Baked Chicken with
Olives and Rosemary

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This Baked Chicken with Olives and Rosemary is a favourite of ours, especially as it includes briny Kalamata olives (the magic ingredient to any recipe, if you ask me). So delicious, this dish keeps even my kids wanting more!

Why do olives make every dish taste better?

Olives may be small in size, but they pack a punch in flavour, which varies widely depending on the type of olive and the stage of ripeness at which it was harvested. Green olives are harvested young, whilst reddish, brownish and purplish olives indicate intermediate stages of ripeness, with black olives bring fully ripened.

One of my favourite olive types is the Greek Kalamata olive, whose soft and meaty flesh is the perfect balance between tangy and salty, so you can imagine why I love this dish! The briny flavour of Kalamata olives is an ideal salt alternative and livens up a familiar taste such as chicken.

There is something so comforting about oven baked meats, especially baked/roast chicken. Chicken pieces require a lot less cooking time than a whole chicken, so it's more practical for midweek cooking; it's like eating a mini roast mid-week without having to wait for Sunday!

Baked Chicken with Olives and Rosemary can also be made for a weeknight dinner. I prepare everything in advance, pop the casserole dish into the oven and set the timer so that the chicken bakes whilst I'm collecting the kids and finishes by the time I'm home from the school run. I can remove the casserole and finish off the sauce, ready to serve for dinner.

Pair this dish with your favourite starch and greens. Potatoes or crusty bread both work well, although we like to eat it with rice, as it's great for mixing with the chicken and olive flavoured sauce!

Here's what you'll need to make this:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

Oil for frying
1kg bone-in chicken pieces with skin [1]
1 echalion shallot, thinly sliced
180g drained Kalamata olives, stones removed [2]
1 Tbsps chopped fresh rosemary
250ml chicken stock
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

And here's what you'll need to do:

Preheat the over to 200C / 180C Fan.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with some kitchen paper, and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
Heat some oil over medium heat in a heavy based casserole dish. When the oil is hot, work in batches and place a few chicken pieces skin side down, and leave for about five minutes before turning over. You'll know they're ready to flip when the meat starts lifting away from the base slightly; the skin should be a nice golden brown colour.
Cook about five minutes on the other side, then remove and set aside. Add some more oil, and brown the remaining chicken in the same way, and set aside.

Adding more oil if necessary, cook the shallots for a few minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Then add the chopped rosemary and olives, and cook for another minute.

Place the chicken pieces back in the casserole dish in one layer, amongst the shallot, rosemary and olive mixture, skin side up.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, add freshly squeezed lemon juice from half a lemon to 250ml of chicken stock.

When the chicken is done baking, remove the pieces from the casserole dish and place in a serving dish, along with the olives, shallots and rosemary. Rest for a few minutes whilst you prepare the sauce.
Add the chicken stock and lemon juice to the oil in the casserole dish, and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat until the liquid has reduced by half.
Drizzle the sauce over the over the chicken, and serve.

Notes

We love chicken thighs here, but feel free to use drumsticks or even a whole chicken, chopped into pieces.
You can use any variety of olive you like, but the tartness of Kalamatas compliments the meat so nicely in this baked chicken dinner recipe.