Description
Chicken Provençal is a classic French dish featuring tender, juicy bone-in skin-on chicken thighs braised with aromatic herbs, garlic, shallots, sweet cherry tomatoes, tangy olives, and sweet dates. Cooked slowly in white wine until perfectly tender, this rustic dish offers a beautiful balance of savory and sweet flavors. It is typically served over rice, polenta, or mashed potatoes, complemented by crusty bread for a wholesome and comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For Cooking
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 12 cloves garlic, peeled
- 6 medium shallots, peeled and halved
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup halved and pitted dates
- 1 cup green olives, pitted
- 1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
Serving Options (optional)
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 4 cups cooked polenta
- 4 cups mashed potatoes
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and position an oven rack in the lower third to ensure even cooking.
- Season Chicken: Season the chicken thighs generously all over with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to enhance flavor.
- Sear Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan and cook without disturbing for 4-5 minutes until the skin turns golden brown and crispy.
- Arrange Aromatics: Flip the chicken thighs, then arrange fresh thyme sprigs (or dried thyme), peeled garlic cloves, halved shallots, cherry tomatoes, halved dates, and pitted green olives evenly around the chicken in the pan.
- Add Wine and Simmer: Pour in the dry white wine and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.
- Braise in Oven: Cover the pan with a lid or foil and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) as measured by an instant-read thermometer, about 60 minutes. This slow cooking allows flavors to meld and chicken to become tender.
- Serve: Serve the chicken Provençal hot, spooning the tomatoes, shallots, olives, and dates around it. It pairs beautifully over cooked rice, creamy polenta, or mashed potatoes, with crusty bread on the side to soak up the delicious sauce.
Notes
- Ensure the chicken skin is patted dry before seasoning for optimal browning.
- Using an ovenproof pan allows seamless transfer from stovetop to oven without extra dishes.
- Substitute green olives with black olives if preferred, but green olives provide a tangier flavor.
- Adjust the amount of dates depending on desired sweetness level.
- If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, bake until juices run clear and meat is no longer pink near the bone.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with sauce
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
