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Simmer & Stir

Chicken with Lemon and Olives

Nothing beats a bright lemony chicken dish and this Chicken with Lemon and Olives is just that. A simple crowd feeder and pleaser that you can make with ingredients you probably have on hand. Sturdy Green Sicilian olives are the unexpected star of the show, bringing a briny touch of the Mediterranean to ordinary chicken breasts. The light sauce is flavorful but not overly acidic due to a careful combination of lemon juice, zest and a citrusy white wine. If you are looking for something new to do with chicken breast that doesn’t involve a can of cream based soup, then this recipe is for you!

Directions:

  1. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and lightly pound to an even thickness of about ½ inch.

  2. Mix salt and pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle both sides of chicken breasts.

  3. Dredge chicken breasts in flour and set aside.

  4. Set 12 inch skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil and butter. Once butter has melted and just started to brown add half of your chicken breasts. Brown for 5 minutes on one side, flip and brown on other side. Remove from pan to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

  5. Remove last batch of chicken breast from pan and reduce heat to medium. Add diced shallots and stir, cooking for 1 minute to soften.

  6. Add reserved 2 Tbsp of flour and stir for 30 seconds.

  7. Add wine or vermouth to deglaze pan and scrape up any browned bits. Add chicken broth, lemon zest and lemon juice and stir until sauce is evenly mixed. Bring to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until sauce is thickened.

  8. Return chicken breasts and any accumulated juices to the pan and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Flip chicken breasts over, recover and simmer another 5 minutes.

  9. Sprinkle olives over chicken and nestle into sauce. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes until sauce is thickened and chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165°. If sauce seems too thin, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until it reaches your desire thickness.

  10. Sprinkle chicken with fresh parsley and arrange lemon slices decoratively if desired.

  11. Serve with Sweet Pea Pilaf, Everyday Mashed Potatoes or Couscous and enjoy!

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

  • 2-2 ½ lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 6 medium breasts)

  • ½ Cup (60 grams) AP Flour (reserve 2 Tbsp)

  • 2 Tbsp (28 grams) Butter

  • 2 Tbsp (30 grams) Olive Oil

  • 2 Medium Shallots (about 50 grams), diced. (Red Onion can be substituted)

  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

  • Zest of one medium Lemon

  • ½ Cup (120 ml) White Wine (Pinot Grigio or substitute Dry Vermouth)

  • 1 Cup (120 grams) Pitted Green Sicilian Castelvetrano Olives, quartered lengthwise.

  • 1 ¼ Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

  • 2 tsp Table Salt

  • ½ tsp Fine Ground Black Pepper

  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, minced. (Optional)

  • Thinly Sliced Lemon (Optional)

Nothing beats a bright lemony chicken dish and this Chicken with Lemon and Olives is just that. A simple crowd feeder and pleaser that you can make with ingredients you probably have on hand. Sturdy Green Sicilian olives are the unexpected star of the show, bringing a briny touch of the Mediterranean to ordinary chicken breasts. The light sauce is flavorful but not overly acidic due to a careful combination of lemon juice, zest and a citrusy white wine. If you are looking for something new to do with chicken breast that doesn’t involve a can of cream based soup, then this recipe is for you!

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