Mediterranean Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives

This Mediterranean chicken recipe combines garlicky seared chicken breasts with tomatoes, olives, lemon, and feta in one skillet, and it’s ready in 30 minutes.

A One-Skillet Mediterranean Chicken Dinner

The tomatoes, olives, feta, garlic, and parsley in this recipe are all flavors I grew up with. I think of this skillet chicken as Chicken Marbella’s less-sweet cousin: savory and saucy, with briny olives and creamy feta balanced by fresh tomato and lemon.

On busy weeknights, I lean on simple skillet meals like this one. You need only a skillet, a knife, and a cutting board, and the whole dinner takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Like my Chicken and Asparagus, it delivers bold Mediterranean flavor without leaving a sink full of dishes behind.

This Mediterranean chicken is also easy to make your own. You can leave off the feta for a dairy-free dinner or add a handful of spinach just before serving. It is delicious with or without the feta, but I love how the creamy cheese balances the briny olives and fresh tomatoes.

Mediterranean Chicken Ingredients

Most of what you need may already be in your fridge or pantry. Here is what each ingredient brings to the skillet:

• Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook quickly, making them ideal for a weeknight skillet dinner. If your chicken breasts are especially large or thick, slice them horizontally into thinner cutlets so they cook more evenly.
• Garlic: Two tablespoons of minced garlic or garlic paste season the chicken directly. Pushing some into the shallow slits helps carry that garlicky flavor beyond the surface.
• Dried oregano, salt, and pepper: Oregano gives the chicken its earthy Mediterranean character, while salt and pepper bring out the other flavors. Divide the oregano so you can season both the chicken and the braising liquid.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Use a flavorful extra-virgin olive oil for searing the chicken and making the sauce. I like our smooth, peppery Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Kyparissia, Greece.
• Dry white wine: White wine loosens the flavorful browned bits from the skillet and adds acidity to the sauce. Choose a dry, unoaked wine, as heavily oaked wines can become bitter as they reduce. If you do not cook with alcohol, use additional chicken broth.
• Lemon and chicken broth: Fresh lemon juice brightens the savory sauce, while chicken broth gives it enough body to gently braise the chicken. Homemade chicken stock is lovely here, but a good store-bought broth works well.
• Red onion: Add the finely chopped onion near the end rather than sautéing it at the beginning. The brief covered cooking softens its sharpness while allowing it to retain a little freshness.
• Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes soften in the sauce, adding gentle sweetness and acidity. If good fresh tomatoes are unavailable, use one 15-ounce can of chopped tomatoes.
• Green olives: Green olives bring a briny, savory punch. Kalamata olives also work if that is what you have.
• Parsley and feta: A handful of parsley adds freshness and color to the finished skillet. Creamy feta adds a salty, tangy finish, but it is optional.

How to Make Mediterranean Chicken

This Mediterranean chicken skillet comes together quickly, so have the onion, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and feta prepared before you begin cooking. 

• Prepare the chicken. Pat 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry. This removes surface moisture, allowing the chicken to develop a light golden sear. Make three shallow slits on each side of every breast.
• Add the flavor-makers. Rub 2 tablespoons minced garlic or garlic paste over both sides of the chicken, pushing some into the slits. Season all over with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper, then sprinkle with half of the dried oregano.
• Sear the chicken. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until lightly golden. It does not need to be fully cooked at this point.
• Reduce the wine. Pour in 1/2 cup dry white wine. Let it bubble until reduced by about half, scraping up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
• Braise the chicken. Add the juice of 1 large lemon and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Sprinkle the remaining oregano over the chicken and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the skillet with a lid or tightly with foil. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn the chicken and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. The chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Add the vegetables. Uncover the skillet and scatter the finely chopped red onion, diced tomatoes, and sliced green olives over and around the chicken. Cover again and cook for 3 minutes, just long enough to soften the vegetables and bring the flavors together.
• Finish and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and crumbled feta, if using. Serve while warm, with plenty of the lemony tomato and olive sauce spooned over the chicken.

Tips for the Best Mediterranean Chicken

• Dry the chicken well. Surface moisture prevents browning. Patting the chicken dry before seasoning helps it develop a light golden crust.
• Adjust for very large chicken breasts. Place the breast flat on a cutting board and hold it steady with one hand. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice it horizontally into two thinner cutlets. Thinner pieces cook more evenly and quickly.
• Use a roomy skillet. The chicken breasts should fit without overlapping. Crowding traps steam and makes it harder to get a good sear.
• Let the wine reduce. Allowing the wine to reduce by half concentrates its flavor and keeps the finished pan sauce from tasting watery.
• Go by temperature, not only time. Chicken breasts vary in thickness. Begin checking after the stated cooking time and remove the skillet from the heat when the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.
• Keep the onion’s late entrance. Adding the red onion with the tomatoes and olives is intentional. Three minutes of covered cooking mellows its sharpness but preserves a little texture and freshness.

What to Serve with Mediterranean Chicken

This skillet chicken is satisfying on its own, but the lemony tomato and olive sauce calls for something that can soak it up.

• Add a grain: Spoon the chicken and sauce over rice, or serve it alongside this colorful Mediterranean couscous salad.
• Bring out the bread: A warm piece of rosemary focaccia is perfect for swiping through the sauce left on your plate.
• Add cooked vegetables: These Italian oven-roasted vegetables make the meal more substantial without competing with the chicken.
• Keep the side fresh: A crisp Greek green bean salad adds a cool, crunchy contrast to the warm skillet dinner.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover Mediterranean chicken with its sauce in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Reheat the chicken and sauce in a covered skillet over low heat or in the microwave until the chicken reaches 165°F. Heat it only until warmed through, so the chicken breast stays as tender as possible.

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