Passover comes in the Spring, but there is often still a bit of a chill in the air in the evenings as families and friends gather in their homes for Seder dinners. Most of the time, a richly flavored and warming meal is still very much welcome at this time of year – and Jewish tradition kind of leans pretty hard into warm and hearty food, so it all just feels right anyway.
Cooked bone-in chicken thighs are quite tender and can sit for an extra bit of time in the oven without drying out, which is handy for a meal that often can’t be timed precisely.
If you’ve ever tried to time Passover dinner will be hitting the table, then you haven’t been at my house when my Mother thought she put the haggadahs on the top shelf of the linen closet, but there’s just not there. And we thought we had both red and white horseradish, but we didn’t, and Papa really likes the red – can someone run to the store? And Gary was going to make the charoset, and he still fully intends to, but if someone could just peel the apples first, that would definitely be helpful.
A sauce dense with onions, lemon and olives also keeps the meat moist and hits nice notes of savory, sweet, tart, and salty. A bit of hot sauce keeps it lively. So, yes, a dish that can hang out for a bit and still be delicious. And be served hot, sure, but also warm is just fine.
You could serve this right from the pan, or move the cooked chicken to a large plate for a moment, transfer the onions and olives and all of the wonderful sauce to a shallow serving platter, and then place the chicken back on top. Serve with a big bowl of mashed potatoes, or maybe even polenta. On occasions other than Passover, plenty of other starches from fregola to couscous would also be perfect.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes:
- Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Thai Chicken Thighs
- Rosemary Lemon Roasted Chicken Thigh
- Creamed Spinach Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Chicken Thighs with Onions and Green Olives
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken thighs about 6 to 8
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large yellow onions halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup pitted green olives halved
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce such as Sriracha
- 1 lemon cut into 8 wedges
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Pat the chicken dry. Combine the salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, and allspice. Rub the spice mixture evenly onto the thighs, on both sides.
- Heat the oil in a very large, deep, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side, then transfer them to a paper towel lined surface. Do this in batches if necessary.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat left in the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes until they are very soft and browned, but do not allow them to get too dark; adjust the heat as necessary. You can add a tablespoon of water from time to time as you go if they appear to be getting too brown.
- Stir in the broth, olives, hot sauce and lemon wedges. Return all of the chicken to the pan, skin side up, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Cover the pan and place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and tender and the skin is crisped.
- You can transfer everything to a serving dish, or just serve directly from the pan. Sprinkle with the parsley before serving.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition values are provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.
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Ok, a bit of preface.
Years ago, I enjoyed a chicken dish at a party that consisted of chicken, olives, and prunes. And while not a prime fan by any means, I loved it! I thought, get rid of the prunes, and it’d be glorious!
So tonight, I was really craving that flavor, bit no prunes. I googled ‘chicken and greet olives’ just to see what came up. And out of all the recipes that came up, I saw that yours had no votes or stars. And I said, that’s the one I’m using.
Amazing. Inspired. Thank you so much for this!!
I did make some modifications. I had drumsticks and thighs, so I used them both. I added 3 cloves of crushed garlic to the sauce as well as some oregano. And I served it on a rice pilaf. Just extraordinary!!
I love this comment! thank you for sharing!! I like your modifications for sure.