Italian Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives
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This Italian braised chicken is a flavorful, comforting dish that comes together quickly. The chicken thighs are seared to give them a crispy skin, then baked in a rich tomato and olive sauce. Serve it with your favorite pasta, some rice, or a crusty slice of Italian bread for a satisfying weeknight dinner that’s ready in just an hour!
This simple one-skillet Italian braised chicken is a hearty dish with lots of briny flavor. Just pan-sear the chicken until it’s browned, make an easy tomato sauce, and bake the chicken in the sauce until it’s tender and bubbly. It’s a warming meal that’s perfect for weeknights, but it’s equally fancy enough for a special occasion and pairs well with a glass of red wine!
Ingredients notes
This delicious braised Italian chicken recipe is made with simple ingredients you’re likely to have in your fridge and pantry.
- Bone-in chicken thighs: bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs is what we use for this recipe but you can use chicken breasts as well. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time because the breasts take less time to cook.
- Olives: you can really use any variety of olive you like, such as kalamata olives or green olives. We recommend using pitted olives for easier eating.
- Capers: capers are like tiny flavor bites that add texture and tanginess.
- Balsamic vinegar: balsamic vinegar is a secret ingredient we often add to tomato sauce for added flavor, and a bit of sweetness.
Other ingredients you’ll need are: sea salt, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, diced onion, garlic cloves, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, fresh rosemary and oregano, red pepper flakes, and honey.
For more delicious Italian-inspired chicken recipes, try our Italian dressing chicken and Italian seasoning chicken.
What is braised chicken?
Braising is a term used to describe the combination of cooking techniques where you brown your meat, then finish cooking it in some type of sauce or liquid. It’s a slower cooking method that creates tender, flavorful meat.
What to serve with Italian braised chicken
Turn these Italian braised chicken thighs into a delicious dinner with your favorite pasta like spaghetti or linguine. It also tastes great with our garlic butter rice and a side of roasted asparagus, or a big spring mix salad. Don’t forget some thick slices of crusty Italian bread for sopping up the irresistible sauce, so nothing gets left behind!
Recipe FAQs
How long do leftovers keep?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze it?
Yes! This Italian braised chicken recipe is easy to freeze. When it’s done cooking and cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight container or reusable silicone bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months! Thaw it in the fridge, and warm it in the oven or on the stovetop.
What are the best kinds of olives to use?
You can really use any variety of Italian olives that you like. We use a mix of kalamata olives and castelvetrano olives, but the big green cerignolo olives and smaller arbequina ones work, too.
Italian Braised Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (skin on or off, your choice)
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup coarsely chopped olives
- 2 tablespoons EACH: capers and balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon EACH: chopped rosemary and oregano
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.8 bone-in chicken thighs, ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof pan over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side up, and brown them for 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook until the skin is brown and crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan. (While the chicken is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients.)2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pour out all but about 2 tablespoons of the oil from the pan. Add the onion to the pan and let it cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste to the pan and let it cook until it has darkened slightly and is fragrant smelling, about 3 minutes.1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir well. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Nestle the chicken back into the pan, skin side up. Pop the chicken into the oven and let it cook for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve it right away.28 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 cup coarsely chopped olives, 2 tablespoons EACH: capers and balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon EACH: chopped rosemary and oregano, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon honey
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I used 1/2 cup of Lambrusco wine as the sauce was a little dry as it cooked off and that made a world of difference when adding that little bit of liquid.
That’s such a great idea! Lambrusco would add such a lovely depth of flavor — I’m definitely going to try that next time. Thanks so much for sharing your tip! 💛
Could I prepare the Italian chicken the day before and do the oven component the next day to serve
Hi Phyllis! Yes, that would work well!
Absolutely delicious and easy to make.
Thanks, John!
Does it make any difference on what kind of olives are used? Green/black?
I often use a mix of both! As long as they are olives that you enjoy eating, they will work in this recipe.
Super
Made exactly to the recipe. Didn’t add salt to anything but the chicken. Absolutely wonderful. We will be doing again.
I cooked this on the stovetop. One hour covered & simmered. I removed the chicken thighs (Bone-in, skinless), covered with foil to keep warm, and then reduced down the sauce (Uncovered) for about 1/2 hour, adjusting the seasonings to taste. That’s when the magic happened!
The sauce was excellent and the chicken was very moist and tender, but still intact. There was enough sauce left over for a future dinner for the two of us. I highly recommend using imported San Marzano tomatoes; the higher quality really does make a difference!
I made this last night for a very special occasion – a reunion for my husband and 2 cousins who haven’t seen each other in 30 years. I could tell by the ingredients and description that it would be wonderful. It didn’t disappoint. I made it exactly as written (with the exception of using “no salt added” tomato products), and it was marvelous. I served it with wide fettuccini noodles and a salad. It was divine and the ultimate comfort food. The glass of wine while letting the dish finish in the oven was especially wonderful… I will put this my “pins I’ve made and loved and will make again” board. Thank you, Kristen!
I love this dish! It’s a wonderful and welcome variation on Italian red sauce recipes. I’ve made it 3 times now and I think it tastes better using a chopped red onion and 1 cp Kalamata olives and 1/4 cp green olives (Divina brand) and 1 can of good quality San Marzano crushed tomatoes instead of diced. (The capers were too strong for us the second time, even after rinsing, so I substituted green olives. Personally, I would not use both.)
I used boneless skinless (Bell & Evans) chicken breasts, browned them 4-5 minutes on each side and then removed and covered them in foil while I made the sauce and then added them back into the pan after letting the sauce simmer on med-low for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
(FYI: I use my 3 qt All Clad (original stainless line) saute pan, which is oven safe UNCOVERED up to 450. The cover is not oven safe. It’s the best all-around cooking utensil I own, along with my 12″ cast iron skillet.)
Kristen, thank you for adding this amazing Italian chicken recipe to your website. I’m not one to usually leave a review but this was sooooooo delicious! Easy to create, full of flavour and now a new family favourite!
For everyone else, STEP 3 is essential! Do not underestimate the flavour of caramelizing tomato paste.
Love this braised chicken but made it with boneless chicken thighs cut up the chicken and mixed the whole thing with some pasta .makes a amazing pasta dish
This smells amazing. I do have one question. Generally u cover the chicken when braising.
Is this supposed to be covered? It’s looking a little thick. Any suggestions?
I like to leave the lid off so that the chicken skin stays a little crispy. 🙂
tasty recipe – one change: crushed tomatoes
diced tomatoes stay diced – crushed tomatoes worked better, especially with Cento or other Italian crushed tomatoes
Overpowering tomato. Not pleasant
Yep, just like the recipe title suggests, tomatoes play a big role in this recipe. 🙂
I really love this recipe and want to share it, but before I do, I want to check a few instructions. I can’t seem to get crispy skin in the recommended 7-8 minutes on each side. I need at least 15 minutes on each side, even with the heat high. Any tips? Also, the recipe calls for putting the thighs in the pan skin side up and turning them when fat is released. Isn’t the fat under the skin making it more practical to put them in skin side down? Thank you.
I find that I get the best results when I put chicken thighs in skin side up to begin with. The heat from the pan begins to warm the skin and some fat from the bottom is released into the pan. Both these things seem to help prevent the skin from sticking when you flip the chicken over.
Not 100% sure about the time difference. The material of the cookware you use as well as the temperature different stoves cook at could be the reason.
This has turned into my signature dish. It is beautiful to serve and the flavors—as my family would say—are ambrosia. Leftovers are something to look forward to. Great recipe.