Easy One Pan Greek Chicken with Olives
Break out of the weeknight dinner rut with this easy 30-minute recipe for Greek chicken thighs with olives, tomatoes, artichokes, and lemon. This packs a ton of amazing Mediterranean flavors into just one skillet. Good for the cook and the dishwasher, too!
Let’s hear it for the one skillet dinner. Especially one that makes no compromises. A well-balanced meal that’s simple, healthy, and flavorful. That’s the trifecta for dinner success!
Today we’re talking about a Greek chicken skillet that’s all that and checks two additional boxes: juicy chicken and the oh-so-popular flavors of Mediterranean cuisine. Bold oregano, ripe tomatoes, fresh lemon, light artichokes, and – the real stand-out – briny Kalamata olives. If you’re not already cooking with olives, get excited, because this dinner will persuade you they’re not just for the appetizer tray.
Another feature that sets this recipe apart is the use of chicken thighs. It’s common to favor chicken breasts for everyday, but on many occasions, thighs are actually juicier and more forgiving to slight variations in the cooking time. This makes them ideal for a recipe like this, in which you want the chicken to spend extra time on the stove, simmering away and mingling with all the other ingredients – without drying out!
In addition to boneless, skinless chicken thighs, you’ll need the following.
- Fresh tomatoes – Roma or greenhouse on-the-vine varieties are a good option year-round.
- Kalamata olives – jarred is fine.
- Artichoke hearts – you can skip these if artichokes aren’t your thing, but they definitely add another dimension of flavor and texture.
- Spices and basics – oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- Chicken broth.
- Lemon juice.
A sprinkle of fresh parsley and a few strategic lemon wedges make the whole dish look extra fancy at the end, too, if you’re cooking to impress!
How To Make Greek Chicken With Olives
This recipe is simple and fool-proof!
Start by seasoning the chicken. Make your life easier and your food prep safer by using a cutting board like this one* that easily pops in the dishwasher.
Then, brown the chicken by cooking for 3-4 minutes on each side in a drizzle of olive oil in a hot skillet. This also gives you a little time to prep the remaining ingredients, if you haven’t already.
Then it’s time to add the remaining ingredients: chicken broth, lemon juice, and all the truly good stuff. Olives and tomatoes and artichokes make this recipe sing. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes or so.
The simplest way to guarantee perfectly tender, juicy chicken each and every time is to invest in and use an instant read thermometer. A model like this one* is small, reliable, inexpensive, and saves so much stress from potentially ruined dinners!
Of course, then you have to also remember to use it. I keep mine in the drawer with the silverware and salad tongs, right next to the stove, so it’s easy to grab at a moment’s notice. Check the skillet periodically, and as soon as the thickest part of your chicken reads 165 degrees F or above, dinner is done!
What To Serve With It
Keep it simple on the sides, because this skillet already has a lot going on! You might serve it with:
- Lemon butter orzo
- Rice (white, brown, or cauliflower)
- A bit of lightly-dressed arugula, spinach, or kale
- Crusty bread – the better to mop up all that great pan sauce!
Enjoy! If you make this One Pan Greek Chicken or any other recipe from Nourish and Fete, please rate it and leave a comment below. We love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!
Easy One Pan Greek Chicken with Olives
Ingredients
- 4-5 chicken thighs about 1 lb. total
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 ounces pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 roma or on-the-vine tomatoes diced
- 4 artichoke hearts coarsely chopped
- parsley and additional lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs evenly with the oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.
- Warm oil in a large skillet, preferably one with a lid, set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place chicken in the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for 3 minutes more, just until the pieces are browned on each side.
- Add chicken broth and lemon juice to the skillet, then spoon the olives, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts around the pieces of chicken. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Serve with fresh parsley and additional lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
More Quick and Easy Chicken Dinners
For more ways to spice up the old chicken dinner, take a look at these favorites, all ready in 30 minutes or less.
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Quick Lemon Thyme Chicken
- Brown Butter Sage Skillet Chicken
- Chimichurri Chicken Skillet with Asparagus
- Balsamic Cranberry Chicken Skillet
- Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Gyro Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing
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Hi, can you use jarred artichokes or canned????
You can use either!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I make it regularly and it’s quick, convenient, and absolutely delicious. It helps make my life better. Thank you.
That is so wonderful, thank you for sharing this, and I’m so happy you like the dish! 🙂
Fantastic 👏 I cooked this for me and my daughter. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. Will definitely be making it again.
This is a winner! I discovered I somehow had two jars of kalamata olives so I searched for recipe ideas using stuff I had on hand. I used boneless skin-on chicken thighs from a whole chicken I had cut up. I didn’t have any artichoke hearts so I omitted those. I used a couple of handfuls of mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, slicing the larger ones in half. At the end, I removed the chicken and let the sauce cook down to thicken somewhat. Served on pasta (happened to be fat rigatoni). Delicious and very attractive on the plate. Husband loved it too. We’ll be making this again for sure. Thank you!
Terrific, Virginia, I’m so glad this was a winner for you! It sounds extra delicious on top of some rigatoni. 🙂 Thank you for leaving this review!
Yum, so many great flavors!
My husband isn’t much of a fan of chicken thighs, but he loved this recipe and kept commenting on how good it is and “Mmm!”-ing with almost every bite. I was, too!
I cooked it in our favorite cast iron pan while he made a pot of orzo pasta – it was the perfect complement, especially seasoned with a pinch of zest from the lemon that I had juiced for the chicken. The time it takes to brown the thighs at the beginning was just enough for me to prep some beet greens to saute’ with olive oil, salt, and pepper in another pan, and they were a nice complement. The Greek flavors were strong enough to not be overpowered by the beets’ earthiness–but spinach might blend better.
I did have to substitute diced canned tomatoes for the fresh (fresh would have been better, but it worked in a pinch), and *had to cook a little longer at the end* to get the meat done around the bone.
For sides, a Greek salad, tabbouleh, or other Mediterranean vegetable would also be great with this dish, as would a loaf of good crusty bread, or red potatoes roasted with olive oil, garlic, and oregano. We enjoyed our dinner with a glass of red wine.
Goes without saying that leftovers are HEAVENLY. Thank you, Monica, for an easy, delicious weeknight dinner that we will be making again! As the Greeks say, “Kali orexi!”
That sounds like one delicious dinner, Lucy! I’m definitely making a mental note to have this with tabbouleh and red potatoes next time – that sounds so good! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this and really appreciate that you took the time to leave this helpful feedback for others!