Chicken Marbella

Chicken Marbella is a classic baked dish with briny capers, sweet prunes, and savory olives—an easy, elegant recipe perfect for entertaining or family dinners!

You might also enjoy chicken Florentine, Mexican shredded chicken, lemon rosemary chicken thighs, or creamy lemon chicken thighs.

Why You’ll Love It

Tastes so good: Chicken thighs offer rich, meaty flavor while the sweet prunes, briny olives, tasty garlic, and other ingredients all pair well and showcase the beautiful crispy chicken thighs. It’s a very flavorful dish.
Easy to prepare: You simply have to marinate your chicken, add it to a baking dish with the other ingredients and pop it in the oven to bake to perfection.
Great for meal prep: As you can marinate overnight, you can prepare the whole dish ahead and cook it the following day.
Gluten-free and dairy-free: There’s no gluten or dairy in this recipe.

Chicken Marbella Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on chicken provides the most flavor and ensures the meat stays juicy while baking.
Green olives and capers: For a salty, briny touch. I love using Spanish green olives for authenticity.
Prunes and light brown sugar: These add a contrasting sweetness to the dish.
Herbs: Oregano pairs well with the chicken and bay leaves are also a subtle yet flavorful choice.
Dry white wine: I used a Spanish white Rioja but you can use anything dry or medium-dry.
Garlic: You can add extra if you love garlic.

How to Make Chicken Marbella

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Marinate the chicken pieces: Combine the olives, prunes, capers with brine, olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and bay leaves in a bowl. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight or for at least a couple of hours.
Assemble the chicken Marbella: Add the marinated chicken to a baking dish along with the marinade ingredients. Add white wine and brown sugar.
Bake the dish: Preheat the oven and add the chicken Marbella. Cook it for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on top, basting it occasionally with the pan juices.
Garnish and serve: Let the chicken rest briefly and then serve on a serving platter with the pan juices spooned over the top and a fresh parsley garnish sprinkled over.

Substitutions and Variations

Chicken thighs: I love chicken thigh pieces because they’re so rich-tasting and juicy. If you want to make Marbella chicken using chicken breast, you can, but keep in mind it tends to cook more quickly (and dry out faster) than thigh pieces.
Dry white wine: If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute chicken broth with an extra splash of vinegar.
Brown sugar: As this is added solely for sweetness, you can reduce the amount if you want a less sweet finish. The prunes also add sweetness to the dish and that will be sufficient for some people.
Prunes: Not a prune fan? You can substitute dates instead.
Capers and green olives: You can stick to only capers or only green olives instead of using both.

Serving Suggestions

Appetizers: Shrimp ceviche or shrimp foil packs would make a tasty first course.
Side dishes: This dish pairs well with rice, couscous, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Desserts: Finish your meal with these tasty cheesecake cookies or some Nutella mousse cups.

How to Store Chicken Marbella

Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze chicken Marbella in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm your chicken Marbella back up in the oven.