Roasted Chicken with Olives
Roasted chicken with olives is the perfect addition to your dinner rotation. Chicken thighs are seasoned with a simple blend of spices, baked until crisp then topped with zesty marinated olives with herbs. This bright and flavorful dish comes together in just 10 minutes of prep work.
Serve it over fluffy rice, creamy mashed potatoes, or pearled couscous for a comforting weeknight dinner.

Simple dinner, elevated flavors
Not only is this dish vibrant and packed with flavor, it truly comes together so easily. The chicken is seasoned with a mix of paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt & pepper and a generous drizzle of olive oil. It’s roasted in a pan over sliced yellow onions and orange slices until its tender and juicy.
The olive topping is tangy and full of herbs, and complements the chicken flavors so well. It pairs well so so many different side dishes, here are a few of my favorites-

Ingredients you’ll need for roasted chicken with olives
- Bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks or both
- Olive oil
- Spices- paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt & pepper
- Yellow onion
- Herby olives- Castelvetrano olives, parsley, cilantro, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, olive oil


- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Season the chicken thighs with the spice blend and rub with the olive oil
- Place the chicken pieces in a dish over sliced yellow onions. Add a few orange slices in between the chicken- optional, but I love adding citrus as a garnish
- Bake the chicken for 25 minutes covered, then 25 minutes uncovered
- While the chicken bakes, prepare the olive topping by combining the sliced olives with the chopped herbs, olive oil, lemon and seasoning together in a bowl
- Once the chicken is ready, spoon some of the liquid over the top and serve with the olives

The chicken comes out juicy, tender and so so flavorful- it just melts in your mouth. If you wanted to add veggies to this recipe, you can chop up some carrots and potatoes into 1″ cubes and bake them together with the chicken so that they absorb all of that juicy flavor.

Substitute the bone-in chicken thighs
I always prefer bone-in chicken for this recipe since it stays tender, but you can prepare this dish using boneless thighs, or chicken breast if preferred. For boneless chicken thighs, bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.
For chicken breast, bake covered for 15 minutes, then uncovered for about 10-15 minutes. Bake time for chicken breast will vary based on the thickness of the chicken, but the internal temperature should always reach 165 F.

Serve with:
Herb Rice and Chickpeas
Orange Zested Rice
Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Roasted Chicken with Olives
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 sliced yellow onion
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Herby Olives
- 1/2 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives sliced
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed or minced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Slice 1 yellow onion in half and then into thick strips. Layer the onions on the bottom of a baking dish, then place the chicken thighs on top. Optional, but I like to place 3-4 orange slices cut in half between the chicken pieces.
- Drizzle the chicken with the 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- Mix the turmeric, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper together in a small bowl, then rub onto each piece of chicken. Top with a drizzle of honey.
- Cover the baking dish with a piece of foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and spoon some of the juices onto each chicken piece. Finish baking uncovered for another 25 minutes, until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 F.
- While the chicken bakes, combine the sliced olives with the chopped herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. Toss together with 3-4 tbsp of olive oil. Serve over the chicken


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