kick, substitute the broth with white wine.

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breast halves, skin on

½ c. pitted and sliced green olives

½ c. brine-cured pitted olives, such as Kalamata, halved lengthwise and brine reserved

¼ c. shallots, sliced

1 c. chicken broth

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into four pieces

2 tsp. Herbes de Provence

½ tsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. fresh, flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  • Season skin-side of chicken with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Turn breasts over and season skinless side with salt, black pepper, cayenne, and Herbes de Provence. Turn again so that the skin-side is facing up; rest for 10 minutes.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place chicken skin-side down in hot oil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook chicken until skin is well-browned (about 5 minutes). Turn chicken and cook until just browned (about 2 minutes). Transfer to a plate.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir shallots in hot skillet until just softened and golden brown (about 2 minutes). Stir olives into shallots and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
  • Pour chicken broth into skillet; bring to boil while scraping browned bits off bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Add lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of reserved olive brine, lemon zest, and cumin; increase heat to high and cook until sauce is reduced by half (2-3 minutes).
  • Reduce heat to low and return chicken, skin-side up, to skillet. Cover and cook until no longer pink in the center and juices run clear (about 5 minutes). Remove chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.
  • Stir parsley and butter into sauce, stirring continuously until butter is melted and sauce is shiny. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.