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Home » Recipes » Chicken

Chicken Marbella from The Silver Palate

May 21, 2021 Updated November 7, 2022 by Lisa Goldfinger 34 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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PINTEREST PIN: Chicken Marbella in a black roasting pan
Chicken Marbella is a famous, favorite dinner party recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook. Chicken is marinated overnight with prunes, olives, capers, olive oil, vinegar and loads of garlic and oregano. Just before cooking, white wine and brown sugar are added. It's an easy dish to cook for a crowd and the flavors are extraordinary.
 
10 pieces of chicken Marbella in a roasting pan with prunes, green olives and a garnish of chopped parsley
 
Chicken Marbella is the absolute best: moist and tender chicken in an irresistible sweet, sour, garlicky sauce with salty olives and rich sweet prunes. The ingredients may seem unusual - olives, capers and prunes - and they certainly aren't subtle - loads of garlic and more oregano than I've ever put into any one dish, but it's a brilliant marriage of flavors that always has everyone coming back for seconds. And it's the perfect dish for stress-free entertaining. You marinate the chicken overnight and then you bake it an hour or two before the party. Chicken Marbella is just as delicious at room temperature as it is hot from the oven. You just can't go wrong with this recipe.

How To Cook Chicken Marbella for A Big Crowd

This recipe uses boneless chicken thighs but includes instructions for classic bone-in Chicken Marbella if you prefer it that way. When I decided to serve Chicken Marbella at my New Years Eve party (dinner for 100) I adapted the recipe for boneless chicken because I think boneless chicken is more elegant and easier to manage for a big party. 

Bone-in chicken is fine for a small sit-down dinner but for a buffet it can be clunky and it takes up a lot of room on a serving platter. Plus, it's tricky to cut chicken off the bone while you're socializing at a party, and especially challenging if you're balancing your plate on your lap or standing at a cocktail table while doing it.

In my mind there's no debate about whether to use thighs or breasts. Chicken thighs are my favorite. They're so much better and juicier than breasts, which dry out easily, while thighs are difficult to overcook. The original Silver Palate Chicken Marbella Recipe calls for 4 whole chickens, cut into quarters. I've been served Chicken Marbella that way for decades and I've cooked it that way myself, but I have to confess that I've always passed over the breasts and gone right for the thighs. 

Close up of a plate with 5 pieces of boneless chicken marbella, a few prunes and green olives and a garnish of chopped parsley

The Story Behind Chicken Marbella

Chicken Marbella made its debut at The Silver Palate Gourmet Shop on the upper west side of manhattan in the late 1970's. The two women who owned and ran the shop, Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso, were incredibly creative cooks and built quite a reputation for themselves in the neighborhood. I lived a few blocks away and I can tell you from personal experience, their culinary creations were like nothing I had ever seen before or even dreamed of. In 1982 The Silver Palate Cookbook was published and has become one of the best selling cookbooks of all time. Chicken Marbella is probably the most famous and enduring recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook. 
 
Today, Chicken Marbella is a wildly popular recipe, with reprints and adaptations all over the internet and in cookbooks. Ina Garten has Chicken Marbella in her Cook Like a Pro  Cookbook. Ottolenghi has Chicken Marbella in his cookbook Simple, but adapts it quite a bit, with dates in place of prunes, fresh oregano instead of dried, date molasses in place of brown sugar and chicken legs instead of chicken quarters. You can find a slightly-adapted Chicken Marbella recipe in the New York Times Cooking Section, and they even have a separate Weeknight Chicken Marbella Recipe.
 
I had some hesitation about posting Chicken Marbella on Panning The Globe, thinking you all probably have the recipe by now, but I figure there must be some of you who have missed it or passed it by and others who may know it well but will appreciate knowing how to make it with boneless chicken.

