In this simple yet elegant artichoke chicken recipe, chicken cutlets and canned artichoke hearts bake in a velvety white wine sauce spiked with lemon, thyme, garlic, and capers. Big on flavor and low on dishes, this gluten-free one-pan wonder takes just 30 minutes!
I first made this artichoke chicken when I was craving lemony, silky chicken piccata but didn’t feel like breading and frying anything–or standing by the stove for more than 5 minutes for that matter.
I called on some trusty flavor-makers I had on hand for extra support: fresh thyme leaves and dried oregano for an aromatic quality, and a can of artichoke hearts for extra tang. The result? A lighter, gluten-free–yet just as luxurious–twist on the Italian classic!
Though this baked chicken is very weeknight-friendly, it can definitely pull double duty as a date night situation. You could serve this to me at a fancy Italian or French restaurant and I would be in absolute heaven, but this recipe is also SO great for beginners.
Give yourself a break with this extra easy baked chicken, or hit that print button and hand it to your partner or kids who don’t normally do the cooking!
Table of Contents
Olive Oil: The Ultimate Flavor Maker
When it comes to flavor you can pretty much bet that a Mediterranean recipe is going to involve lemon and olive oil. The combination is the foundation for Greek dressings like Ladolemono, which is used on everything from Broiled Salmon to a marinade for Greek Sheet Pan Chicken.
In the Mediterranean olive oil isn't just something you cook with, it's life! Each oil is nuanced and has different flavor profiles just like fine tea or single source honey. It's loaded with health benefits like polyphenols (powerful antioxidants) and healthy monounsaturated fats. But you don't have to take my word for it the National Institute of Health has a few things to say about it as well.
Aside from the health benefits of cooking with olive oil, it just tastes good. We use it not only to start cooking a recipe but also to finish it! A good drizzle of spicy Spanish Hojiblanca Olive Oil over hummus or to finish a favorite soup just takes each recipe up a notch.
A mild olive oil like our California Arbequena is a great entry-level olive oil for everyday cooking, but it's also wonderful in baked goods like our Chocolate Olive Oil Cake and adds not only moisture and tenderness but also a subtle fruity note.
Artichoke Chicken Ingredients and Substitutions
Like most Italian-style home cooking, this baked chicken breast recipe uses very simple pantry ingredients. You’ll need:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are nice and light, but you can use any cut of chicken you’d like. Richer cuts may take a few minutes longer to cook, particularly if they’re bone-in, skin-on—just make sure they reach 165°F at the thickest part.
- Seasonings: Dried oregano adds an aromatic quality. Sweet Spanish paprika adds a mild kick and pop of color, but if you like a smoky flavor then smoked paprika works too. Salt and pepper enhance the flavor.
- Fresh thyme adds a fresh herbal quality. You can substitute with fresh rosemary or marjoram if you prefer. Dried herbs tend to be much stronger, so if you need to substitute with dried thyme use half the amount.
- Butter enriches the sauce and gives it a velvety quality. You can substitute with ghee if you’d like.
- Olive oil gives the sauce body and adds a nuanced savory taste. The flavor here is really important since it makes up the bulk of the sauce–make sure you’re using a high-quality extra virgin variety.
- Garlic adds sweet and savory depth.
- White wine adds bright-tart-sweet complexity. We cook off the alcohol, but to avoid wine entirely you can substitute with chicken stock or broth.
- Lemon juice brightens the sauce, and lemon zest is used as a garnish to add a final pop of color and a lovely lemon-oil scent.
- Capers add a briny flavor to the sauce. You can substitute with chopped green olives.
- Artichoke hearts add a nice tang and satisfying meaty-meets-creamy texture.
- A garnish of parsley adds bright, peppery freshness. You can substitute with other tender herbs, like basil.
How to Make Artichoke Chicken
Baked chicken breasts often get dry and rubbery because one side is so much thicker than the other. I solve that problem with a few easy tricks! First, I slice and pound the chicken into cutlets so they cook quickly and evenly. And baking them in a rich, flavorful sauce certainly doesn’t hurt!
Get Your Ingredients Ready
- Get ready: Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Turn the chicken breasts into cutlets so they cook quickly and more evenly. Use a sharp knife to cut each chicken breast horizontally into two halves, starting on the thicker end and carefully slicing your way to the thinner end. Place the chicken breast halves, one at a time, in a large bag and zip the top shut (make sure to release the air before closing the bag). Use a meat mallet or the back of a heavy cast iron skillet to pound the chicken flat. You want each breast to be about ¼-inch thick all over.
- Season the chicken. In a small bowl, add 2 teaspoons dried oregano and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and sweet paprika. Add a large pinch of kosher salt and black pepper (about ½ to ¾ teaspoons) and mix to combine. Pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with the spice mixture.
- Get your flavor-makers ready. Zest and juice one lemon. Mince 5 garlic cloves. Drain a 15-ounce can of artichoke hearts, and 2 tablespoons worth of capers.
Cook the Artichoke Chicken
- Make the sauce. In a large oven-safe pan with a lid, melt 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup olive oil and wait for it to shimmer. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Now add ¼ cup dry white wine and cook briefly to reduce by half, then add the lemon juice (save the zest for later) and drained capers. Turn the heat off.
- Bake. Nestle the chicken and artichoke hearts into the pan and spoon some of the sauce on top. Cover the pan and transfer to the middle rack of your heated oven. Bake, covered for about 10 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the chicken cutlets are fully cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
- While the chicken cooks, chop a small handful of parsley leaves (about 3 tablespoons worth).
- Finish and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest and serve immediately.
What to Serve with Artichoke Chicken
This artichoke chicken has a very home-cooked Italian-French spirit–you really can’t go wrong with simple fresh salads that celebrate the flavors of that region. Caprese salad, radicchio salad, and lemon parmesan lettuce salad all come to mind.
The lemony white wine sauce is incredible, you’ll want something to sop it up. I especially love couscous or really good bread, like homemade rosemary focaccia or garlic ciabatta.
There are plenty of equally delicious gluten-free options too. Serve with simple Italian-style roast vegetables or roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Either way, make sure to spoon lots of the pan sauce over top. Or just set the skillet within arm's length and dig in!
You’ll Also Like: Fancy-Feeling Weeknight Chicken Recipes
Baked Chicken Breasts in an Artichoke and White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts (water-packed preferred), drained
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Get ready: Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Turn the chicken breasts into cutlets so they cook quickly and more evenly. Use a sharp knife to cut each chicken breast horizontally into two halves, starting on the thicker end and carefully slicing your way to the thinner end. Place the chicken breast halves, one at a time, in a large bag and zip the top shut (make sure to release the air before closing the bag). Use a meat mallet or the back of a heavy cast iron skillet to pound the chicken flat. You want each breast to be about ¼-inch thick all over.
- Season the chicken. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, thyme, paprika, and a large pinch of salt and pepper (about ½ to ¾ teaspoons each). Pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with the spice mixture.
- Make the sauce. In a large oven-safe pan with a lid, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and wait for it to shimmer. Add the garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Now add the wine and cook briefly to reduce by half, then add the lemon juice and capers. Turn the heat off.
- Bake. Add the chicken and artichoke hearts to the pan and spoon some of the sauce on top. Cover the pan and transfer to middle rack of your heated oven. Bake covered for about 10 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the chicken breast are fully cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
- Finish and serve. Garnish with the parsley and lemon zest and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use any cut of chicken you like for this recipe, but richer cuts will take 5-10 minutes longer to cook, particularly if you’re using skin-on bone-in chicken. Just ensure you get the thickest part to 165°F.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
*White wine.