Chicken/ Gluten Free/ Italian/ Sponsored/ Vegetables

Mediterranean Chicken

Mediterranean Chicken – Juicy chicken thighs pan-seared and coated with a balsamic and herb glaze and roasted with artichokes, cherry tomatoes, basil, and California Ripe Olives.

Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe

This recipe is sponsored by Clever Girls on behalf of California Ripe Olives. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

June has 30 days, 20 of them I spent eating–and by eating, I mean gorging.

My month started with travel to Italy, stopping first for a day in Los Angeles, where I met up with family to EAT. Of course, food was a major part of the Italian experience and I did not deny myself a thing (um, hello, gelato every single day). Then my month ended with a business (press) trip to Phoenix which was bookended with a trip to Boise. I think I calculated it out that between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm while in Phoenix, I ate every 90 minutes to 2 hours.

The 10 days I was home, I ate well (the word well is used lightly here, fully open to interpretation and scrutiny.) I am not complaining about a single calorie or fat gram I consumed during my June travels. And most of my clothes still fit, or relatively fit anyway.

But now my summer travels are changing course. Next week I travel to Idaho for my youngest brothers’ wedding (hello dress) and then in August, I travel to California for my cousins’ BEACH wedding (hello dress with even less material.) Therefore, I need to shift my eating just a tad in order to rock those dresses.

Getting back on track nutritionally is as simple as eating protein and fruits and vegetables. Over the years I have learned that my gastric bypass diet tends to be similar to the diabetic diet and even the Mediterranean diet.  Of course there are differences in those diets to my own, but typically they are great examples for me to follow.

Ready to serve Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe

I will forgo my heavy pasta and cream sauce (and gelato) love in favor to lean meats, fresh veggies, and those fats that are good for me like extra virgin olive oil and, well olives. Ok, some cheese too, I must have cheese. On both my recent trips to Italy and Phoenix, I was education about the health benefits of olives, so I felt there was no time like the present to incorporate them more into my diet. How do you like my first meal in my gotta-look-good-in-both-dresses meal plan? Just because I need to eat healthy (and not just for the dresses but for life too), does not mean I have to eat bland. And if you have been reading along for any amount of time here at The Complete Savorist, you know I am not about bland food.

Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe

Chicken thighs, while a bit fattier than its more popular northern body part neighbor, pack so much more flavor and are often my go-to meat when truly exercising portion control (plus my doctor told me to eat thighs over breasts anyway.) I did a quick sear in olive oil to brown them up, tossed in some artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, and California Ripe Olives, brushed it all with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs–salt and pepper too, but that’s always a given. Finally I added torn pieces of basil, popped it in the oven to roast and 25 minutes later, out it all came.

Mediterranean Chicken

Author: Michelle De La Cerda
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs chicken thighs; bone-in/skin-on (about 6 thighs)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or 1 tbsp evoo and 1 tbsp butter)
  • Salt/Pepper
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1-12 oz pkg frozen artichokes
  • 1-5.75 oz can of large California Black Ripe Olives; drained
  • Pinch or two of kosher salt for finishing
  • 6-8 leaves of fresh basil; torn

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried marjoram

Instructions

Sauce

  1. Whisk together all the ingredients, set aside.

Chicken

  1. In a 12″ skillet, heat the olive oil (or butter and evoo) and heat on medium high
  2. Pull back the skin, sprinkle salt and pepper to the flesh, replace the skin, and salt/pepper both sides.
  3. Place the thighs in the pan, fleshy-side down and sear for about 3 minutes or until the chicken is a nice golden brown color.
  4. Flip the chicken and sear the other side for another 3 minutes.
  5. Do not over-crowd the pan, so cook the chicken in shifts if needed.