How To Make Chicken Marbella

This Chicken Marbella recipe has the same ingredients as the original Silver Palate Chicken Marbella recipe  except that 4 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs are used in place of 4 whole cut-up chickens. In addition, I increased the amount of prunes and olives in the recipe because they are so insanely delicious that why skimp?! I also reduced the amount of brown sugar from 1 cup to ¾ cup. For my taste, it's the perfect sugar to vinegar ratio to achieve a vibrant sweet and sour sauce. 
  1. Marinate The Chicken Overnight: Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl: ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup red wine vinegar, 1 ½ cups pitted prunes, ¾ cup pitted Spanish green olives, ½ cup capers, 6 bay leaves, 1 whole head of garlic, peeled and puréed (I use this garlic press), ¼ cup dried oregano, 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs and toss to mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it overnight. 
  2. Bake: Arrange the chicken and all the marinade ingredients in two large shallow baking pans. Pour ½ cup of wine into each baking pan and sprinkle the chicken pieces evenly with the brown sugar. Bake the chicken for 45-50 minutes, until it's cooked through, basting once or twice with the pan juices. 
  3. To serve, arrange the chicken on a serving platter and spoon the prunes, olives, capers and some of the juices evenly around. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve the extra sauce on the side. 
White mixing bowl filled with raw ingredients for boneless chicken marbella: chicken thighs, capers, prunes, chopped garlic bay leaves, oil, vinegar and bay leaves. Next photo shows everything in the bowl mixed together.
 
Black roasting pan with chicken marbella about to go into the oven and then a shot of the same pan after it comes out of the oven

Rectangular black roasting pan filled with boneless chicken marbella, prunes, green olives and a bay leaf

What to serve with Chicken Marbella

  • Latkes. For Hanukkah dinner we always serve Chicken Marbella with potato latkes
  • Potatoes: Mashed Potatoes, Smashed Potatoes or roasted potatoes are all great with Chicken Marbella
  • Rice: Plain white rice is a perfect accompaniment
  • Salad: This green salad or this tricolore salad
  • A Green Vegetable: Instead of a salad, serve steamed or roasted broccoli, asparagus or green beans on the side

6 pieces of boneless chicken marbella with prunes and olives, on a white plate, with 5 forks in the background

Here's the Chicken Marbella Recipe. If you try this, I hope you'l come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think.

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10 pieces of chicken Marbella in a roasting pan with prunes, green olives and a garnish of chopped parsley

Chicken Marbella from The Silver Palate


★★★★★

5 from 9 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This elegant Silver Palate Chicken Marbella recipe is the perfect dinner party dish. An easy dish to cook for a big group and the flavors are fantastically delicious.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 ½ cups pitted prunes
  • ¾ cup pitted Spanish green olives
  • ½ cup capers (a 2-ounce jar), with 1 teaspoon of the juice
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 1 head of garlic, peeled and puréed (I use this garlic press)
  • ¼ cup dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs (18 or so pieces)
  • 1 cup dry white wine (Vermouth works well)
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl or plastic container, combine the oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, caper juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in two large shallow baking dishes and spoon all the marinade ingredients on and around the chicken. Pour half the wine into each baking pan, and then sprinkle the all chicken pieces evenly with the brown sugar.
  3. Bake the chicken for 45-50 minutes, or until it's cooked through, basting with the pan juices after 20 minutes.
  4. To serve, transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter and spoon the prunes, olives, capers and some of the sauce on and around the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro. Serve remaining sauce on the side. Chicken Marbella can be served at room temperature.

Notes

Make This with bone-in, skin-on chicken: To make this recipe with bone-in chicken, use '8-10 pounds of bone-in chicken parts' - thighs, drumsticks, breasts or any combination. Follow the recipe exactly as written only increase the cooking time to '50 minute to an hour' and baste 3 or 4 times while the chicken cooks, to keep it moist.

Prepare this ahead and serve it at room temperature: Chicken Marbella can be cooked up to two days ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature and spoon some of the juices over it before serving.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Recipe for Silver Palate Chicken Marbella, How to Make Chicken Marbella with boneless chicken thighs,

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Chicken, Entertaining, Fall Favorites, main course, Most Popular Recipes, North America, Quick and Easy, The United States

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Darlene Barrows

    May 30, 2023 at 1:48 pm

    I have so many compliments on your recipes, Thank you ♥️👏👍🎉💥

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      May 30, 2023 at 2:44 pm

      You are so welcome. Thank you for letting me know Darlene 🙂 You made my day.

