Olive This World Martini Chicken

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This one pot keto dinner is my husband’s favorite chicken recipe.

Ok. I am going to be brutally honest here. When I made this skillet chicken the first time, the verdict was undecided for me. I prefer chicken that is all French-like with butter and wine and heavy cream and maybe some tender herbs.

This chicken recipe is anything but – it is briny and bold.

I’ve been making this orange chicken dish with olives pretty regularly over the last few years – only because Mark loves it so much. The truth is, it has grown on me now, too – not that I disliked it before, it just wasn’t a favorite. (I have to laugh here. Most of the time a new recipe has to grow on Mark – not me!) He insisted I keep making this orange chicken dish… and has been urging me to put it on my blog.

So – here it is!

I like to think of this olive chicken recipe as a cocktail on a plate. I mean, green olives and citrus just speak martini to me. And, I just love gin. It reminds me of pine forests and boasts such clean flavors.

Oranges.

Green olives.

Woody herbs.

Together their flavors make the perfect cocktail, so why wouldn’t they make the perfect dinner? This was the inspiration behind this chicken dinner idea, and although there are others like it out there, I wanted to make a martini chicken that was my own.

Because – that is what chef-minded people do, right?

I used white wine instead of vodka because it cuts nicely through the chicken’s fattiness. Feel free to add a splash or two of the olive brine to add an extra boost of umami. Whatever you do, though, don’t add in the pimento that sometimes comes with the green olives. It will just throw off the balance of flavors in chicken and olives recipe.

With that said, if you can get green olives without pimentos, do it. If not, allow yourself some extra time to remove the pimentos, but don’t throw them away because they can be used in my Fried Comino Potatoes with Pimento recipe, which makes the perfect side for this entree.

Now, for the food and wine pairings….. because this part can be tricky.

The knee-jerk reaction is to pair this blood orange chicken dinner with a dry martini – but that really isn’t the right match. When pairing food and beverages together, you want one to bring out the flavors of the other – not compete with them.

So, forget that martini. You’ve got all those flavors already on your plate!

Go with a sparkling zinfandel or syrah, an old-fashioned made with whiskey, or even a pale ale. These will really amp up the experience of this great, healthy chicken recipe.

Not an alcohol fan?

Sparkling grape juice of the red or white variety will work great. If you can’t find sparkling, mix regular grape juice with sparkling water. The fizz will cleanse your palate between those bites of juicy chicken. (The wine in this recipe can be substituted with one of the options from the Substitutes for Alcohol in Recipes chart.)

So, please tell me – are you on team Mark or team Christy? Is this one of the best chicken recipes you’ve had (team Mark) or do you still need some time to figure that one out (team Christy)?

(Psst! You can let me know by commenting at the bottom of the page.)

Cheers!

How to make Olive This World Martini Chicken:

What you’ll need:

• 2 chicken leg quarters, bone in with skin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• pinch ground cayenne
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 blood orange, cut in half crosswise
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 tablespoon chicken base
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup diced green olives, such as manzanilla olives (no pimento)
• chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. 1. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with the salt, pepper, and cayenne.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Brown the top side of the chicken for 5 minutes. Flip and brown the bottom side for 3 minutes. The skin should be crispy and brown. Remove the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet. Place the orange halves in the skillet, cut side down and sear them for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until they begin to char and become fragrant. Transfer the oranges to a separate clean plate and set aside.

4. Turn off the heat. Whisk the wine, water, lime juice, and chicken base together in a large measuring cup. Pour the liquids into the skillet. Place the chicken in the skillet skin side up and turn the heat back on to medium. Sprinkle the olives over the chicken. If some of the olives fall into the liquid in the skillet, don’t worry. You’ll scoop them up with the sauce later on.

5. Cover the skillet and continue to cook the chicken for 35-40 minutes, or until no longer pink and the juices run clear.

6. Divide the chicken among two plates. Use a ladle to draw up the sauce in the skillet, making sure to get as many olives as possible, and pour over the chicken. Tuck the orange halves next to the chicken. (You can squeeze a little of the juice over the chicken, or let your guests do it themselves.) Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Tip: This zingy chicken dinner goes great with a side of Fried Comino Potatoes with Pimento. If you used olives with pimento for this recipe and removed the pimento, you can use it up in this side dish.