Chicken Provencal

Comforting and deliciously earthy, this chicken Provencal is a rustic, braised chicken dish brimming with simple, flavorful ingredients from the Provence region of France. Prepared with seared chicken thighs, olives, tomatoes, garlic, white wine, artichokes, shallots, and herbs, this recipe is elegant yet easy to prepare, perfect with warm, crusty bread on the side!

A cozy, rustic chicken dish brimming with the flavors of Provence

Oftentimes when I think of classic French cooking, what comes to mind is dishes prepared with an abundance of butter and cream, and with lots of richness.

In the south of France—the Provence region—the cuisine is much more “lightened up”. The plentiful ingredients there are fresh and vibrant, and include vine-ripened tomatoes, briny olives, artichokes, garlic, and fresh herbs.

Wine is also generously used in Provencal cooking, as well as simple cuts of meat that are best braised, such as succulent chicken thighs on the bone.

My hubby and I absolutely adore dishes with rustic, earthy flair. And so, this chicken Provencal, brimming with the exquisite flavors of the south of France, is a meal which we have been enjoying on repeat in our home this winter season.

This recipe is at once hearty and substantial, yet also delectably “clean” and light. And, in addition to being colorful and deeply flavorful, it's wonderfully aromatic as it braises in the oven.

I serve my chicken Provencal simply with an accompaniment of warm, thick slices of crusty bread, or even mashed potatoes if one feels like going the extra mile.

This French-style chicken dish is perfect as a no-fuss midweek meal, or served as a more “special occasion” dish when entertaining friends or family. It's a delightfully comfy combination of cozy and elegant!

My recipe for chicken Provencal

When it comes to making this lovely chicken dish, I like to use chicken thighs for loads of flavor. I also use a combination of both fresh ingredients and pantry staples.

As for the chicken, I use bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. I simply season with salt and pepper before giving them a quick sear in my braising pan, until golden brown. It gives them a head start with getting a touch more color, which, of course, equals flavor here.

For the Provence-inspired fresh ingredients, I opt for shallots, lots of whole garlic cloves, and some sliced lemon for aroma.

I add a splash of white wine to my recipe, along with canned, whole tomatoes (they're more convenient—no peel to contend with). I also add good quality artichoke hearts from a jar, as well as green and black olives.

A hefty sprinkle of herbes de Provence—fragrant herbs such as thyme, lavender, rosemary, basil, parsley, and marjoram—is also added in.

This lovely combination of chicken thighs nestled into lovely, colorful ingredients makes for a succulent chicken Provencal recipe, yielding lots of savory sauce to dip that bread into, or spoon atop mashed potatoes.

Here's a sneak peek at how I make my chicken Provencal recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I season and sear my chicken thighs for a few moments, skin-side down, until a deep, golden brown.
2. Then, I scatter the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, garlic, shallots, and lemon over the chicken thighs and in between them. I also sprinkle the herbes de Provence over everything, and finish with the white wine.
3. Next, the braising pan is placed into the oven for about 1 hour. I bake until the chicken is crispy-skinned and bronzed, and the other ingredients tender and caramelized.
4. When done, I garnish the chicken Provencal with fresh thyme and chopped parsley.
5. To serve, I spoon a chicken thigh into a shallow bowl along with some of the sauce and bountiful ingredients, and enjoy with warm bread. I even serve with mashed potatoes, if something more substantial is desired.

Recipe

Chicken Provencal

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This chicken Provencal is a rustic French dish brimming with simple, colorful, and aromatic ingredients, with an abundance of savory sauce!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: French

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition info: 425 calories (per serving)

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes, drained very well of juices and chopped into large chunks
• 1 cup whole artichoke hearts (from a 9-ounce jar), drained of liquid
• 1 (heaping) cup pitted, green olives (a French variety, or Castelvetrano)
• ½ cup pitted black olives (a French variety, or Kalamata)
• 10 whole cloves garlic (peeled and lightly smashed)
• 4 medium shallots, quartered
• 1 small lemon, sliced into semi-circles
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 1 ¼ cups white wine (I use Chardonnay)
• Fresh thyme leaves and/or chopped parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven.
3. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt and black pepper. Then, place a large, deep, heavy pan (I use my 5-quart braiser for this) over medium-high heat and drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
4. Once the braiser is hot, add the thighs in skin-side down (work in batches if necessary), and sear for about 4 minutes to allow the skin to become a deep, golden-brown.
5. Flip the chicken thighs over so that the skin side is now up (if you worked in batches, add all of the seared thighs back into the pan at this point), and reduce the heat to medium or medium-low.
6. Scatter the chopped tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, garlic cloves, shallots, and lemon slices into the pan over the chicken as well as nestling them in between the chicken thighs.
7. Sprinkle the herbes de Provence evenly over top of everything, then pour in the white wine. Allow the wine and juices to begin to simmer, then place the braiser into the oven, uncovered, to roast the chicken for 55 minutes, until it is deeply browned and the vegetables soft and aromatic. (I like to lightly baste everything with the juices about halfway through the roasting time.)
8. To finish the chicken Provencal, remove it from the oven, allow it to sit for a few moments, then sprinkle over some thyme and/or parsley, and serve with your favorite accompaniment such as crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or rice.

Tips & Tidbits for my chicken Provencal recipe:

• Whole, peeled, canned tomatoes for convenience: While you can certainly use fresh tomatoes in this recipe (cherry tomatoes are a favorite), I love the ease of using whole, peeled, canned tomatoes. I just drain them really well of juice and roughly chop into large chunks.
• Briny olives for depth: If you prefer using only green olives here, you absolutely can. I just happen to like the combo of green and black. If you're lucky enough to be able to find olives that are imported from the south of France, then definitely opt for those. Otherwise, you can simply use pitted Castelvetrano olives and Kalamata olives. Those two are fairly easy to find in most markets these days.
• Add in some artichoke hearts, for texture: While artichoke hearts may not be a classic ingredient in chicken Provencal, I love to include them (I use good quality, whole artichoke hearts from a jar). They're actually an ingredient frequently used in Provencal cooking, and I find they add some lovely texture.
• What to serve alongside chicken Provencal: Since there's lots of savory, winey sauce in this rustic dish, you can very easily just serve thick slices of warm, crusty bread on the side for dipping, and sopping up that sauce. So delicious! But if you'd like something more substantial, I suggest mashed potatoes as a really tasty accompaniment, or even rice.

Craving more rustic and cozy recipes such as this one? Check out my recipe for French-style Chicken and Potatoes, Chicken Cassoulet, French Onion Chicken, Ratatouille, Chicken Dijon, French Onion Meatballs, or even my recipe for Balsamic Chicken with Figs!