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Home Β» Recipes Β» Dinner Β» Chicken

January 4, 2022

Chicken Provencal

Published January 4, 2022 | Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Jump to Recipe

This Chicken Provencal recipe is a quicker and leaner take on the French classic made with chicken breasts, cherry tomatoes and olives in a light pan sauce. 

Serve with Sweet Potato and Swede Mash. Can’t have enough of the French cuisine? Try our speedy Chicken Chasseur!

top down view of chicken breasts with olives, tomatoes in a pan sauce

French cuisine needs no introduction to the world. Who hasn’t heard of Coq au Vin or Beef Bourguignon! They are famous for their creamy sauces and rich, indulgent dishes like Salmon en Croute. 

However, not all French recipes are creamy heavy, this recipe for Chicken Provencal is a bright example of how to keep things light and packed with flavour! 

This Chicken Provencal recipe is quick, delicious and will transport you to the south of France with the first bite. It’s fun to travel to distant lands through food, don’t you think?!

close up of a chicken dishes with olives and tomatoes in a light sauce

What is Chicken Provencal?

Chicken Provencal is a French classic, which I simplified and adapted. Usually made with a whole chicken or rabbit it uses dried herbs de Provence. I’ve made it with chicken pieces before, fell in love with it and immediately put it on a regular rotation.

The dish originates in the southern French region of Provence. Provence is a beautiful and sun-soaked part of France that borders the Mediterranean.

This dish uses regional flavours like cherry tomatoes and olives to create a unique but comforting chicken dish. The wine and herbs bring it together to create the fragrant sauce.

Recipe Tips

Every time I made Chicken Provencal I used fresh herbs rather than the traditional dried mix. I find fresh herbs to be much more flavourful than the dried ones. However, feel free to substitute. 

I am a dark meat fan, and naturally I prefer to use a whole chicken. Not only is it more flavourful it is also more economical.

However, I decided to re-make this recipe with chicken breasts instead of the whole cut up chicken for a quicker and leaner version.

chicken breasts in a white pan, a dark blue napkin and a bowl with tomatoes in the background.

My family unanimously voted for this boneless, white meat version, and I had no choice but to concede to their wishes.

The sauce this recipe creates is like no other; fragrant and delicate, made slightly sweet with cherry tomatoes. You will definitely need a loaf of crusty bread for dipping. Delicious!

More classic French chicken recipes

  • Coq au Vin Blanc
  • Chicken in Wine and Mustard Sauce
  • French Chicken Casserole a la Normande
  • Chicken Supreme
top down view of chicken breasts with olives, tomatoes in a pan sauce

Chicken Provencal

Julia Frey
This Chicken Provencal recipe is quick, delicious chicken dish to transport you to France with the first bite!
4.92 from 12 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Marinading time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main
Cuisine French
Servings 4
Calories 399 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 shallots chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves only
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 cup /250 ml white wine
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 4-5 skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • Salt
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup / 250 ml chicken stock
  • 6-8 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 8 large green olives pitted
  • Parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl combine chopped shallots, chopped herbs, fennel seeds, wine and half the olive oil, add chicken breasts and marinade for 2-3 hours in a refrigerator.
  • Take the chicken breasts out of the marinade and brush off the herbs and shallots as much as possible, season with salt and set aside. Reserve the marinade.
  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
  • In a large and deep pan brown chicken breasts in 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until golden but not cooked through, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.
  • Add flour to the pan and stir it in with with the oil that was left in the pan from browning chicken, add Β½ of the marinade and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release the brown bits, cook it on high until the sauce thickens, which should take about 2 minutes, reduce the heat to medium.
  • Add the rest of the marinade and stir, then add chicken stock, chicken breasts, halved cherry tomatoes and olives, bring to a boil and move it to the oven.
  • Finish it off in the oven uncovered for 25 minutes. The sauce should reduce by a third and will coat a spoon when tested for thickness.
  • Serve Chicken Provencal sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley with a side of rice or mashed potatoes.

Notes

Serve with bread, potatoes or rice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 399kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 33gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 383mgPotassium: 761mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 383IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken provencal, French chicken
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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57694 shares
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About Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
read more..

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gail says

    at

    5 stars
    I am making this for a main course for a French themed progressive dinner. Can I make it ahead of time earlier in the day and reheat? Or should I prepare the chicken and sauce, then bake in the oven right before everyone arrives?

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

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      Hi Gail, yes you can make it ahead and just reheat 30 minutes before the dinner.

      Reply
  2. Grace says

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    I want to make this . What kind of olives are used ?

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

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      I used green olives but you can use pretty much any olives you have and like the flavour of.

      Reply
  3. Althea says

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    My daughter requested this for her birthday dinner!

    Reply
  4. Eva says

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    This recipe looks amazing! Cooking for one here and trying to teach myself how! Is this dish suitable for reheating the next evening?

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

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      You can absolutely reheat it, Eva

      Reply
  5. Kayla says

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    Are we supposed to use the marinade the chicken was sitting in? I’ve usually heard that one shouldn’t use the marinade raw chicken was in

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

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      It’s safe to use the marinade as long as it’s brought to a boiling point and cooked for at least 10 minutes, which is the case in this recipe.

      Reply
  6. Jim Oremland says

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    I am going to try this sometime this week. I plan on using a whole cut up chicken. The photo looks to be thighs not breasts. Should I take the breasts and thighs off the bone?

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

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      Hi Jim, this particular recipe is for boneless chicken breasts and that is what you see in photos. You can cook the whole cut up chicken but you would need to increase the cooking time in the oven by good 15-20 minutes.

      Reply
  7. Christie says

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    5 stars
    Amazing and so easy!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      SO great to hear, Christie!

      Reply
  8. Annalisa says

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    5 stars
    This was perfection! My entire family loved it. I did double the amount of olives and added capers but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Delicious!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      I can always go for more olives and capers, Annalisa! Sounds delicious!

      Reply
    • John Walker says

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      Can I marinade overnight.

      Reply
      • vikalinka says

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        Yes you can John.

        Reply
  9. Becca says

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    5 stars
    Made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! Skipped the tomatoes as hubby not keen on those, tripled the amount of olives (we love them!) and also used 1 tsp of dried herbs instead of the fresh. It was so good I cannot wait to make it again. Next time I will increase the volume of the sauce as it was divine. Served with garlicky mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and steamed peas. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Sounds like a real feast, Becca!!! So happy everyone enjoyed the meal! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Jaqueline says

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    Julia, I love all your recipe! I’m making this for the first time and wonder can I replace thighs ? If so, how many because you don’t indicate pounds. Thanks Jaqueline

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      You can absolutely use thighs, Jacqueline but I would extend the oven time to 40 minutes and cook them covered for the first 30, then uncover for the last 10 minutes. 6-8 thighs would do here. Enjoy!

      Reply
  11. Jean Dumouchel says

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    5 stars
    Made this last n night and it was delicious. Definitely will be making this often.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Jean! This recipe also works well with shrimp or mussels!

      Reply
  12. ZORAIDA PADILLA says

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    I will be using a whole cut up chicken( approximately 4lbs)
    Do you think the amount of ingredients from your recipe will be sufficient for the weight of chicken I will be using?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      I would at least double the ingredients if you are using 4lbs of chicken, Zoraida.

      Reply
  13. Rachel says

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    5 stars
    Made this tonight. It was delicious! I used fresh rosemary, dried thyme [could not find fresh] and was out of fennel seeds. Followed exactly, other than the adjustments that I had to make. Thanks so much. Will defo add to the rotation!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Sounds amazing, Rachel! So pleased you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  14. Sean says

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    5 stars
    Tried this recipe and it turned out amazing! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      So happy it turned out well for you, Sean!

      Reply
  15. Michelle says

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    Followed this recipe exactly and I have to be honest – it was not good. I found the chicken breasts to be dry even though I cooked according to your recommendation and the flavour just wasn’t there.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      I guess not every recipe works for everybody. I’ve never found this chicken lacking in flavour due to herbs and wine it’s marinated in. Since home oven temperatures vary quite a bit I recommend installing an internal thermometer to ensure your temperature is accurate to avoid dry chicken.

      Reply
      • Jaqueline says

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        I made them with chicken thighs (boneless and skinless) not dry at all. Next time I would add fresh garlic to add some more flavor and pepper . Try that. Same cooking times .

        Reply
  16. Colleen says

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    5 stars
    I made this dish for dinner tonight in my favorite Le Creuset pan, very flavorful. My husband and I enjoyed it! Thank you for this delicious recipes.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      You are welcome! Thank you for such a great review, Colleen!

      Reply
  17. Barbara says

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    Looking forward to making this. Have seen the posts mentioning the fennel. Funny, I do not like liquorice, but have grown to love the flavor of fennel in my cooking. My family loves roasted fresh fennel. Loved my visit to Prague with my husband. We ate our way through the city while site seeing. What a beautiful place. The cold weather and site seeing kept us from gaining too much weight from all the delicious food we enjoyed.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      I am the same way. I only like fennel seeds in cooking but no liquorice for me. Yes, Prague is absolutely stunning. We were so pleasantly surprised by how much there was to see! I hope you enjoy this recipe, Barbara.

