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Chicken Provençal

Green olives, tomatoes, shallots, fresh thyme, white wine and plenty of garlic create a deeply fragrant, flavorful base for this delicately date-sweetened braised chicken Provençal.

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chicken Provençal with green and black olives, tomatoes, shallots, and white wine in a large braising pot

Pass the Rosé, S’il Vous Plait

French cuisine offers many simple and classic dishes we’ve added to our repertoire–Braised Leeks with Beurre Blanc, Coq au Vin, and the Croque Monsieur are amongst our favorites. Chicken Provençal transforms regular old chicken thighs into a white wine-braised, olive-y, garlicky feat of culinary delight. Just add crusty bread and plenty of rosé.

Chicken Provençal with olives, tomatoes, shallots, and white wine and thyme in a large braising pot

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The Flavors of Provence

Provence is a sun-soaked region of France, and its cuisine reflects that. Our braised chicken with herbs de Provence celebrates the bounty of that terroir, using:

  • Olives. Olive groves are abundant in Provence, and the region produces truly excellent olive oil. Their briny bite brings a disproportionate amount of deliciousness to this simple braised chicken.

  • Wine, of course! White wine, specifically. Use a dry white wine that you enjoy drinking. More on that in a minute!

  • Herbs. You may have heard of the classic, lavender-flecked herb blend, Herbes de Provence, and if you’ve got some on-hand, go ahead and use it in this recipe! However, to keep things simple and approachable, we’re only calling for thyme. With so many big flavors at play, the braised chicken is still fragrant and delicious even with just thyme.

  • Tomatoes. You’re probably already familiar with one of Provence’s other famous tomato-laden culinary exports—Ratatouille!

  • Garlic. Fresh garlic and lots of it—we just know that we’d be right at home in Provence.

Ingredients laid out for chicken Provençal tomatoes, green olives, bone in skin on chicken thighs, olive oil, dates, shallots

What Wine Goes With Chicken Provençal?

If you really want to stay on-theme, reach for a Provençal white wine for this delicious braise. Remember, braising is a moist-heat cooking method—as opposed to roasting, which relies primarily on dry-heat—and in this case, the moisture will come from the tomatoes and the FULL CUP of wine that you add to the pot. You can use any wine you enjoy drinking, but if you want to have a little fun, why not try a Provençal white wine? Here are a few common white wines from Provence:

  • Ugni Blanc. Also called “Trebbiano Toscano”, Ugni Blanc is a commonly planted varietal in France, and yields a crisp, tart white wine. It’s a little hard to find here in the U.S. but if you can find it, it’s often pretty inexpensive.

  • Marsanne / Roussanne. We’re combining these two grape varieties because that is what winemakers usually do—blend them! Marsanne is a French grape varietal that gives wines a little body and heft—kind of like Chardonnay. Roussanne is similarly full-bodied, but has an herbal, sometimes floral perfume that distinguishes it from Marsanne. Together, they’re a classic Rhône Valley white wine blend.

  • Grenache Blanc. Popular in Spain (where it’s called Garnacha or Garnatxa Blanca) and Southern France, Grenache Blanc isn’t too hard to find in the U.S., and is often quite affordable—yay for that! Use a Spanish or French bottle—either would be delicious in chicken Provençal.

chicken thighs seasoned with salt and black pepper on parchment paper
8 bone in skin on chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper browned in olive oil in a pan
browned chicken thighs in a pan with olives, tomatoes and shallots.
homemade chicken Provençal with olives, tomatoes, shallots, and white wine

How to Make Chicken Provençal

Specifically, here’s how to make roasted Provençal chicken—and BTW “Provençal” just means “in the style of Provence”. How to pronounce chicken Provençal? When you see the letter “c” with the curved symbol attached, the cedilla, that means the “c” is pronounced as an “s”--so this is pronounced pro-ven-sall. It also means big flavors, moist heat, and a dinner that’s ready in about an hour start-to-finish. Bon app!

