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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!
French cuisine needs no introduction to the world. Who hasn’t heard of Coq au Vin or Beef Bourguignon! The French are famous for their creamy sauces and rich, indulgent dishes like Salmon en Croute.
However, not all French recipes are creamy and heavy. The recipe for Chicken Provencal is a bright example of how to keep things light and packed with flavour!
This dish 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?!
Provencal cuisine
The dish originates in the southern French region of Provence, which is a beautiful and sun-soaked part of France that borders the Mediterranean.
It’s also one of the regions that has contributed the most to making France such a culinary legend. So what makes food from Provencal so special?
Lots of things come together to make Provencal what it is, including a Mediterranean climate suited for agriculture, access to stunningly fresh and flavourful ingredients, and a tradition for how to turn all that init something wonderful.
But my favourite part of Provencal cooking is the stunning use of plentiful herbs to take humble dishes into the taste stratosphere.
Even if you have never travelled there yourself, you are probably familiar with some of the classic dishes from the region. Some famous examples are ratatouille, bouillabaisse, tapenade and aioli, although other regions also claim the latter.
My personal favourite, though, has to be Nicoise salad, which turns simple tuna salad into a culinary experience.
For the true Provencal experience, pair these dishes with a glass of rosé wine from the region.
Provencal rosé is the true spiritual home of the variety, and nothing like the sweet wine we sometimes get. Crisp, sophisticated and unbelievably refreshing, it’s easy to love!
For the true Provencal experience, pair these dishes with a glass of rosé wine form the region.
What is Chicken Provencal?
Chicken Provencal is another regional classic, which I simplified and adapted. Usually made with a whole chicken or rabbit, it uses dried herbs de Provence, native to the area.
When I first discovered this dish I made it using chicken pieces, fell in love with it and immediately put it on regular rotation.
This dish uses regional flavours like tomatoes and olives to create a unique but comforting chicken dish. This wine and herbs bring it together to create the fragrant sauce.
Serving suggestions
The sauce this recipe creaes 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!
I normally serve chicken provencal on a bed of mashed potatoes, but it’s very versatile so you can work with whatever side you prefer. Fluffy rice or other form of potatoes will be perfect as well.
I like to add a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley. Not only does it add a little fresh, herby kick but it also brings a little colour to the dish.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Every time I made Chicken Provencal I used fresh herbs rather than the traditional dried mix. I find them 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.
- I’ve used cherry tomatoes for their sweetness but you can use regular tomatoes cut into pieces. Although I have to warm you the sweeter your tomatoes are the tastier the sauce will be.
- Olives are such an integral part of the Southern cuisine in France along with the garlic and fragrant herbs, don’t skip them. You can use any variety of olives you like.
- Finally it’s impossible to imagine a French dish without wine but if you prefer not to add any, substitute with the same amount of apple juice and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
Storage and leftovers
Reheat by setting the stovetop on low, adding a splash of water or stock to your pan to keep the sauce loose. Cover with a lid or foil to prevent drying and heat for 15 minutes or until the meat is hot in the middle.
You can freeze any leftovers for up to three months in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container.
More classic French chicken recipes
- Coq au Vin Blanc
- Chicken in Wine and Mustard Sauce
- French Chicken Casserole a la Normande
- Chicken Supreme
- Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Chicken Provencal
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 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 This is an affiliate link.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 and garlic, 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 1/2 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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?
Hi Gail, yes you can make it ahead and just reheat 30 minutes before the dinner.
I want to make this . What kind of olives are used ?
I used green olives but you can use pretty much any olives you have and like the flavour of.
My daughter requested this for her birthday dinner!
This recipe looks amazing! Cooking for one here and trying to teach myself how! Is this dish suitable for reheating the next evening?
You can absolutely reheat it, Eva
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
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.
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?
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.
Amazing and so easy!
SO great to hear, Christie!
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!
I can always go for more olives and capers, Annalisa! Sounds delicious!
Can I marinade overnight.
Yes you can John.
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!
Sounds like a real feast, Becca!!! So happy everyone enjoyed the meal! 🙂
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
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!
Made this last n night and it was delicious. Definitely will be making this often.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Jean! This recipe also works well with shrimp or mussels!
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!
I would at least double the ingredients if you are using 4lbs of chicken, Zoraida.
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!
Sounds amazing, Rachel! So pleased you enjoyed it!
Tried this recipe and it turned out amazing! Thank you so much!
So happy it turned out well for you, Sean!
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.
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.
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 .
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.
You are welcome! Thank you for such a great review, Colleen!
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
Thanks so much for this feedback, Amy! You are very welcome!
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 🙁
You can definitely try and cook it on the stove top; just lower the heat, cover it with a lid and cook until done.
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!
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!
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 🙂
That is so awesome, Jenn! I am so pleased you enjoyed it! 😘
Can you use herb de prevence as substitution?
Absolutely, Christy, just make sure the mix is fresh and fragrant!
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
The recipe calls for dry white wine, Laurie, so I think choosing a less sweet grape juice would be closer to the original taste.
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.
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.
Making this tonight! Looking forward to see how it taste with all these positive reviews.
Great, Cyndi, let me know how you like it!
You forgot to add the step of putting in the wine, yes? I put it in between steps 5 & 6. Delish!!!
Hi Kathy, the wine is added to the marinade in step one.
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.
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. 🙂 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.
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.
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!
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
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.