This Chicken Provencal Skillet is a simple, yet incredibly flavorful 30-minute meal, perfect for weeknight dinners! It’s wonderfully bright, herbaceous, and savory, and it’s filled with so many good things: shallots, garlic, cherry tomatoes, olives, white wine, lemon, and plenty of fresh herbs. It’s great served over couscous, rice, pasta, potatoes, or alongside a big salad! Be sure to use extra crusty bread for soaking up all of the delicious sauce.
(This post is sponsored by Sur La Table. Thank you SO much for reading and supporting the brands that I love!)
If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for new ways to make chicken & weeknight dinners more exciting. Especially these days, when you’re spending more time in the kitchen than probably ever. These are, without a doubt, super tough times. But, having more time to cook and to be creative in the kitchen, I think is the little silver lining in a world that seems a little too scary and uncertain. Enter, this insanely delicious chicken provencal skillet!
For starters, this chicken provencal could not be simpler. I know you’re probably thinking “That sounds super fancy.” But I promise you, it’s so easy, so flavorful, and only takes about 30 minutes!
And, it uses mostly pantry staples, which I know all of us can use right now!
To chat a little bit more about cooking at home during this trying time, I wanted to remind you of the incredible initiative that my friends at Sur La Table have been talking about – Make More, Gather Often. This campaign resonates so deeply with the values I hold dear, and it holds a little bit of a different meaning for me these days. These days, all of us are cooking more, whether it’s for our immediate families, or just ourselves. It’s such an escape from the outside world to be able to cook, have fun in the kitchen, and make really delicious homemade food. But, it’s tough to not be able to share that with others. Through all of this, I’ve realized that sharing a meal, cooking with friends, or simply celebrating any occasion, large or small, should never be taken for granted.
What’s really touching though, is how many people have been connecting virtually just to chat, for happy hour dates, or just to have dinner over Zoom or FaceTime! I’ve done my share of virtual get-togethers, and even for an introvert like myself, I’ve craved that human connection. And it’s been so much fun! Definitely brings a new meaning to Make More, Gather Often, and we’re lucky to live in a world where those resources are available to us. Just to add a little comfort & connection to our lives when we need it most.
Before I go on any more about how much I love this meal, let me tell you about this absolutely stunning Demeyere Essential5 cookware from my friends at Sur La Table.
I’m usually a die-hard cast iron kind of person, but this stainless steel cookware has quickly become a favorite in the Spices in My DNA household. It’s lightweight but still super durable, oven safe up to 500℉, and the pans have a completely flat base to ensure even heating and browning across the entire bottom of the pan – which I’m sure you can see from the color on this chicken! The sear I’m able to get with this pan is unreal.
And I love the saucepan just as much! I’ve been using it almost daily for everything from couscous, to quinoa, to rice, to pasta, and for quick sauces too! It’s by far my favorite saucepan, ever.
With everyone cooking at home more often, I’ve found that friends and family have been reaching out to me for recommendations, realizing their cookware isn’t quite up for the challenge of cooking 2-3 meals a day!
And I totally get it. I, myself, have even found myself wanting to upgrade my collection. The Demeyere Essential5 Collection is super high quality everyday cookware, popular with home cooks and professional chefs alike, and it’s super affordable too. It’s the kind of cookware I find myself reaching for every day because it’s just so good. Such amazing quality.
This chicken provencal skillet is everything you want in a weeknight dinner.
It’s made in ONE pan, and requires just a handful of ingredients (mostly pantry/freezer staples!). It’s crazy flavorful, super customizable, and it’s the kind of meal you will want to eat with a big piece of crusty bread. Which to me, are the best kind of meals.
It’s also seemingly fancy, which is always fun. Makes an average weeknight that much more special. If you’re wondering what makes this chicken “provencal,” it’s basically just a fancy way of saying this is a French-inspired dish!
This chicken dish is filled with garlic, shallots, white wine, a little butter, olives, cherry tomatoes, lemon, and plenty of fresh herbs. I love serving it over couscous, orzo, or potatoes, and you guessed it, with freshly baked crusty bread! If you can find yeast (I know that most stores are having a hard time keeping it in stock!), I highly suggest making your own – it’s SO easy and ridiculously good. Freshly baked, warm bread with salted butter is just one of life’s little simple pleasures, you know?
Here’s a quick rundown of how you make this chicken provencal!
- First, sear your chicken thighs. I like to use boneless, skinless thighs, because they have still have a ton of flavor, and you don’t have to deal with the skin or bones. If you prefer breasts, feel free to swap them out! You may just have to adjust cooking time slightly depending on their size.
- Sauté your garlic and shallots in all of those lovely brown bits. So much flavor!
- Deglaze with a little white wine. I like to use something on the drier side, like a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. At this point, I add a knob of butter too!