  6. Remove from heat.
  7. Toss together the artichokes, California Ripe Olives, and tomatoes, and nestle them around the chicken.
  8. Pull back the skin again on the chicken and brush with the sauce, then brush the outside of the chicken and all the veggies, making sure everything is evenly coated.
  9. Bake in a preheated 450 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. (Cooking time will vary based size of chicken and actual temp of oven. For smaller thighs, begin checking for doneness at 15 minutes to avoid overcooking.)
  10. Once cooked, remove from the oven and sprinkle everything with a pinch or two of kosher salt.
  11. Serve and enjoy.
Vegetables for Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe
Sauce for Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe
Searing Chicken for Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe
Brushing on the sauce for Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe
About to cook the Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe
Ready to Serve Mediterranean Chicken ~ The Complete Savorist #CalOlivesMedRecipe


The dish was truly tasty. The chicken and veggies were scrumptious, and loaded with flavor. That pinch of salt after cooking is important as I did not over salt the dish when cooking and it made each individual flavor pop. The olives were hot after coming out of the oven, so please resist the temptation to put them on your fingers like you did when you were a kid. You might want to have an extra can on hand for that.

Thank you for sharing!

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56 Comments

  • Reply
    The Food Hunter
    July 17, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    This dish is fabulous! I love how you used the olives.

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 18, 2015 at 11:25 pm

      Thank you Theresa, coming from you, that is high praise.

  • Reply
    Aimee @ like mother like daughter
    July 18, 2015 at 4:56 am

    I love olives, and this chicken looks and sounds totally delicious!

  • Reply
    Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
    July 18, 2015 at 5:47 am

    Thighs are my absolute favorite chicken part, and I am ALWAYS looking for new recipes!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 18, 2015 at 11:26 pm

      I am so happy I am not alone in my love of thighs.

  • Reply
    Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom
    July 18, 2015 at 6:06 am

    Your month of June sounds fabulous to me!!! And this chicken–perfect flavor combo!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 18, 2015 at 11:27 pm

      Thank you so much Kristen.

  • Reply
    christine
    July 18, 2015 at 7:26 am

    So jealous of your travels and equally happy for you to get to do these things. This dish looks colorful and flavorful and easy – all my favorite qualities of a recipe!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 18, 2015 at 11:27 pm

      Thank you Christine, it was a fun month and I hope you enjoy the dish.

  • Reply
    Alisa Fleming
    July 18, 2015 at 8:52 am

    I’m a huge olive fan and we have chicken thighs weekly – this one is going on the menu!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 18, 2015 at 11:28 pm

      Thank you Alisa, hope you and your family enjoy it.

  • Reply
    Manila Spoon
    July 18, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    My eyes can see what my palate can confirm – delicious! This looks amazing, too!

  • Reply
    Sandi Gaertner (@sandigtweets)
    July 18, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    What a great recipe to use olives in….the chicken looks terrific.

  • Reply
    Katherine
    July 19, 2015 at 12:31 am

    You can never have too much olive oil! Wonder if this would work with tofu 🙂

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 19, 2015 at 3:38 am

      Make it with tofu and let me know! 😉

  • Reply
    Lizzy
    July 19, 2015 at 6:44 am

    This chicken looks amazing!! I want to eat it right out of the screen!!!

  • Reply
    Joy @ Joy Love Food
    July 19, 2015 at 8:07 am

    Wow, sounds like you had a wonderful month of food and travel! And, I’m a huge fan of olives, this chicken dish looks incredible!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 20, 2015 at 4:06 am

      I did have a wonderful month, thank you Joy.

  • Reply
    Trish - Mom On Timeout
    July 19, 2015 at 9:10 am

    That skin looks SO crispy! What an amazing dinner!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 20, 2015 at 4:07 am

      Thank you Trish, I did get it to crisp up nicely.

  • Reply
    Sandra
    July 19, 2015 at 9:31 pm

    4 stars
    This dish looks fantastic! Lots of olives are stashed at my house. My husband loves them and when he was in college (a very long time ago) I would send him care packages with cans of olives – haha! He’ll LOVE this dish as much I know I will!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 20, 2015 at 4:07 am

      Care packages of olives…wow that’s love.

