Chicken with Green Olives and Lemon

This is one of those recipes that is great for an ordinary weeknight dinner, or for a spectacular holiday entrée.

No long (or even short) hours marinating. Just schmear the flavorful seasoning onto the bird, pop into the oven, and go relax. Put your feet up and enjoy a glass of pre-dinner wine. You work hard … you deserve it!

Anyway, onward to the ingredients.

Don’t like olives? Leave ‘em out. Lemme let you in on a little secret: I usually make this dish without olives, but there was about a 1/2 can’s worth occupying space in the freezer I needed for a 1/2 can’s worth of something else. Yeah I know, doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you saw how packed my freezer has become lately you’d completely understand.

TIP ALERT! Defrosted olives retain their shape and texture, and can be used as if you just popped open a fresh can. Some snobs astute family members might be able to tell the diff when you sprinkle a handful over a salad. Otherwise no one will be the wiser.

But I digress …

Speaking of holidays, this dish is Passover friendly. No chometz cooties. No gluten either. Several brands of K for P chipotle chili powder exist, but if you can’t find any at your local Try-n-Save (and they didn’t have any at mine this year 😟), feel free to simply omit it. But I hope you are able to find some.  Chipotle chili powder adds a hint of delicious spicy smokiness without the raging fire that whole chipotle peppers can throw, especially if you’re not used to them.

Note: I didn't measure, so quantities below are an educated guess.


Chicken with Green Olives and Lemon 
Adapted from: toriavey.com
Yield: 4-5 servings

1 chicken, cut up into 8ths
2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1/2 lemon (about 1/2 tsp.)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbl. honey
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder (optional)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 of a (6 oz. dry wt. or 16-ish oz. total wt.) can pitted green olives (sliced or whole), drained and chopped
Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 Tbl.)

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place chicken parts in a single layer on a lightly greased large casserole dish or rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the chopped olives and lemon juice.   Using a brush, schmear mixture over each piece of chicken.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375F. Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle evenly with the chopped olives.

Return pan to oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until chicken is nicely browned and cooked through (juices run clear when one of the larger pieces is pierced with the tip of a knife).

Remove pan from oven. Drizzle evenly with lemon juice.  Divide among dinner plates and serve.