      Reply
  2. Joann McNab

    March 24, 2023 at 6:21 pm

    Hi Lisa I made this recipe as a taste test for a party I’m planing and my family loved it! How can I adapt this recipe to serve 60 guests? The make ahead feature makes this recipe a go to for my menu. Thank you

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      March 25, 2023 at 8:37 am

      Hi Joann, I'm so glad you love this! it's one of my favorite dishes for entertaining. To prepare this for 60 I would assume that most your guests will each want 1 or 2 pieces of chicken and there will be some who come back for seconds. To be safe, I'd assume 2 thighs per person, so 120 boneless thighs which is about 26 pounds but best if you can have your butcher figure it out with you or determine how many thighs make a pound and then go from there. Even though you're scaling up my recipe by 6X, I think you'll be fine with 4X the marinade. But I suggest you do 6X the prunes, olives, capers and topping of wine and brown sugar. If you have 2 huge plastic containers or bowls, you can probably marinate a triple batch in each vessel. I suggest you cook the chicken in large heavy duty foil pans - 4 should do. Divide the wine and brown sugar among the pans and bake in 2 ovens, if you have them. You may need to add a little extra baking time with all that chicken being cooked at once. Good luck! Keep me posted!

      Reply
  3. Jane Kenslea

    March 05, 2023 at 10:25 am

    I made this recipe for a small gathering of six friends last evening (Saturday). Prepared it Friday evening which was the key to it's success and ease of entertaining factor. Guests and family loved it!!
    Thank you Panning the Globe for another delicious dinner recipe that allows me to entertain and enjoy the company.

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      March 05, 2023 at 1:52 pm

      hi Jane - Thanks so much for your note. I'm so glad this recipe worked out well for you and was enjoyed!

      Reply
  4. Martha

    February 02, 2023 at 4:10 pm

    Was so excited to make this dish, but it was way too sweet for me. After checking other recipes, it seems 1/4c brown sugar is the average amount. Wondering if yours is correct or maybe a typo? I think it would've been great with less sweetness.

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      February 02, 2023 at 4:14 pm

      Hi Martha - I'm so sorry the chicken was too sweet for your taste - that must have been a big disappointment. My recipe doesn't have a typo. In fact, I reduced the amount of sugar that's called for in the original Silver Palate Recipe, from 1 cup down to 3/4 of a cup.

      Reply
  5. Carol

    December 15, 2022 at 12:57 pm

    Thank you for this great adaptation. I served it last year for Christmas dinner for 8 people, and it was a huge hit. This year I’m serving 12 for Christmas and wondered if you could advise how much to scale up. Would advise I increase all ingredients by 50 percent. Or, make as shown here and just add a couple more Linda of chicken. Not sure how many thighs to figure per person. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      December 15, 2022 at 3:12 pm

      Hi Carol, I'm glad you have had good luck with this recipe. I usually like to assume 2 boneless thighs per person. Not everyone has 2 but then there are leftovers and this dish is great the next day, too! If you're making enough for 12 I'd probably use 50% more of everything except the bay leaves - I think 6 bay leaves is plenty. Happy Holidays and happy cooking!

      Reply
  6. Donnie

    November 20, 2022 at 11:47 pm

    Absolutely wonderful, had this in the early 90s, this recipe was most similar to that one...easy to make, serves a dinner party...everyone loved... it is a recipie that surprises the palate. The fussiest eater will love this.
    I'm an average cook...at best, but this recipie made me feel like showing off.
    If hesitant...don't be...serve some old fashioned PLANTERS PUNCH, a nice green... AND MASHED POTATOS...A TRUE WINNER...

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Ann

    November 19, 2022 at 12:28 pm

    Delicious and make ahead, except for baking. So happy with this recipe and very elegant!! I’ve made it and served it both hot and at room temp. Lots of compliments!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      November 20, 2022 at 7:04 am

      Hi Ann - I'm glad the recipe worked out so well for you! Thanks for circling back around to leave a comment!

      Reply
  8. John P

    November 15, 2022 at 3:59 pm

    Shouldn’t the bone in thighs with skin be sautéed first or just use skinless.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      November 15, 2022 at 5:30 pm

      Hi John - I suggest using boneless, skinless thighs for this recipe. It works really well. The flavors of the marinade are so delicious that you don't need skin and you don't need to sauté the chicken first. Just marinate it and then add the wine and brown sugar and pop it in the oven.

      Reply
  9. Rachel

    September 26, 2022 at 11:42 am

    what can you substitute if you hate olives

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 26, 2022 at 11:51 am

      You can double the amount of capers - capers have a salty briny flavor that's very similar to the flavor of olives. I can't think of anything else except maybe pickled pearl onions.