  1. Season the chicken thighs. Salt, pepper, thyme.

  2. Brown the chicken thighs. Heat, oil, a light touch.

  3. Flavor the chicken thighs. Garlic, shallots, tomatoes, dates, olives, wine. Simmer.

  4. Braise the chicken thighs. Into a hot oven for an hour.

  5. Eat the chicken thighs. With crusty bread for sopping up all of that gorgeous sauce.

Provençal chicken with olives, tomatoes, shallots, and white wine being scooped with a serving spoon
Provençal chicken with olives, tomatoes, shallots, and white wine

Tools You’ll Need:

  • Large oven proof pan—this is a great job for your Dutch oven—with a lid. The lid is a must!
  • Sharp knife.
  • Tongs are handy for browning the chicken thighs.
  • Rosé for drinking. Not essential, but highly recommended. It may not actually be sunny outside, but we can certainly pretend.

Braise Baby, Braise.

In our homes, braising season is a year-round sport. Pure, cozy, comfort food to make for any meal.

Hey, Let Us Know How You Liked This, OK?

Snap a photo of your chicken Provençal and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can see! Happy eating!

Chicken Provençal

  • Serves: 4
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  1 hr 10 min
  • Calories: 547

Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower third of the oven.

  2. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.

  3. Heat the oil in a large oven proof-pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken, skin sides down, and cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown.

  4. Flip chicken and arrange the thyme, garlic, shallots, tomatoes, dates, and olives around the chicken.

  5. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the chicken registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer, for about 60 minutes.

  6. Serve over rice, polenta or mashed potatoes with crusty bread alongside, if using.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories547
  • Protein22 g
  • Carbohydrates49 g
  • Total Fat26 g
  • Dietary Fiber7 g
  • Cholesterol84 mg
  • sodium815 mg
  • Total Sugars16 g

Chicken Provençal

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Dama

    How big is your Dutch oven/ovenproof pan (in quarts or diameter)?

    This is a 15 inch 3.5 quart braiser.

  • Cassandra

    Is there a good non-alcoholic substitute for the white wine you would recommend? If so, do you recommend using the same amount as would be called for if using white wine? Thank you!

    Just go ahead and replace it with chicken broth. Hope you enjoy Cassandra!

  • Matt

    Can this be made with boneless chicken thighs? How would you need to adjust the cooking time?

    You could, it will cook faster. You probably only need to bake 40-45 minutes. Check the chicken temperature after 40 minutes and remove when it hits 165F. Hope you enjoy Matt!

  • Joy

    My butcher prepares half a Chicken and marinades it in Provençal sauce. What is the best way to cook it and for how long.

    I am about to make my own dish and wondered if

    You can still use this recipe with a half chicken just make sure it is cooked through to 165F internal temperature. Check the temperature after 45 minutes and keep cooking if it is not done. It will still probably take between 45 and 60 minutes to cook through. Hope you enjoy!

  • Andrew

    At what temperature do you cook it in the oven?

    400 F

  • Jess

    I haven’t made a lot of French food (ok any) and was a little bit skeptical of this but know by now TMP never ever misses so gave it a shot. As usual, my family and I loved it a lot! Such a simple and easy dinner, great for a weeknight but feels fancier. Thank you!

    Thanks Jess, we are so glad you and your family loved it!

  • Matt

    Amazing. Chicken is tender. Tomatoes get wonderfully blistered. Garlic gets soft and jammy. The wine adds the perfect amount of acid. Everything is a delight. This made it into our regular rotation.

    Thanks, so glad you loved it!

  • Eric

    This recipe transports me back to the French county side!! When I have this dish for dinner, I dream of Orange, fields of lavender and grapes, and the glorious summer sun setting golden in the evening; my friends and I sipping Sauvignon Blanc and eating chicken Provençal

    Well, now we all just want to be on the French country side! We are so happy you loved this and that it sparks such wonderful memories. Thanks Eric!

  • Eliza

    My family enjoyed this. I served over couscous.

    Thanks Eliza, so happy you all enjoyed it!

  • Sheila

    I normally try a new recipe; print a copy if I like it; and, well, that's all. But, this recipe is sooo good that I have to leave a "thank you." I followed the directions...and my husband & I loved it! Thank you for the bonus tips as well for they were useful to me.

    Aw thank you so much Sheila, we appreciate you taking the time to let us know you loved it!