      Reply
  18. Marie Diehl says

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    Made this tonight. Took me longer, but it usually does my first time experimenting with a new recipe. It was delicious, but my husband didn’t like the licorice flavor, so next time with exclude the fennel seeds. Sauce didn’t thicken well so used corn starch /cold water mix at the end to correct it. Thanks for this lovely recipe.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Hi Marie, I am glad to hear you loved this recipe. The licorice flavour is definitely not for everyone. I usually have a low tolerance for it but I love fennel seeds here and in Italian sausage recipes. I hear often from people that the sauce didn’t thicken. I think it’s actually the expectation of how thick it should be. French sauces are not thick, starchy kinds but rather thin, brothy ones. However, you should absolutely adjust the recipe to your liking, so I am glad you did. Best, Julia

      Reply
  19. Amy says

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    5 stars
    Hi Julia, I made this last evening & it was delicious. We will definitely make it again. Thank you for posting it and for your wonderful website!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thanks so much for this feedback, Amy! You are very welcome!

      Reply
  20. Kay says

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    Hi, this looks delicious!!!! Am gonna try your recipe for sure! May I ask if you think it would be ok to go without an oven though – as oven is very rare in this part of the world I’m in πŸ™

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      You can definitely try and cook it on the stove top; just lower the heat, cover it with a lid and cook until done.

      Reply
  21. Katie says

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    I want to make this for an eight person dinner party. Do you have any particular “do’s or don’ts” for doubling up? Thank you!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Hi Katie, the only thing I would suggest is to not overcrowd chicken when browning, do it in in batches, otherwise it will steam instead of browning. Enjoy!

      Reply
  22. Jenn Ruiz says

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    5 stars
    Hi Julia, We made this for dinner tonight and thought of you guys. This recipe was delicious! I’ve tried several other recipe variations, including with the slow cooker, but this is the best we’ve tried. Thanks πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      That is so awesome, Jenn! I am so pleased you enjoyed it! 😘

      Reply
  23. Christy says

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    Can you use herb de prevence as substitution?

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Absolutely, Christy, just make sure the mix is fresh and fragrant!

      Reply
  24. Laurie says

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    I would love to try this. I do however have a question. I don’t use any alcohol when cooking. If I substitute white grape juice should I use sweet or make it punchier. Thanks for your advice.

    Laurie E

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      The recipe calls for dry white wine, Laurie, so I think choosing a less sweet grape juice would be closer to the original taste.

      Reply
  25. kathleen says

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    4 stars
    tried this one tonight – it was really good. i used boneless, skin-on chicken thighs as we much prefer thighs to breasts. i did it in my cast iron pan to ensure that the skin got nice and crispy and beautifully browned. the sauce was abundant and very tasty – i think next time i will probably add some sauteed mushrooms. We will definitely fix this one again.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      That sounds so delicious, Kathleen. I have used legs and thighs before and loved it if I am honest. I prefer darker meat but my family loves chicken breasts. Either way this recipe works! I am glad you thought so too.

      Reply
  26. Cyndi says

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    Making this tonight! Looking forward to see how it taste with all these positive reviews.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Great, Cyndi, let me know how you like it!

      Reply
      • Kathy says

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        You forgot to add the step of putting in the wine, yes? I put it in between steps 5 & 6. Delish!!!

        Reply
        • vikalinka says

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          Hi Kathy, the wine is added to the marinade in step one.

          Reply
  27. Sandra rosensteel says

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    Going to try this recipe over the weekend. Your time in Prague sounds amazing. My husband and I spent a couple of days as part of a swing through Europe a few years ago. Reading your blog has convinced me to do what I’ve thought of many times since – go back!! Also brought back fond memories of strolling through Amsterdam , just we two, snowflakes and freezing. How fun is that.??? Thanks for the wake up call.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      How exciting, Sandra! Easy traveling option is by far my favourite part of living in London. Having experienced it, I don’t think I could ever give it up, even when we are old and barely able to move I am convinced we’d still travel, possibly in wheel chairs! We are actually adding a travel section to the blog to record and provide tips about what we love so much. πŸ™‚ I hope you love this Chicken Provencal and, as I’d mentioned in the post, it’s delicious with chicken legs and thighs as well.

      Reply
  28. Melissa says

    at

    So glad you and Brad had a refreshing time. This recipe looks amazing. Will have to try it. Thanks for introducing me to what a trdelnik is…will have to find one somewhere.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      This recipe is so lovely and fresh. When I first discovered it I felt like it was something very new yet familiar. I hope you get to make it soon! Yes, trdelnik is legit…I wish I had one right now with my coffee!

      Reply
  29. Lucy Parissi says

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    5 stars
    Looks so delicious! You can go wrong with a one-pot recipe and this looks so delicious. Your trip sounds amazing too. We went to Budapest for our first anniversary (a million years ago) and it was so beautiful and a similar experience

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Thanks so much, Lucy! I was worried kids wouldn’t like it but they absolutely loved it and get excited every time it’s in the oven for dinner! Yes, Prague was just perfect. I heard so many good things beforehand and was afraid my expectations were too high. What I realised they weren’t high enough! It was simply wonderful.

      Reply

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Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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