You’ll love this quicker and lighter Hen Marbella. Hen thighs are cooked on the stove-top with prunes, Spanish olives, capers, garlic and oregano for a flavorful and straightforward Mediterranean-style dish!

Lightened-Up Hen Marbella

I like discovering new methods to cook dinner hen thighs, and this Mediterranean fashion dinner is bound to grow to be an everyday in your recipe rotation! The mixture of the candy prunes and the salty tang of the capers and olives makes Hen Marbella a scrumptious dish that balances the style of the contrasting flavors fantastically. Another hen thigh recipes that you simply would possibly wish to try are Braised Hen Thighs with Mushroom and Leeks, Baked Hen Thighs, and Air Fryer Asian-Glazed Hen Thighs.

Hello there, I’m Heather Ok. Jones—I’m a dietitian, the diet skilled for the Skinnytaste cookbooks, and the founding father of the burden and wellness program Really feel Higher Eat Higher.

When you wrestle with nighttime overeating or emotional meals cravings, remember to try my highly effective and potent instrument known as The 5-Minute Craving Remedy. With this easy-to-use information and audio, you’ll uncover a 5-minute answer to STOP overeating earlier than it begins.

I additionally do FREE emotional consuming group teaching classes just a few occasions a month inside my Love Your self Wholesome Fb Group. Please be part of me when you may use some assist or inspiration!

Hen Marbella is certainly one of my favourite recipes from the basic Silver Palate Cookbook. Earlier than making this dish, I had NO thought how a lot I preferred prunes, ha! I additionally had no thought how completely prunes paired with olives and capers… it’s a candy and salty combo that simply works.

How To Make A More healthy Hen Marbella

The unique Hen Marbella recipe is made with 1 cup of brown sugar (yikes), a complete head of garlic pureed (time consuming!), 1 cup of wine (that’s much more sugar)… plus, the hen must marinate in a single day.

I made a decision to attempt to make this dish not solely a lot lighter, but additionally a lot quicker. First, I reduce the sugar to only 1 tablespoon. As an alternative of pores and skin on hen items, I used eliminated the pores and skin from my hen thigh items. I additionally swapped all the pureed head of garlic for simply 6 chopped cloves, and I used low-sodium hen broth instead of the white wine.

Additionally, as a substitute of utilizing a marinade for the hen, I simply cooked every thing on the stove-top, making a scrumptious pan-sauce with the pan juices on the finish. Truthfully, I like this lighter and quicker model even higher than the unique!

Components

Right here’s what you’ll want (see full elements with measurements are on the backside of this put up within the recipe card):

• Additional-Virgin Olive Oil: Provides a wealthy, fruity base to begin the cooking course of.
• Bone-in Hen Thighs: The primary protein, with the pores and skin eliminated providing juicy, flavorful meat that turns into tender when cooked.
• Garlic Cloves: Thinly sliced to infuse the dish with an fragrant taste.
• Pitted Prunes: Halved and added for a candy distinction that balances savory flavors.
• Spanish Inexperienced Olives: Halved for a briny, tangy kick that enhances the sweetness of the prunes.
• Capers plus Brine: Convey a burst of salty, pickled taste, with the brine (the juice from the jar) including an additional zing.
• Dried Bay Leaves: Impart a delicate, natural essence that deepens the dish’s complexity.
• Dried Oregano: Provides a touch of earthy, minty taste that’s basic in Mediterranean cooking.
• Brown Sugar: Darkish brown or gentle brown sugar gives a contact of sweetness to spherical out the savory notes.
• Kosher Salt: For taste.
• Freshly Floor Black Pepper: Provides a slight warmth and fragrant depth.
• Low Sodium Hen Broth: The liquid base that helps to cook dinner the hen whereas protecting it moist and including taste.
• Crimson Wine Vinegar: Introduces an acidic brightness, balancing the wealthy and candy components.

How To Make Hen Marbella

1. First, warmth olive oil in a big skillet over excessive warmth till it’s shimmering. Subsequent, add the hen, skinned facet down, then cowl and let it cook dinner till it turns a deep golden brown. After that, flip the hen over, cowl it once more, and let it cook dinner till it’s golden on this second facet. Following that, add garlic to the skillet and stir till it turns into aromatic.
2. Then, introduce the prunes, olives, capers and brine, bay leaves, and oregano into the skillet, spreading them out evenly across the hen. Season the hen with brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the hen broth and vinegar over every thing and convey it to a boil.
3. Afterward, cut back the warmth to low, cowl, and let it simmer till the hen is totally cooked by way of. Subsequent, fastidiously transfer the hen to a serving platter, then carry the skillet again to the range over excessive warmth. Let the sauce cook dinner, swirling it sometimes, till it has decreased and barely thickened.
4. Lastly, spoon the pan sauce over the hen on the serving platter and serve. (See full recipe and instructions within the recipe card beneath.)

Variations

• Hen: Use bone-in hen breasts or drumsticks as a substitute. When you don’t thoughts the additional energy, you can even use skin-on hen.
• Contemporary Herbs: High with recent Italian parsley

What To Serve with Hen Marbella

I serve this dish over couscous with an enormous inexperienced salad and my husband at all times will get excited when Marbella is on the menu. This might additionally go nice with crusty bread, rice or rice pilaf, roasted potatoes, and even cauliflower rice to maintain it gentle. Let me know within the feedback when you love this dish (and prunes!) as a lot as I do.

Storage

To refrigerate or freeze this hen marbella recipe, place the hen in hermetic freezer-safe containers or zip-top freezer luggage. If utilizing a plastic storage bag, squeeze out as a lot air as attainable to stop freezer burn. Pour in a number of the cooking sauce to maintain the hen moist. Refrigerate as much as 4 days or freeze as much as 3 months.

Extra Hen Thigh Recipes