- Add your chicken back into the skillet. Along with the rest of the ingredients! Cherry tomatoes, olives, rosemary, and thyme.
- Throw your skillet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes! And that’s it!
- Garnish with lemon wedges, flat-leaf parsley, and serve with couscous and crusty bread. Voila! That’s dinner.
It could not be easier, and everyone’s gotta love a one-pan meal.
If you’re iffy about olives, I beg you to try Castelvetrano olives, even though Nicoise olives are more traditional for this type of French dish. Full transparency, I’m not an olive lover. Here, I used a mix of Castelvetrano olives and Nicoise olives for the best of both worlds. I chat more about my love for Castelvetrano’s here. You MUST try them if you’re an olive skeptic like myself. They are so mild and so buttery. Amazing!
As far as substitutions, swaps, and pantry staples go, this chicken provencal is very forgiving.
- Chicken: I like to use boneless skinless thighs, but feel free to use chicken breasts, or bone-in, skin-on thighs. Whatever you have on hand is totally fine! You will just have to adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Shallot: You can totally use 1/4 cup or so of diced yellow or red onion if you don’t have shallots on hand!
- White wine: If you don’t have any, or don’t want to use wine, you can sub for chicken stock or water. It won’t be as good or as flavorful, but it’ll work just fine.
- Cherry tomatoes: You can sub canned, diced tomatoes here. Go for fire roasted if you want even more flavor.
- Olives: Olive lovers will probably have these in their pantry, and feel free to use any olive variety that you love. If you don’t have them, just omit! You could use a tablespoon or two of capers in their place, or 1/4 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes for some extra flavor.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme: If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, you can use dried here. 1/2 teaspoon of each, or to taste, will work!
- Lemon: If you don’t have any lemons, add a teaspoon or two of white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar into the skillet before baking for a little acidity.
- Flat-leaf parsley: If you don’t have any, feel free to finish this dish with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. Basil would be delicious here.
- Couscous: Feel free to sub couscous for your favorite pasta, orzo, rice, or potatoes. Or, serve this chicken alongside a big salad!
- Crusty bread: Well, I just feel sad for you if you don’t have any. 🙂
The chicken is SO juicy, SO flavorful, and the tomatoes burst and get so sweet in the oven. The thyme and rosemary really infuse into the sauce, and the shower of fresh herbs and squeeze of bright lemon really make this dish. The olives give that briny saltiness, and the white wine, shallots, and garlic give it that savory depth. I could go on and on, but you just need to make this chicken.
In this world of uncertainty and stress, I hope that making this comforting weeknight dinner can provide you a little escape and a little bit of joy.
Don’t forget to tag me @spicesinmydna and @surlatable on Instagram, and hashtag #MakeMore to share those moments with me and my friends at Sur La Table!
Nothing fills me up more than seeing what you guys create in the kitchen.
Chicken Provencal Skillet
This Chicken Provencal Skillet is a simple, yet incredibly flavorful 30-minute meal, perfect for weeknight dinners or for entertaining guests! It's wonderfully bright, herbaceous, and savory, and it's filled with so many good things: shallots, garlic, cherry tomatoes, olives, white wine, lemon, and plenty of fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- 1 medium-large shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup dry white wine*
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup olives of your choice, pitted and coarsely chopped (I like to use a mixture of Castelvetrano olives and Nicoise olives)*
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- couscous for serving*
- chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
- lemon wedges, for serving
- crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425℉. Add olive oil to a large oven-safe skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs liberally with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, or until deeply golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside on a plate.
Add the shallot and garlic to the pan, scraping up the brown bits with a spatula, cooking for 30 seconds - 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the white wine, continuing to scrape up the brown bits. Increase heat to high and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the butter and continue to simmer until melted.
Add the chicken and its juices back into the skillet, along with the cherry tomatoes, olives, rosemary, and thyme. Season the skillet with salt and pepper. Make sure all of the ingredients are nestled down into the skillet and its liquid. Bake for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, and tomatoes are starting to cook down and burst. Discard the rosemary and thyme.
Serve chicken over couscous and finish with chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy with crusty bread!
Recipe Notes
*I like to use a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay here. Any dry white wine will work! I have also used a white Bordeaux with great results.
*If you're an olive skeptic like myself, use Castelvetrano olives here. They are SO mild and buttery and I guarantee you will LOVE them. Any olives you love will work here though!
*I like to serve this over couscous, but orzo, pasta, rice, or potatoes will all work great. Or you can serve this alongside a big salad!
Gorgeous! I might try with chicken breasts 💕
Thank you so much Sue! Let me know if you try it!
Tried this recipe and it was a hit with the family! My presentation was not as pretty as yours, but the flavor came through. Thanks for another recipe that was easy to make a delicious!
Thank you so much Janice!! I really appreciate it 🙂 So glad it was a hit with the family!