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Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Olives in a cast iron skillet
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5 from 2 votes

Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Olives

This Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Olives recipe is easy to make with 8 simple ingredients and can be prepared in only 25 minutes and off into the oven!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 6 chicken thighs
Calories: 578kcal
Author: Dalya Rubin

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs skin-on bone-in
  • 2 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 
  • 3 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1 medium onion sliced into thicken semi circles
  • 4 garlic cloves sliced
  • 2 pints colorful cherry tomatoes half sliced and half whole
  • ½ cup pimiento manzanilla olives crushed
  • ½ cup pitted black olives crushed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley 

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In an oven-safe pan with high sides (I use a wide dutch oven pan), add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Heat on a medium flame until slightly sizzly.
  • Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel and sprinkle both sides of the with 1 teaspoon salt total.
  • Place half of the chicken thighs, skin side down, into the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the skin easily pulls away from the pan and is a golden yellow color. Turn the chicken over and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.
  • Repeat the chicken cooking process in Step 3 with the remaining 3 chicken thighs. Place chicken thighs onto the plate with the other pieces from before.
  • The pot should still be hot with leftover oil. To the pot, add the sliced onion and garlic. Cook 3 minutes until onions are beginning to become translucent.
  • Next, add 1 tablespoon oil, tomatoes, green olives and black olives and mix to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomato juices appear. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, chopped thyme and sugar. Cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Carefully place chicken thighs back into the pan and spoon the hot tomato-olive liquid over each chicken thigh so they’re coated in flavor.
  • Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt over the entire pan of chicken along with black pepper.
  • Cover the pan with an oven-safe lid (or aluminum foil) and bake for 35 minutes.
  • Uncover at the 30 minute mark, baste with the tomato liquid and cook at 425°F for 15 minutes.
  • Allow chicken to cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

  • Make sure your pan is hot before & while searing the chicken so that the skin will get crispy and won't stick to the pan. If your chicken is sticking to the pan it's because the skin hasn't cooked for long enough yet or the pan isn't hot enough.
  • Onion Substitute: Use a red onion or a 3 shallots instead of a yellow onion! This can be super delicious and yield different results.
  • Sugar Substitute: Swap sugar for honey or maple syrup! If you don't have sugar at home or want this to be healthier, don't worry, you can use maple syrup or honey instead.
  • Olive Substitute: Use another variation of olives in place of my recommended olives.
  • Parsley Substitute: Swap for other fresh herb such as cilantro or dill.
  • Storage: This dish can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before eating. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken thigh | Calories: 578kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 2139mg | Potassium: 953mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1675IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg