The Best Chicken Marbella Recipe (Perfect for Entertaining)

Chicken Marbella is the iconic eighties dinner party dish with prunes, capers and green olives made famous by The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. Briny green olives and capers come together with sweet prunes (or dates) to make the most delicious combination of flavours.

Marinating the chicken overnight is essential, as it allows the aromatics to penetrate the meat and keep it tender. If you can, let it sit for two nights for even deeper flavour. The result is succulent chicken infused with a sweet, salty, herby taste that’s unforgettable.

The texture of the chicken can alter when marinated, as I did with my recent chicken kebabs with yoghurt, paprika & lemon. The flavours penetrate the chicken flesh, adding so much to the overall dish, and a jerk chicken is not the same without this stage.

My Take on Chicken Marbella

I’d wanted to make Chicken Marbella for years and researched versions from Ina Garten, Ottolenghi, and Ina Paarman. Each adds their own twist, but I kept to the essence of the original while creating a smaller portion perfect for two to four people.

I prefer using the Maryland cut—where the thigh and drumstick stay attached—as dark meat stays juicy and rich. For the sweet element, you can use either prunes or dates. I went with dates for this version, but prunes are a little less sweet and more traditional.

The chicken bakes slowly in a generous amount of marinade, turning beautifully golden while staying moist. The pan juices are heavenly, so be sure to serve them with rice, roast potatoes, or crusty bread to soak them up.

When deciding between prunes or dates I opted for dates which are a bit sweeter but with hindsight, I will probably go with prunes next time. Either will work well in this recipe.

I wanted a fair amount of cooking liquid to create adequate pan juices, so I played around with ratios that delivered this. I also used brown sugar and white wine as per the original recipe vs molasses as Ottloneghi did, or honey as Ina Paarman did. Ina Paarman slashed the chicken before marinating which I think makes a difference as I established with my tequila, lime & honey chicken recipe, so I have included the instruction here.

I opted to cook it at 180C(350F) for longer vs other recipes where it gets cooked at 200C (400F) for a shorter period. There was enough liquid in the pan to take the chicken to almost fall off the bone consistency without drying it out.

This Chicken Marbella is set to impress so tuck it away in your arsenal for the next time you have friends or family over. Serve with rice, potatoes or crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Tips for Perfect Chicken Marbella

• Use high-quality chicken stock and wine for depth of flavour.
• Don’t skip the marinating time—it transforms the dish.
• Dates or prunes both work; choose based on your preferred sweetness.
• If cooking for a crowd, this dish doubles easily.
• A whole chicken butchered into eight pieces would also work well in this recipe. Use the carcass to make chicken stock.

What are the origins of Chicken Marbella

Chicken Marbella originated in the United States, not Spain — despite its Mediterranean-sounding name.

It was created by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso, the founders of The Silver Palate, a gourmet food shop in New York City. The recipe first appeared in their 1982 cookbook The Silver Palate Cookbook, which became a bestseller and a defining influence on 1980s American home cooking.

The dish was inspired by Mediterranean flavours — particularly those of Spain and Morocco — featuring prunes, olives, capers, garlic, and oregano. These ingredients were not typical in American home kitchens at the time, so the recipe stood out for its exotic combination of sweet, salty, and briny flavours.

It quickly became a quintessential dinner party recipe of the decade because it could be marinated ahead, baked easily, and served beautifully — the perfect balance of simple and sophisticated.

Serving Suggestions for chicken marbella

Chicken Marbella pairs beautifully with:

• Buttered new potatoes, mashed potatoes or roast potatoes
• Simple lemon rice or couscous
• A crisp green salad or roasted vegetables

The recipe Feeds 2 hungry people or 4 

Chicken Marbella with dates, capers & green olives recipe

A classic and succulent chicken Marbella recipe with dates (prunes), capers and green olives.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs drumstick and thigh attached (Maryland cut), skin on ( up to 1kg )
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 6 prunes or dates pitted and cut into quarters lengthways
• 2 Tbs capers
• 2 Tbsp caper brine
• 100 gms pitted green olives about ¾ cup
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• A few caperberries as garnish optional & fresh oregano leaves

Instructions

• Slash the chicken pieces in 3 places to the bone and place them in a large Ziploc bag with all the other ingredients except the olives, the wine, and sugar. Season with a little salt and pepper.
• Massage the bag to ensure all the ingredients are mixed and the chicken is well coated. Place in the fridge overnight.
• Take the chicken out of the fridge about an hour before you cook it to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
• Arrange the chicken pieces snugly in an appropriately sized ovenproof dish with sides. Place the olives in and around the chicken pieces. Mix the brown sugar and white wine and mix to dissolve it as much as possible. Pour this over the chicken. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. If necessary, loosely cover with a piece of foil to prevent over-browning.
• Remove from the oven and arrange on a serving platter. Scatter over a few oregano leaves or caperberries as garnish (optional).

Notes

Storage Instructions

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Freeze portions with the pan juices for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in the oven.
• Reheating: Add a splash of stock or water to prevent drying out.

Author: Sam Linsell

A few of my other favourite chicken recipes:

Chicken & rice pilaf with orange & spices

Creamy chicken with braised leeks & carrots

Ina Garten’s Chicken Parmesan

Roast chicken with orange & ginger

Chicken with white wine, herbs & garlic

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