These Mediterranean chicken thighs are braised in a silky white wine and tomato sauce, packed with garlic, fresh herbs, artichoke hearts, olives, and buttery white beans.
The sauce is bright and briny, the chicken turns fall-off-the-bone tender, and it all begs to be soaked up with a hunk of crusty bread.
Why I love it:
I love braising chicken thighs. The tougher parts melt into something rich and buttery, and the skin turns even more golden and crisp after a long, slow cook. I love how the bold flavors—briny olives, creamy beans, lemon zest, and salty feta—cut through all that richness and keep us coming back for more.
But more than anything, I love the rhythm of braising. I do the messy part up front, then slide the pan into the oven and take a breath. Braising buys me a little downtime—to clean the kitchen, make a salad, set the table. Let the scent of garlic and wine fill the house.
Then I get to bring a bubbling skillet of perfectly juicy, flavorful chicken to the table, toss in some torn bread, and let everyone dig in—with just one pot left to clean.
It’s practical, deeply flavorful, and a little bit magical.
mediterranean chicken thigh ingredients:
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- white beans
- marinated artichoke hearts
- castelvetrano olives
- shallots
- garlic
- lemon zest
- tomato paste
- dry white wine
- chicken stock
- flour
- butter
- feta
- herbs (thyme, parsley, oregano)
how to make mediterranean chicken thighs:
- Brown chicken thighs, skin-side down.
- Sauté shallots and garlic, cook tomato paste.
- Add wine and reduce by half.
- Stir in butter-flour mixture. Whisk in chicken stock.
- Add white beans, olives, artichoke hearts, and thighs.
- Braise at 350°F for about 40 minutes.
- Top with lemon zest and feta, garnish with parsley.
- Enjoy with crusty bread!
Make this recipe for two:
You can scale this recipe up or down, no problem.
Use anywhere from 6- 8 chicken thighs without needing to change any other quantities in the recipe. If you cut it to 4 chicken thighs, I do recommend just halving everything across the board.
A few more tips:
Use the right pan:
A 12-inch ovenproof skillet is ideal for 8 chicken thighs.
I don’t recommend a cast iron skillet. We’re cooking a lot of acidic things in this dish and it can strip the seasoning off your pan.
If you only have a smaller skillet, you can just braise less chicken in that pan. Or you can sear the chicken and make the sauce, then transfer everything to a larger baking dish.
Why the butter and flour?
It’s the best way to thicken a sauce with flour, while avoiding the dreaded lumps (think bad gravy). Here’s the thing: if you dump flour into hot liquid, it will instantly form lumps that are impossible to beat out.
The crucial technique here is called a beurre manié (or kneaded butter).
We whisk this flour paste into the hot reduced wine, then gently simmer the sauce and whisk in more chicken stock until smooth and thickened. Velvety, silky, and delicious.
what to serve these mediterranean chicken thighs with:
- crusty bread
- soft polenta
- herby rice pilaf or quinoa
- shaved fennel salad
- buttery garlic pizza
more weeknight chicken recipes to try:
sheet pan harissa chicken with broccolini and chickpeas
spicy grilled chicken pita with jalapeño yogurt
harissa grilled chicken skewers
mediterranean chicken thighs
Mediterranean chicken thighs braised in a silky white wine tomato sauce with garlic, herbs, olives, artichokes, and buttery white beans. Bright, briny, and made for sopping up with crusty bread.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Braised
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp softened butter
- 1 cup chicken stock, plus more as needed
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1-12 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved
- ½ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and torn in half
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
- lemon zest, for garnish
- crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook undisturbed for 8- 10 minutes, until golden brown. Flip chicken and cook another 2- 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
- Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant, 3- 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook until darkened, about 1 minute.
- Stir in white wine and reduce by half, 8- 10 minutes. While wine reduces, mix butter and flour in a small bowl until smooth and combined.
- Scrape flour mixture into the skillet and whisk until combined. Slowly whisk in chicken stock, a little at a time, until sauce is smooth.
- Stir in beans, artichoke hearts, olives, thyme and oregano. Nestle in chicken, skin side up, and transfer to the oven. Bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with feta, fresh parsley, and lemon zest. Serve warm, with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 527
- Sugar: 5.1g
- Sodium: 565mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 8.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 68mg
4o Image API says
I never thought to add marinated artichokes to a braise, but that sounds like a perfect way to add brightness. Does it matter if they're oil-packed or water-packed?
Indi Hampton says
I don't think it really matters. I like the flavor of oil-packed, but we're draining it off anyways so it's sort of a moot point. Quality-wise, I really love frozen artichoke hearts too!