Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes

These Italian-inspired Chicken Breasts with Olives and Tomatoes are easy enough to prepare for everyday meals and elegant enough for special occasions, too. In just 35 minutes and one skillet, this dish turns bright fresh tomatoes, onions, nutty garlic, and tangy olives into a deeply flavorful dish.

this Recipe

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I make this scrumptious dish often, partly because Robert and I both love these bright, briny Mediterranean flavors, and partly because I almost always have the ingredients on hand.

It first appeared in my cookbook Fresh Tastes, and it’s earned its keep ever since. The sauce is deeply flavorful, and the whole dish comes together in one skillet in about 35 minutes. As everything simmers together, the sweet tomatoes, tangy Kalamata olives, and nutty garlic meld into a sauce that’s deeply savory with just a bit of a kick from a quick cayenne-and-paprika rub.

For more easy chicken breast dinner recipes, try this baked Mexican panko chicken or braised chicken breasts next.

Ingredients Needed

Here’s what you’ll need to prepare this easy chicken breasts with tomato-olive sauce:

• Chicken breasts: I use boneless, skinless breast halves, then butterfly the breasts and halve them into thinner cutlets so they cook quickly and evenly.
• Kalamata olives: Their deep, briny flavor is the backbone of this dish. Buy them pitted to save time, then give them a rough chop. If you love olives, try my Greek pasta salad with orzo too!
• Tomatoes: Fresh, seeded and chopped tomatoes are lovely when they’re in season. Out of season, canned diced tomatoes actually deliver more flavor, so reach for those instead.
• Capers: Optional, but a spoonful adds an extra layer of salty, tangy brightness that plays beautifully off the olives. I also use capers in this chicken and artichoke pasta dish.
• Chicken stock: Helps loosen the browned bits in the pan into the sauce and adds savory depth. Use gluten-free stock to keep the dish gluten-free.
• Butter: Stirred in at the end to finish the sauce, giving it a rich, rounded flavor.

Variations and Substitutions

• Provençal chicken: Substitute fresh basil for the oregano and Niçoise olives for the Kalamatas for a slightly different dish with more focus on the tomatoes.
• Skip the olives: If you prefer a milder flavor, switch out the olives for quartered artichoke hearts. Chicken and artichokes go great, just like in my creamy chicken and artichoke soup.
• Change the protein: This tomato and olive sauce works great with tuna steaks, similar to this grilled tuna steaks recipe. It’s also delicious spooned over pan-seared pork cutlets, salmon fillets, halibut, or even seared shrimp.
• Use chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless thighs work well here, too. Just sauté them a few minutes longer, until they reach 165°F and are cooked through.
• Add more heat: Increase the cayenne in the rub, or stir a pinch of red pepper flakes into the sauce along with the tomatoes.
• Finish with feta: Crumble a little feta over the top just before serving for a creamy, tangy note that cuts through the briny olives.

How to Make Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes

1. Halve the chicken. Butterfly each chicken breast and then cut in half through the middle to make 8 thin cutlets.

2. Season the chicken. In a small bowl, combine the cayenne pepper, black pepper, and paprika. Rub the mixture over
   both sides of chicken. If you have any leftover seasoning, you can save it for another use.

3. Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add 4 chicken cutlets and sauté on both sides until they brown and an instant-
   read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 165° F. Transfer the cutlets to a large platter, cover, and keep warm. Add another 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and cook the remaining 4 cutlets.

4. Start the sauce. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions are softened.
   Then, stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, oregano, olives and capers. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened.

5. Finish the sauce. Add the butter to the tomato and olive sauce, stirring until it melts. Season to taste with salt and
   ground pepper.

6. Return chicken to warm. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chicken back to the pan with the sauce, including any accumulated juices. Spoon the sauce over the breasts and cook for just 1-2 minutes to rewarm the chicken.

Serving Suggestions

This dish is so chock-a-block full of Mediterranean flavors, I like to serve it with simple sides that don’t compete. Try it with brown rice, or a brown rice and quinoa mixture, or orzo pasta.

Add on a salad like our spinach salad with pine nut dressing and easy dinner rolls, and you have a balanced, alluring meal for everyday or entertaining.

Storage Tips

• Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months.
• Reheating leftovers: Reheat chicken and sauce on the stove over medium heat, or you can reheat individual servings in a microwave in 60-second intervals until heated through.

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