Chicken Marbella is one of the most delicious, innovative, and timeless chicken recipes ever created. The origin of Chicken Marbella was The Silver Palate catering and take-out shop on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and once it was introduced, it garnered an immediate following. It was made super famous when it was published in The Silver Palate Cookbook in 1982.

Years ago, I even made it to take to a kindergarten potluck for one of my kids as a dish that embodied our family cooking. Side note and full disclosure: my father, Peter Workman, was the publisher of all of the Silver Palate Cookbooks, and Sheila had become a dear family friend. So not only was it a two-generation (now three) favorite dish to make and eat, but I really felt like Silver Palate Chicken Marbella was part of our family’s culinary history.

Serve with something simple and light, like Butter Lettuce Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and a simple couscous salad.

The timeless recipe for one of the best chicken dishes on earth: Chicken Marbella from The Silver Palate Cookbook.

The Silver Palate Cookbook

When the actual recipe for Chicken Marbella was published in the groundbreaking The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso, it was a revelation because of its eccentric ingredient list –Vinegar? Olives? Prunes? Capers? Garlic? Brown sugar? White wine? All in one dish?

But to taste it was to be converted, and so for a nice chunk of time in the ’80s, this dish made appearances on tables all over the country, sometimes for family dinners, but more often for entertaining. I grew up on Chicken Marbella (my mother was an early adopter of it), and it was one of the first “grown-up” meals I served to family and friends as a budding cook. If you’ve never had it, I actually envy you trying it for the first time.

Chicken Marbella for Passover

Years later, this baked chicken recipe is often the centerpiece of my Passover menu, and often Rosh Hashanah as well. It’s kind of Sephardic Jewish in nature, with the dried fruit and the wine, so it feels perfect for the Jewish holidays. Even though times change, and we move on to new recipes, this is not a dish to forget, or imagine to be dated in any way.

The faultless and brilliant combination of flavors is timeless. Plus, the recipe is pretty foolproof, the chicken is unfailingly moist, and it can be made ahead. You don’t have to sear the chicken; just marinate and bake. It’s a fairly perfect chicken recipe. (And, yes, it’s Marbella, not Mirabella!)

Chicken Marbella Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Chicken – You can buy the pieces you like the best or use whole cut-up chickens
• Red wine vinegar – Adds a bit of acidity to perk up the other ingredients.
• White wine – Helps amplify all of the flavors.
• Prunes – Add a slightly sweet flavor profile to this delicious chicken dish.
• Spanish green olives – You can use them without pimentos or with (which I prefer).
• Capers – Adds a salty pop. Save a bit of their juice for the marinade, as well.
• Bay leaves and oregano – Dried herbs are perfect in this dish, adding earthy flavor.
• Garlic – Peeled and finely pureed for maximum flavor.
• Brown sugar – Some more sweetness to complement the prunes and give the chicken a burnished skin.
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley – Or fresh cilantro; either work.

How to Make Chicken Marbella

1. Prep the marinade: Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Spoon chicken and marinade into pan: Arrange the chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine around them.
4. Bake: Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices, until the thigh pieces yield clear juices when pricked with a fork, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Top and serve: With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley or cilantro. Pass the remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

Storage and Leftovers

You can also enjoy Chicken Marbella at room temperature. Cool the chicken in the cooking juices before transferring the pieces to a serving platter. Spoon some of the reserved juice over the chicken. You can also eat it greedily cold from the fridge the next day for lunch. It’s one of my favorite leftovers of all time.

Reheat leftovers in a 350-degree oven, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes until warmed to your liking.

What to Serve With Silver Palate Chicken Marbella

Simple Roasted Asparagus with Shallots and Parmesan

Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

How to Make Perfect Couscous on the Stove

More Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Francese
• Jamaican Jerk-Style Grilled Chicken Breasts
• Grilled Chicken Thighs with Indian Curry Yogurt Marinade
• Cornish Hens