Mediterranean chicken thighs are an easy one-pan dinner with tender bone-in chicken, tomatoes, olives, white wine, thyme, and vegetables simmered together in a savory pan sauce. Optional saffron adds another layer of Mediterranean flavor, and the savory juices are perfect spooned over the chicken or served with pasta or rice.
With just 10-15 minutes of prep, this is the kind of chicken dinner that delivers far more flavor than the effort suggests. The chicken cooks in about 25-30 minutes, while the vegetables, wine, herbs, olives, and chicken juices create a savory broth right in the pan. Serve it over rice to catch every bit of that broth, and dinner is done.
Recipe Snapshot
- Easy one-pan dinner - Just 10-15 minutes of prep, then about 25-30 minutes to cook.
- Loaded with vegetables - Onion, carrots, celery, and tomatoes cook right alongside the chicken.
- Big Mediterranean flavor - Olives, thyme, white wine, and optional saffron add layers of savory flavor.
- Don't waste the broth - Serve with rice, pasta, or crusty bread to soak up the flavorful pan juices.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken - Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs stay juicy and flavorful as they cook.
- Onion - Yellow, white, or brown onion all work well.
- Celery - Adds savory flavor to the vegetable base.
- Carrots - Add natural sweetness to balance the savory flavors.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic gives the best flavor.
- Olive oil - For browning the chicken and sautéing the vegetables. Avocado oil works too.
- White wine - Use a dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc for deglazing the pan and adding flavor.
- Chicken broth - Use low-sodium or homemade chicken broth so you can control the seasoning.
- Tomatoes - Canned petite diced tomatoes are my preference, but regular diced tomatoes work too.
- Olives - Use pitted Kalamata olives for a brinier flavor or green Castelvetrano olives for a milder, buttery flavor.
- Thyme - Fresh or dried thyme both work well. An Italian herb blend can also be used.
- Bay leaf - Adds subtle savory flavor as the chicken cooks.
- Saffron - Optional, but adds lovely flavor and a beautiful golden hue to the sauce.
Please see the recipe card for measurement, salt, and pepper.
Chef's Tip: Bone-in chicken thighs vary considerably in size, so shop by weight rather than number of pieces. For 4 servings, aim for about 3 pounds total and choose thighs that are fairly similar in size so they cook evenly. And if you have leftovers, they make a great lunch.
Substitutions and Variations
- No wine - Simply omit; the chicken broth will deglaze the pan.
- No saffron - Simply leave it out. The dish will still have plenty of flavor.
- Change the olives - Use Kalamata olives for a brinier, more robust flavor or Castelvetrano olives for a milder, buttery flavor.
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken Thighs
For best results, use a large 12-inch skillet or braiser with a lid so the chicken thighs fit comfortably in a single layer with room for the vegetables and pan juices.
- Turn the chicken thighs skin-side down and trim any excess overhanging skin and fat. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in the pan over medium to medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook until the skin is golden, about 5 minutes, reducing the heat if they brown too quickly.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
- Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- If using wine, add it to the pan to deglaze, stirring to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost gone.
- Stir in the chicken broth.
- Add the drained tomatoes, olives, herbs, and saffron, crushing the saffron threads between your fingers as you add them.
- Return the chicken to the pan, nestling the thighs into the vegetables and pan juices. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer, reducing the heat as needed. Cook until the chicken reaches 175°F, 12-15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Mediterranean chicken thighs in wide shallow bowls with plenty of the vegetables and savory pan broth spooned over the top. They're satisfying on their own, or serve with brown rice, pasta, or riced mashed potatoes to soak up the flavorful broth. Add a simple green salad for an easy, complete dinner.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover chicken with the vegetables and pan broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth if needed to keep everything moist. Or reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven until hot throughout.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken is safe to eat at 165°F, but dark meat benefits from cooking to a higher temperature. Taking chicken thighs to about 175°F gives the connective tissue more time to break down, resulting in more tender, juicy meat.
