Chicken Provencal Recipe

Chicken Provençal with crispy chicken thighs, cherry tomatoes, olives, and herbs simmered in a skillet.

Chicken thighs simmered with tomatoes, olives, garlic, and herbs de Provence in a light white wine sauce. This simple one-pan dinner feels rustic, comforting, and just a little special, especially with some crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Servings: servings

Calories: 408kcal

Author: Sandra

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
⅓ cup pitted olives Kalamata, Niçoise, or Castelvetrano work well
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon thyme leaves fresh (optional garnish)

Instructions

Pat the chicken thighs very dry on both sides with paper towels. This helps the skin brown properly instead of steaming.
Season both sides evenly with the kosher salt and black pepper. See Note 1.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the skillet. The chicken should sizzle when it hits the pan, but the oil should not smoke heavily. If it does not sizzle, let the pan heat another minute before continuing.
Cook undisturbed for 5–6 minutes, or until the skin is deep golden brown and releases easily from the skillet. (Note 2)
Flip and cook for 2 more minutes on the second side.
Transfer the chicken to a plate. The chicken will not be fully cooked yet.
Reduce the heat to medium.
Add the garlic and herbs de Provence to the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown. (Note 3)
Pour in the white wine and scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
Let the wine simmer for about 1 minute to reduce slightly.
Add the cherry tomatoes and olives to the skillet and stir to combine.
Return the chicken thighs to the skillet skin-side up, nestling them into the sauce. Try to keep most of the skin above the liquid so it stays as crisp as possible. (Note 4)
Reduce the heat to low.
The sauce should maintain a very gentle simmer with small bubbles around the edges of the skillet, not a rapid boil. (Note 5)
Partially cover the skillet and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175–185°F and feels very tender when pierced with a fork.
If the sauce reduces too much before the chicken finishes cooking, add a splash of chicken broth. (Note 6)
Remove the lid and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 2–3 minutes if you would like it slightly thicker.
Stir in the butter until melted and glossy. Taste the sauce and add additional salt or pepper if needed.
Sprinkle with fresh thyme if desired.
Serve warm with rice, couscous, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or crusty bread for soaking up the flavorful sauce.

Notes

Kosher salt is recommended here. If using table salt, reduce the amount slightly because it is finer and more concentrated.
If the chicken sticks when you try to flip it, it likely needs another minute or two to finish browning. Properly browned chicken usually releases more easily from the pan.
Garlic burns quickly, especially after searing chicken in a hot skillet. If the pan seems too hot, briefly remove it from the burner before adding the garlic.
Keeping the skin mostly above the liquid helps preserve some crispness during simmering.
A gentle simmer is important. Boiling too aggressively can make the chicken tougher and reduce the sauce too quickly.
Chicken thighs are forgiving and become more tender when cooked slightly beyond 165 F. An internal temperature between 175–185 F gives the best texture for this recipe.

Nutrition