      Reply
  10. Marcia H

    June 05, 2022 at 1:40 pm

    I made chicken Marbella fir the first tim in 1983 for a dinner party. I had never heard of cilantro, but saw it in my local produce store so bought it to use instead of parsley. I had often made a dish I’d never made before and they’d always been well received. This time, I took a bite and my heart sank. It was terrible. Everyone at the table said it was delicious and I was certain they were lying. I have since learned that I must be one of the ten percent who detest cilantro.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      June 06, 2022 at 10:21 am

      Hi Marcia - Unfortunate that your first experience with chicken marbella was spoiled by cilantro. You are definitely not alone in your dislike of cilantro. I love it but I am close friends with a few people who are "super tasters" and they think cilantro tastes like soap. I have to be mindful of that when I have them over for dinner. I hope you've been back to making chicken marbella and enjoying it - with parsley!

      Reply
  11. Katarina

    May 27, 2022 at 2:03 pm

    Fantastic recipe, thank you. Quantities are spot on.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      May 27, 2022 at 9:35 pm

      Hi Katarina - I'm so glad you enjoyed the dish! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Beth

    March 23, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    Thanks for sharing this! I have made this dish for years and am looking forward to this updated version. I am a bit confused about the make-ahead directions. Should this dish be cooked in its entirety 2 days ahead and then reheated or should it sit in the marinade 2 days ahead and then cooked?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      March 23, 2022 at 6:40 pm

      Hi Beth - Thanks so much for pointing this out. I was unclear and I just updated that note. What I meant to say is that if you're planning to make this ahead and serve it at room temperature, you can fully cook it up to 2 days ahead of time.

      Reply
  13. DL

    January 31, 2022 at 1:34 pm

    I am in process of making this recipe and do not see when cilantro or parsley are used. Is it just me??

    Reply
    • Lisa

      January 31, 2022 at 5:20 pm

      You are right! I'm so sorry and thank you for pointing this out! I never mentioned that the parsley or cilantro is a garnish that you sprinkle on the finished dish. I will make that update to the recipe.

      Reply
      • DL

        February 01, 2022 at 10:04 am

        Oh brilliant, thanks. I marinated it over night, cannot wait to bake and taste today. I love cilantro so I didn’t want to miss out on this flavour.

  14. Phoebe G.

    January 09, 2022 at 4:38 pm

    Fantastic recipe. I haven't made this for years and found your delicious looking recipe on Pinterest. I love how you've adapted it for boneless thighs. Absolutely delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. RUTH K.

    December 08, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    Excellent recipe. Years ago I bought the Silver Palate cookbook and this certainly was a very popular recipe. Hadn’t made it in years and then I happen to run across your version using boneless and skinless chicken thighs! Why did I never think of that! I love it even more - great for company and no bones to eat around. I now also use less sugar and more olives and prunes. Thank you for your version.
    BTW - by mistake I added the brown sugar and wine in the marinade and it tasted great so I continue with my mistake - just less to think about when I’m baking it off.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 08, 2021 at 6:16 pm

      Hi Ruth - It's great to get your feedback on this dish - especially since you've made the original version. I'm so glad you enjoyed this boneless skinless version. Also great to know that it turns out well even if you add the wine and sugar with the marinade. I'm sure I must have made that mistake too over the years. 🙂

      Reply
  16. helan

    August 15, 2021 at 7:12 am

    Thanks For Sharing this Amazing Recipe. My Family Loved It. I will be sharing this Recipe with my Friends. Hope They will like it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jax

      March 22, 2022 at 3:21 pm

      Absolutely delicious, definitely a keeper. Thank you

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Lisa

        March 22, 2022 at 7:16 pm

        You are welcome - I'm so glad you enjoyed!

  17. restaurantthatdeliversnearme.website

    July 11, 2021 at 4:29 am

    Great Chicken Marbella recipe.

    Reply
    • Karen Lee Kirk

      November 06, 2022 at 3:49 pm

      For years I’ve made chicken Marbella with Cornish Hens. I’m having a dinner party next weekend for 8 and so glad I ran across this recipe using the boneless thighs! I also add dried apricots which are delicious and give the dish a beautiful fall color.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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