  • Reply
    Healing Tomato
    July 20, 2015 at 7:34 am

    5 stars
    This is a great blend of Mediterranean flavors and spices. The Olives look perfectly at home with the chicken. Great recipe, Michelle.

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 20, 2015 at 10:57 am

      Thank you HT. Sub the chicken for tofu and enjoy…or maybe eggplant.

  • Reply
    Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
    July 20, 2015 at 8:52 am

    That looks delicious!! I know my family will love this combination of flavors! Pinning!

  • Reply
    Adam Baratz
    July 20, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    This has my name written all over it. I’m a antipasto bar addict. Great pairings of flavor/recipe. Also your photographs are beautiful!!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 20, 2015 at 4:52 pm

      Thank you Adam. I love the antipasto bar as well.

  • Reply
    Debra @ Bowl Me Over
    July 20, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    My mouth is watering just looking at that chicken – it looks amazing!!!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 20, 2015 at 4:53 pm

      Thank you so much Debra.

  • Reply
    Jennifer Stewart
    July 20, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    We went to that olive farm just outside Phoenix (Queens Creek Olive Mill) and watched how they pressed the olives! It was awesome! I love learning about how they grow them and the whole extraction process was so fascinating!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 20, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      I am writing a post right now about that very place. I loved it there.

  • Reply
    lizzy
    July 21, 2015 at 6:40 am

    I LOVEEEE med. chicken – this is such a nice dish for Friday nights with the famiily, my mother made a similar one for shabbat – soooo tasty!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 21, 2015 at 11:40 am

      Thank you Lizzy, it’s an easy dish to enjoy any night.

  • Reply
    jamie
    July 21, 2015 at 7:39 am

    this looks so good!

  • Reply
    Joanne T Ferguson
    July 21, 2015 at 11:18 pm

    This recipe looks so delicious and it is now on my list to do! Great photo that caught my eye right away!

  • Reply
    Elena
    July 22, 2015 at 7:57 am

    5 stars
    I hope you enjoyed your vacation to Italy! 🙂 This chicken looks so tasty, I love all the flavors!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 22, 2015 at 11:51 am

      I LOVED my vacation to Italy, I promise I am writing about it.

  • Reply
    Cathy @ Our Mini Family
    July 22, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    Your chicken looks fantastic!! I am always looking for a way to spruce up my regular recipes, and this looks delightful! Thanks for the recipe!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 23, 2015 at 10:59 am

      Thank you Cathy, hope you get the chance to make it.

  • Reply
    Camila
    July 24, 2015 at 8:16 am

    5 stars
    `Wow this looks amazing and so tasty! I could have that today!!! yummm
    XOXO

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 25, 2015 at 12:46 pm

      Super easy to make as well.

  • Reply
    Miranda @ Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt
    July 24, 2015 at 1:23 pm

    Oh my goodness! This looks amazing! I cannot get enough of how gorgeous and perfectly browned that chicken is. I love the addition of black olives. They’re my favorite.

    • Reply
      Michelle
      July 25, 2015 at 1:15 pm

      Thank you Miranda, this dish was really good, and super simple.

  • Reply
    Natural
    December 10, 2015 at 7:57 am

    wow , thinking about to make this recipe today!

  • Reply
    Kat
    April 19, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    I just discovered this recipe today through Pinterest and it was tasty! I just added some onions and pinot noir to it. I will definitely be making this again.

    • Reply
      Michelle De La Cerda
      April 19, 2016 at 9:34 pm

      Fantastic. I am happy you adapted it for your needs. I never say no to onions or wine. 🙂

  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Tina Thomas
    July 21, 2020 at 3:54 pm

    5 stars
    If I could I would give this dish 10 stars! I’ve made this a number of times and it never fails, everyone always loves it. I’m actually making it for a second time this week for a birthday dinner for 6 for my BFF. I like to use kalamata olives instead of the black olives and after I take it out I squeeze a little lemon over it and top it with some feta cheese. Beautiful dish!

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