Chicken With Green Olives

By Mark Bittman

Updated May 31, 2024

Chicken With Green Olives
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(911)
Comments
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This dish, which draws inspiration and ingredients from Moroccan cooking, is astonishing for its complexity, even in this simple form. It features sweet spices like cinnamon and ginger offset by garlic and paprika. But what makes it a real winner is the combination of those flavors with lemon and green olives, both of which have a mouth-puckering quality that, combined with the spice mix, is enchanting.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 to 4pounds leg-thigh pieces of chicken, cut in two, excess fat removed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1large onion, chopped
  • 2teaspoons peeled and minced ginger
  • 11-inch cinnamon stick, or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1teaspoon paprika
  • 2cups chicken stock or water
  • 1½cups green olives, drained and pitted
  • Lemon juice to taste
  • Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

363 calories; 27 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 932 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put oil in deep skillet or casserole. Turn heat to medium-high and wait a minute, until oil is hot. Add chicken, skin-side down, and brown it well, rotating and turning pieces as necessary and sprinkling with salt and pepper as they cook; 10 to 15 minutes total. Turn heat to medium, remove chicken and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.

  2. Step 2

    Add onion, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, cumin, paprika, ½ teaspoon or more of pepper and some salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until onion softens. Add stock and raise heat to medium-high; return chicken to pan, skin-side up. Cook at a lively simmer for about 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add olives and continue to cook until chicken is done, another 10 to 15 minutes or so. Add lemon juice, then taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
911 user ratings
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Comments

Es

Simply delicious! For 2 people I used 3 small thighs and 4 small legs but made all of the sauce. Served over couscous. The lemon is essential: very interesting how just a squeeze of lemon changed the dynamic of the sauce.

MWG

More information about variety of green olives would help for those of us not living in NYC. Also type of paprika: mild, sweet, hot, smoky? When someone remarks a dish is bland and I read a list of ingredients like this I think especially in cooking well: "the devil is in the details".

Sunny

Made this with thighs. Lots of oil spatter but omg it was delicious. The sauce was delicious over mashed potatoes.

Saffron

Read notes. Did whole sauce w/2 drums/ thighs added carrot/celery/mushrooms- served over brown rice Deglazed w dry sherry. Salted at end- lemon a must. Delicious! Will make often- cavelteno olives can see shredded thighs. I used less olive oil covered pan rendered vegetable moisture Dark meat more flavor Rancho Gordo Pimeneo gave adequate kick-

Elaine

Very good & quite easy. Used Manzanilla olives, so added no salt. Added lemon rind, too. Smoked paprika. Next time I'll use less broth, though, and skin-on thighs. Good with couscous or quinoa.

Corey

So bland and not very flavorful. The chicken is basically boiled in all that stock so it has that sort of soggy texture. Maybe it needs more spices.

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