My famous Mediterranean baked chicken recipe is made with juicy, chicken thighs, white beans, caramelized onions, tomatoes, artichokes (and more). It’s super simple to make – everything’s baked in one pan. There is a reason why it’s one of the most popular recipes on my blog! It’s a crowd pleaser. Serves 4.
This is my kind of food! A simple tray-baked chicken dish packed with zesty Mediterranean flavors.
I like to brown the chicken first and roast it alongside plump cherry tomatoes, red onions, and white beans. It comes out all sticky and caramelized.
My 3 Secrets:
- First, use marinated artichoke hearts and bocconcini (bite-size mozzarella balls). The garlicky/vinegary marinade adds incredible flavor to the dish without having to do a thing.
- The second trick is to toss in plenty of fresh herbs right before serving. Fresh basil and parsley will make your kitchen smell out of this world!
- Lastly, if you can marinate your chicken beforehand, this dish will taste even better. If you’re pressed for time, just skip it. It will still be very good.
To Serve
Try it with my famous sourdough bread recipe and a nice green salad. Any leftovers are great mixed through with pasta for a Mediterranean chicken pasta bake. That’s it! Clean up is easy too.
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Famous One-Pan Mediterranean Baked Chicken
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
This dish is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. It’s a one-pan meal that showcases both convenience and flavor. We love it in our house too.
Notes & Tips:
Make sure to use a baking dish larger than 9x 13 inches. A large roasting pan is ideal. Overcrowding will cause the ingredients to steam rather than caramelize. Use 2 pans if necessary.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1x 14 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts, juice only
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Bake
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, left whole
- reserved artichoke hearts
- 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed
- 1/4 c. roughly chopped Kalamata olives
- 1x 8 oz. tub marinated bocconcini (mini-mozzarella balls), drained
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
- 1/4 c. roughly chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp. basil leaves, cut into ribbons
Instructions
- Marinade: drain the artichokes hearts reserving the juice. To a large bowl, add 2 tbsp. of artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves.
- Cut the chicken into thirds, about 1 1/2- inch strips. Add to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.
- Bake: preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sliced onions, and tomatoes to a large roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Roast on the center rack stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. In a large skillet warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over moderate heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Brown the meat on both sides, working in batches and transfer to a plate. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.
- Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel. Cut into quarters.
- Remove the roasting pan from the oven; the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives to the pan (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 7-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- To serve, add the cheese and toss gently. The heat from the pan will soften the cheese.
- Top with parsley and basil leaves, and drizzle with extra artichoke juice if desired.
Notes
- Save extra artichoke juice to drizzle over the finished dish for flavor.
- You will need a roasting pan at least 13 1/2 x 11 inches or larger. Otherwise the ingredients will steam instead of caramelize. Use 2 pans if necessary.
- Swap mozzarella for crumbled feta.
- Use cannellini or Great Northern beans.
Comments
Jennifer says
Outstanding dish! Will definitely repeat often. Thank you!
Emilie says
Thank you so much Jennifer! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Sand says
Hi This sounds wonderful, making it tomorrow, do you think I can substitute with Feta instead of bocconcini ? Or, do you use the marinade from that too ? Thank you
Emilie says
Absolutely! In fact, I’ve used feta myself and it is delicious. I only use the marinade from the artichokes, however marinated bocconcini adds extra flavor overall. Please let me know how it turns out! Enjoy ;)
Sandy says
This was great Emilie ! The marinade on the artichokes I purchased was all oil and not a lot of flavor so I made my own, used the feta and everyone loved it. Thank you for a great dish.
Susan says
Made this tonight from Pinterest…so delicious!! Do you have your own boards on Pinterest I can follow?
Emilie says
Hi Susan! Thanks for stopping by! If you’d like to follow me on Pinterest, simply click on the blue ‘P’ button at the top right section of my site. It will take you straight to my account! Enjoy :)
Jeni says
I saw this on pinterest, and I ran to the store! I am making it right now! I hope it turns out as good and as pretty as yours!
Jeni says
It was delish!!! I am blogging about it right now!
Lily @ Life, Love, and Cupcakes says
I found this recipe on pinterest a couple months ago and just wanted to let you know that we LOVE it! It has become a regular in our dinner rotation, it’s so easy and delicious! Thank you!