Both Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives work beautifully. Kalamata olives are darker, saltier, and more robust, while green Castelvetrano olives are milder and buttery. Use pitted olives for easy eating.
Yes. Simply omit the wine. The chicken broth will deglaze the pan and pick up the flavorful browned bits.
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well, but they cook faster, so begin checking them earlier. Bone-in, skin-on thighs add more flavor and stay especially juicy.
More Chicken Recipes
Can you ever have too many chicken recipes? I don't think so. Try some of these to add to your recipe file. And be sure to checkout the chicken recipe index for more inspriation!
If You Make This Recipe
If you make these Mediterranean chicken thighs, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 12" skillet or braiser with lid
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 small
- ¾ cup finely chopped celery 2 large ribs
- ¾ cup finely chopped carrots 2 large
- 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ cup dry white wine optional
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium or homemade
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes drained of juice
- 16 pitted Kalamata olives or Castelvestrano olives
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh
- 2 pinches saffron threads optional
- 1 bay leaf
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Instructions
- Trim chicken thighs of excess fat or skin. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Heat olive oil in a medium Dutch oven (5 ½ quart) or other heavy wide pan over medium low heat. When oil is hot (but not smoking), place seasoned chicken skin side down in a single layer in the pot. The chicken should sizzle when it hits the heat. Cook chicken until it is golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm. Turn the heat down to medium low. Drain off excess fat with a spoon but leave a little.
- To the pot add chopped onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the wine (or sub broth) and cook until it is reduced by half. Add the broth, tomatoes, olives, thyme, saffron and bay leaf. Add the chicken back into the pot, nestling it into the vegetables. Cover the pot and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F, 15-18 minutes. Serve chicken thighs in 4 shallow bowls covered with the vegetables and juices.
Prep chicken
- Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat and overhanging skin. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
brown chicken
- Heat the olive oil in a 12" skillet, braiser, or other heavy wide pan over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the chicken skin-side down in a single layer. The chicken should sizzle when it hits the pan. Cook until the skin is golden brown, 5–7 minutes, reducing the heat if it browns too quickly. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Spoon off the excess rendered fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
Cook vegetables
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Deglaze pan
- Add the wine and cook, stirring to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until reduced by about half. If not using wine, skip this step.
Add broth and seasoning
- Add the chicken broth, well-drained tomatoes, olives, thyme, saffron, and bay leaf.
Finish chicken
- Return the chicken to the pan, nestling the thighs into the vegetables and broth. Cover and bring to a simmer, reducing the heat as needed. Cook until the chicken reaches 175°F, about 12 minutes.
Serve
- Serve the chicken in wide, shallow bowls with plenty of the vegetables and savory broth.
Notes
Nutrition
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Mary@SiftingFocus says
I have always been a fan of dark meat, always looking for recipes that use thighs since they are my favorite piece of the bird. Happy to have another healthy, quick and nutritious way to prepare them.
Sally Cameron says
Thanks Mary. I'll be doing more recipes with them!
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
I have something very similar on my menu today, but I am going to try your recipe next. I usually only eat white meat, but I have to say when braised I am warming to dark. The price of saffron makes me cringe. 🙂 Good job!
Sally Cameron says
Thanks Madonna. I was that way too until recently. I really like the thighs now. They are a nice change, richer, nice in braises like this. I know on the saffron, but it's so nice. The other thing I am doing occasionally is duck breast. Loving that too. Not gamey or strong. I buy Mary's, which is white pekin duck, very mild. As I am not a beef eater, got to change it up!
Suzanne Hinze says
What if you don't like celery? Can you just omit it from the recipe or substitute with something else?
Sally Cameron says
Suzanne! You don't like celery? I can tease you because we are friends. Do you now like celery even when it is cooked, soft and with all of these other veggies and broth? If not, leave it out. Do you like fennel? Do that instead. Would be really good, and very Mediterranean. It has a soft sweet faintly licorice flavor.
Suzanne Hinze says
Can't wait to make the Mediterranean Chicken Thighs. I don't like celery, what can it be substituted for? Or just leave it out?