CHICKEN WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND OLIVES
My mom is always making recipes like this one. She moves about the kitchen swiftly, often with a glass of wine in her hand, and somehow makes magic happen with just a few seemingly random ingredients. She’ll pull out the olives at the last minute, as though she had forgotten about them, or maybe only just thought to throw them in. It’s this kind of cooking that I love the most—the kind that involves the quick dip of a spoon into the sauce to taste what’s missing. It’s how family recipes come to be. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
2 tablespoons (30 ml) grass-fed butter
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound (454 g) boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced lengthwise into tenders
½ cup white wine or chicken broth
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 or 3 roasted red peppers, diced
⅓ cup Kalamata olives
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken to the pan, and brown, about 5 minutes more.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine or broth, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, and then add the artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers. Cook for 7 to 10 more minutes.
- Add the olives during the final minute of cooking, and serve garnished with the parsley.
VARIATION 1 SPINACH AND MUSHROOM CHICKEN: Before adding the chicken in step 1, add 1 cup (240 ml) well-washed and drained spinach and 8 to 10 ounces sliced mushrooms to the pan. Sauté for about 10 minutes, and then add the chicken and continue with the recipe as written. Skip the olives.
VARIATION 2 SUN-DRIED TOMATO CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES: Substitute the roasted red peppers for chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a stronger flavor.
PALEO PAIR: Serve with Roasted Broccoli with Lemon (here) for a complete dinner.
More Recipes You'll Love
This chicken with roasted red peppers and olives sautes chicken tenders with onion and garlic, deglazes the pan with white wine, then folds in artichoke hearts and sweet roasted peppers. Kalamata olives go in at the last minute and parsley finishes it. Mediterranean flavors in 30 minutes.
Pro Tips
- Slice the chicken breast lengthwise into tenders so it browns quickly and evenly in about 5 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine or broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. That fond is the sauce.
- Add the olives only in the final minute of cooking. They are meant to be a briny accent, not a cooked-down flavor.
- Chicken broth works perfectly in place of the white wine if you prefer to skip the alcohol.
- Variations: saute 1 cup of spinach and 8 ounces of mushrooms before the chicken (skip the olives), or swap the roasted peppers for chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this chicken paleo?
It is - chicken, butter, onion, garlic, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, olives, and parsley. Use broth instead of wine if you prefer.
Can I make this dish ahead of time?
Yes - it reheats well and the flavors improve overnight. Refrigerate for up to 4 days and rewarm gently.
What should I serve with it?
Roasted broccoli with lemon is the suggested pairing here, and the pan sauce begs for something to soak it up.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes - thighs work just as well and stay even juicier. Slice them into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter.
- Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the pan, and brown, about 5 minutes more.
- Add the olives during the final minute of cooking, and serve garnished with the parsley.