Emilie says
Hi Lily! I am SO glad that you and your family like the recipe!!! I’m working on a new chicken recipe as we speak…Thank you for taking the time to comment :)
Sonja says
Hi! I made this dish last night. I live in the UAE and could not find marinated artichoke hearts. So I took canned artichoke and used the sauce for the marinade…it turned my chicken purple :D
Could you give me any advise on what to do to prevent this, or an alternative to the marinade?
Thanx…
Emilie says
Hi Sonja! Oh my goodness, purple?! You’ve got me on that one! Did you mix it with the red onion at all? That could be a possibility…
The reason why I use marinated artichoke hearts is because they are packed in oil, not water (canned). When mixed with the artichokes and spices, it makes a flavorful marinade. Since you do not have access to them, next time drain the artichokes and pat them dry. Skip the juice in the marinade and don’t pour any extra on the finished chicken. Maybe finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Hope this helps!!
Sonja says
Thanx a bunch, will try it next time :)
Sandy says
So, so good! One of my new favorite recipes. Definitely worthy of making for company!
Emilie says
Hi Sandy! So glad you liked it! It’s definitely a great dish to entertain with. Happy cooking! :)
Max says
What a wonderful dish! I made it and we loved it!
However there is one point I don’t understand fully: in step three when you say “cook” the onion and tomato in the roasting pan, do you mean in the oven or on the stove? I did it on the stove in a separate pan, however that makes it more complicated than just putting it in the oven I guess. Also I ended up with a lot more “sauce” than on your picture (very yummy though!) – any guesses why? To many/to large tomatoes?!
Thanks again for sharing this great recipe!
Emilie says
Hi Max!
How wonderful to hear that you liked the recipe. It’s a family favorite as well :)
To answer your question, the onion & tomatoes are meant to cook in the oven. But it can be done on the stove as well (like you did). The idea is to keep it all in one pan!
You might have ended up with more sauce for a couple of reasons; too many tomatoes or the pan was too small. Overcrowding the pan will cause the tomatoes (and other ingredients) to steam rather than caramelize, therefore creating extra juice or liquid. I like to use a very large roasting pan to eliminate steaming.
I hope this helps! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment :)
Laura says
After seeing this on Pinterest, I immediately had to make it rather than set it aside for “someday”. Am I ever glad I did. Fixed it for my mom and husband last night and it was fabulous, we each had 3 helpings and still made enough for leftovers! Made only a couple of tweeks to the recipe – since I have a lovely herb garden, I included a little fresh thyme with the basil and parsley, used a little less of the bocconcini (just because I had a partial container) so I also used about 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese to round out the cheese. I also used shallots for my onions and black olives as I didn’t have kalamata olives in the pantry. Will be a go-to dish for my next dinner party and it was so pretty, I took a picture of it.
Emilie says
That’s fantastic! I’m so glad you made the recipe!!! I also file things away for ‘someday’ which I never seem to get to… funny how that seems to happen to everyone, right?
I love the addition of thyme and shallots in your version~ I would love to see your picture!
Thanks for stopping by Laura :)
Susan says
I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was great!!! I did substitute the beans(not a fan) for garbanzo beans and it was delicious. Just wondering- I have been trying to double every dish I make to start making freezer meals and what your thoughts are on freezing? I think all would fine to freeze except the tomatoes- afraid they might turn to mush thawing. Any suggestions?
Emilie says
Hi Susan! Hmm… I’ve never frozen this dish before but I think you’re right- ditch the tomatoes and freeze everything else (minus the cheese). Right before serving, you could quickly saute the tomatoes until blistered, and then add them with the mozzarella back to the dish. I think that sounds perfect. If you experiment with this, I’d love to hear how it came out! Good luck :)
Rachel says
This looks amazing. Is there any way goat cheese would substitute for bocconcini? I am allergic to cows milk. I appreciate the hint = looks amaaaaaazing!
Emilie says
Hi Rachel! Thank you!!! You can absolutely substitute with goat cheese for bocconcini (great idea!) Since this cheese melts very quickly, I would recommend adding it right before serving. This way the residual heat will gently warm it up without melting it completely. Does that make sense? Good luck…it will turn out great :)
Beth says
Made this tonight and it was terrific!! I don’t cook a lot so I was looking for something easy and I found it with this dish. The flavors were incredible and I can’t wait to make it for more people : )
Emilie says
Hi Beth!
