Chicken Provencal

Chicken Provencal or Poulet à la Provençale, as it’s called in France, brings many tasty summer ingredients together, such as ripe tomatoes, olives, plenty of herbs and garlic, of course. Simply sear the chicken and then braise it with the other ingredients in white wine & olives sauce in a Dutch oven or oven-safe skillet. This is your answer to quick and delicious weeknight dinners!

There’s nothing I love more than spending a day attending to a simmering pot of Chicken Provencal. It’s a classic braised chicken recipe to have in your toolbox, using ingredients you likely already have. This recipe requires only 10 minutes of prep time, since the majority of the cooking is done in liquid in the oven. As a result there is very little chance of the chicken drying out.

Origin of Chicken Provencal

This classic French dish originates from the sun-soaked region of Provence in Southern France. Due to the region’s proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, Chicken Provençal is all about abundant local ingredients and flavors: extra virgin olive oil, olives, cherry tomatoes and Herbes de Provence (a blend of dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sometimes lavender).

Why you will love Chicken Provencal

• Easy — this French style family recipe is easy enough for the midweek chaos and fancy enough for the weekend!
• Economical — In this economy it can be expensive to buy chicken breasts. Instead, opt for cheaper and more delicious skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. Braised chicken thighs are easy, cheap, and versatile;
• Family friendly — Your entire family – children included – can happily eat Chicken Provencal with zero modifications.
• Hands off — Once you send the chicken thighs off to the oven to bake, that’s it! There’s no need to flip the thighs or rotate the pan while they finish cooking.
• Fool proof — While chicken breasts can become overcooked quickly and easily, it’s very difficult to overcook chicken thighs. Especially when surrounded by beautiful olives and cherry tomatoes.

Chicken Provencal Ingredients

• Skin on, bone in chicken thighs – Chicken thighs cook faster than chicken breasts, making them ideal for this chicken Provencal. They cook more evenly too, so they’re less likely to dry out.
• Anchovies – When cooked, anchovies lose their “fishy” taste and instead impart a savory depth and richness to the Chicken Provencal sauce. I also like to use Anchovies paste.
• Olives – I used freshly packed green black and red olives. Kalamata olives as well as bright colored olive variety, such as Manzanilla and Liguria. I do not recommend using canned olives.
• Cherry tomatoes – I’ve been living on them lately. They are so delicious and bursting with moist taste when cooked. Nothing beats fresh cherry tomatoes in Chicken Provencal!
• Dry white wine – Definitely use any cheap Pinot Grigio – never fails to bring out my favorite flavors! Highly recommend.
• Herbs de Provence: It’s an aromatic blend of dried herbs like rosemary, basil, and oregano (and lavender). You can find it in any grocery store.
• Extra virgin olive oil: I prefer to cook with extra virgin olive oil, but you can also use cooking olive oil or avocado oil.

How to make Chicken Provencal

• The first thing I like to do is to season the chicken generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I just heat oil in the oven proof pan, such as cast iron, over medium high heat.
• Next place chicken thighs skin down and brown for 5 minutes. Simply set a time and do not move them for 5 minutes. Once the skin us golden brown, reduce heat to medium, flip the chicken and cook on the other side for 4 more minutes.
• I like to saute onion until translucent and then cook garlic. While adding anchovies is not required, I like to do so because they add such unique richness to the sauce.
• Then add the olives, which give this Chicken Provencal a yummy saltiness. Trust me, the olives make the chicken. I like to arrange cherry tomatoes and olives around the chicken, but you can certainly just throw them in and mix with a spoon. 
• Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven.
• Cook until the chicken registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer, for about 60 minutes. That’s all!

Variations to the recipe

• Pasta sauce – Add pasta sauce to Chicken Provencal to bring out even more flavor from olive oil, garlic, halved cherry tomatoes and chicken thighs!!
• Canned capers – Mixing in some capers is super delicious and will add extra saltiness to the olives!
• Ricotta – I love whipped ricotta in this recipe.
• Chopped feta – Or use crumbled feta on a side.

What to serve Chicken Provencal with

• Serve with brown and wild rice or rice pilaf along with Italian-cut green beans.
• I also like my chicken Provencal with angel hair pasta.

More irresistible chicken thigh recipes

• Baked Chicken Thighs with Garlic Mustard Crust
• Garlic Rosemary Chicken Thighs
• Sweet and Salty Boneless Chicken Thighs
• Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs
• Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
• Skillet Chicken Thighs in Creamy Mushroom Pan Sauce
• Chicken Thighs with Bacon

Other traditional French recipes

• Soft French Bread
• Tarte Tatin with Brandy Caramelized Apples
• French Apple Cake
• Chicken Thighs in Mustard Wine Sauce
• How to make French fries in the oven