Skillet Mediterranean Chicken Bake is a delicious one-pot meal which only takes 30 minutes to prepare. This one-pan wonder includes juicy pan-seared chicken thighs and pasta cooked in white wine and chicken broth. Tangy preserved lemon and briny green olives add the finishing touch and are what gives this dish its Mediterranean vibe.
2lbschicken piecesskin-on, bone-in, can use thighs, drumsticks, or breasts or a combination
½teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
½preserved lemonrinsed and sliced into thin strips
2tablespoonunsalted butter
2clovesgarlicchopped
1cupgreen olivespitted
1cuppastaI have used orzo and pastina, both work well
⅓cupdry white wineI used chardonnay
2-½cupschicken broth
1tablespoonfresh parsleychopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
To the same skillet, add the sliced lemon and green olives. Cook the olives and lemon for about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter, garlic, and pasta to the skillet and toast the pasta. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Don't let the garlic burn.
Add the wine to the pan. Add the chicken broth and stir well to combine. Add the chicken, lemon, and olives back to the pan and increase the heat to high. When the liquid starts to boil, transfer the pan to the oven and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until the chicken and pasta are done.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Optional garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
Sharon's Expert Tips:I used chicken thighs in the video to make this dish, and you can see I also used different chicken pieces in the process photos. You can use any chicken pieces or combination of chicken pieces you like. Be sure to use bone-in, skin-on chicken. If you use chicken breasts and they are large, cut them in half so they will cook in the same amount of time as the pasta.If you are using preserved lemons, scrape the lemon flesh off of the peel and rinse the peel before slicing. You can order preserved lemons online, or most specialty food stores also stock them. However, they can be expensive. It's easy to make your own, and they last forever in your refrigerator. Check out this easy recipe: How to Make Preserved Lemons. If you don't have preserved lemon, no worries. Fresh lemon is a great substitute. Just peel a lemon using a vegetable peeler and cut the peel into thin strips. Follow the directions for the preserved lemon. You may notice I used orzo in the process photos shown in this post and pastina pasta in the how-to video. You can use any small pasta you have on hand, including orzo, pastina or Israeli couscous which is also a pasta in this recipe. Be sure to use a large oven-proof skillet. I used a non-stick skillet, but a cast-iron skillet works great too!