I’m so glad that you had success with the recipe- that makes me so happy! You can also play around with the ingredients too depending on what’s available. I have the tendency to change it up a bit when the mood strikes!
Shadoe says
OMG this was SO good. I didn’t have the lettuce or bread, but I put it over couscous instead, drizzled a little extra of the left over artichoke juice over it and YUM!!!!
Moira says
I made this for my book club tonight and everyone loved it! I did add a little extra artichoke juice before I served it! I will definitely make this again.
Meredith says
Making tonight but I don’t see what you do with the remaining artichoke juice. I know 2 tablespoons went into marinate meat, but when so you add the rest…or don’t?
Emilie says
Hi Meredith! It’s your choice- you can save the rest of the artichoke juice to drizzle over the dish before serving, or you can leave it out. When I made it, I found that that it didn’t need any extra juice. But it’s up to you! Good luck with the recipe. I hope you enjoy it :)
KT says
Sorry, I must be blind, but I don’t see the cheese listed in the ingredients. How much do you put in?
Emilie says
Don’t worry you’re not blind!!! It’s listed as bocconcini (otherwise known as bite-size mozzarella) right underneath Kalamata olives. They usually come in a small tub. I usually use the whole thing. I hope this helps!
Laney says
Emilie-this was fabulous! I made it for dinner the other night, using bone-in breasts, legs and thighs and it was wonderful – everyone loved it and it’s now on the list of recipes to be repeated – thanks for the hit!
sara says
This looks fabulous! Definitely need to give it a try. :)
Laney says
This beautiful recipe goes in the category of “Must Make Right Away”- it has all of my favorites and the photos are stunning!
Emilie says
Welcome Laney!!! Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you like the recipe :)
Katie says
I can’t see the ending of ea line? And I am trying to make it now:( it’s like it cuts off at the line??
Emilie says
Hi Katie! Thanks for the heads up- there was a glitch in the mobile/tablet version. It should be working fine now! You can also view it in full on a regular computer or laptop. Enjoy the recipe!
Martha says
In the Mediterranian Baked Chicken in the first paragraph you say to cut the chicken into 1 1/2″ strips, but the pictures do not reflect that, nor do the rest of the instructions. What do you mean?
Emilie says
Hi Martha,
Great question! I’m more than happy to help you with this:
My photography features this dish ‘close-up’ so perhaps that’s causing potential confusion with regards to the size of the chicken. The pieces might seem larger than they appear.
In terms of the recipe instructions, a chicken thigh is generally the size of your palm. I suggest to cut into 1 1/2 inch strips so that it cooks evenly and is easier to serve/eat.
I hope this answered your question! Please let me know if you have any other concerns! Enjoy the recipe :)
Nick Rizzi says
Emilie, Sorry if i missed it, but how much chicken is this for? How many servings too? Thanks!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This looks so absolutely delicious! The colors are mesmerizing!!
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says
Can gorgeous cooking get any better than this! Lovely, Emilie!!!
Kelly @ Inspired Edibles says
Emilie, there is nothing about this recipe that I don’t love! You capture the essence of simplicity while delivering huge flavor and the colors and ingredient combination is inspiring. As a busy mom, I’m always appreciative of these one-pot wonders and when a dish looks as good as this one, I can hardly wait to give it a try! Lovely recipe.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Mouth-watering, I love all the vegetables and fresh herbs you added!
celia says
Emilie, what a fabulous dish, with all my favourite flavours in it! There’s something very soothing about cooking an all-in-one dish like this – the kitchen is warm and smells amazing, all the flavours mingle together in the oven, and it looks absolutely magnificent when you put it on the table! :)
Sandra @ Kitchen Apparel says
So you said you would bring this over tonight for dinner right?…oh don’t forget the artisan bread. I also expect a nice wine to pair with my meal…and since I’m dreaming, how about a babysitter!
Normandee Kinard says
Emilie,
I have made this 3 or 4 times and in fact, it is in the oven baking as I write this. It is my husband’s favorite dish. The flavors are perfectly paired and My house smells wonderful. Isn’t that grand?!!
Thank you,
Normandee
Emilie says
That’s wonderful, Normandee! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback- it made my day! ;)
laura says
Has anyone tried freezing this dish for later??
Nick Rizzi says
Never mind! Found it. Will let you know how it goes!