Made in just one skillet, this Mediterranean chicken recipe comes together in less than 30-minutes. It’s packed with my favorite flavors from childhood: garlicky seared chicken, briny olives, creamy feta, tomatoes, and parsley. Fewer dishes, less time, and more flavor—that’s what I call weeknight dinner done right!
Weeknights can be busy so I tend to lean toward simple skillet meals like this Mediterranean chicken recipe.
It’s loaded with bright, fresh flavors thanks to the tomatoes, olives, and lemon—plus, like my one-pan Chicken and Asparagus recipe, cleanup is a snap. One skillet, a knife and a cutting board and you’re done!
I usually serve this recipe as it is, but it’s easy to stretch to serve a larger family or a crowd, by serving it over pasta or rice. There is plenty of sauce to sop up so pairing this skillet chicken recipe with a piece of crusty bread or Rosemary Focaccia would also work.
The best part? This recipe is so versatile! If you have spinach to use up, toss it in there just before serving. Have chicken thighs on hand instead of chicken breast? They’ll taste great! Wanting a dairy free chicken recipe? This Mediterranean chicken is flavorful and delicious with or without the feta.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need to Make Mediterranean Chicken
You probably have everything you need to make this skillet chicken recipe in your fridge or pantry.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: I call for boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they’re so quick and easy to cook, but if you prefer the richness of bone in, skin on chicken breasts or even chicken thighs just give yourself some extra time. If you’re cooking with the skin on, make sure to start by rendering the skin in the hot pan until it’s crispy (about 7 minutes), then flip and brown the second side.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A smooth, peppery olive oil–like our Private Reserve EVOO from Kyparissia, Greece–really draws out and elevates the flavor of this garlicky chicken. It’s so good I sometimes drizzle a little on top just before serving!
- Flavor Makers: A combination of dried oregano and alliums like garlic and onion create the foundation of this dish. Salt just enhances the flavor of the other ingredients and pepper adds a little earthy warmth.
- Lemon juice: Acids like lemon juice or vinegar brighten the recipe and cut through any fat from the olive oil.
- Tomatoes: I used fresh tomatoes, but if tomatoes aren’t in season feel free to use 1 (15 oz) can of chopped tomatoes.
- Green olives: I love the punchiness of green olives for this recipe, but kalamata olives will also work. I love Castelvetrano olive so much I even turn them into Olive Salad, but if you don’t like olives, leave them out and substitute them with capers, or paper thin slices of fresh or preserved lemon.
- White wine: Look for a dry white wine—it adds a nice acidity to balance the richness of the chicken. A good rule of thumb for cooking wine is to avoid wines aged in oak, like some chardonnays, as they tend to give a bitter flavor. If you don’t cook with alcohol you can use extra chicken stock instead.
- Chicken stock: If you have homemade chicken stock go ahead and use it in this recipe to amp up the chicken flavor, but store bought will also work.
- Crumbled feta cheese: I love a creamy feta preserved in brine if you can get your hands on it (I just crumble the feta with my hands as I’m finishing the dish).
- Fresh parsley: I sprinkle it on at the end to add a pop of color and a light, fresh, herbal taste to the recipe.
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken
The best part about one-skillet dinners is how easy they are to make and how easy they are to clean up. Fewer dishes to do means more time with my family.
- Prep the chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry. This helps skillet chicken get that nice golden-brown sear. Make three shallow slits on each side of the chicken breast.
- Season the chicken: Rub the garlic on both sides of the chicken, pushing some garlic into the slits you made. Season the chicken breasts all over with a heavy pinch of salt and pepper and 1/2 of the dried oregano.
- Sear the chicken: In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high until it shimmers. Add the chicken and sear on both sides, until you have a light golden color.
- Braise the chicken: Add the white wine and let reduce by half. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oregano on top and reduce the heat to medium. Cover with a lid or tightly with foil. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes on one side, then turn the chicken over and cook for another 6 minutes and cook until the thickest part of the chicken measures 165°F with an instant read thermometer.
- Finish the chicken and serve: Uncover and top with the chopped onions, tomatoes and olives. Cover again and cook for 3 minutes to soften the vegetables and bring all the flavors together. Finish with the parsley and feta cheese (if using). Enjoy!
What To Serve With Mediterranean Chicken
While this Mediterranean chicken recipe is delicious on its own, I love to serve it with a simple starch for soaking up the flavorful sauce.
I’m always looking for ways to add more vegetables to meal time. If that’s the case for you too then try my Mediterranean Couscous Salad, Italian Oven Roasted Vegetables or a simple Greek Green Bean Salad.
And if you’ve saved room for dessert, finish the night off with our Italian hot chocolate. It’s so rich and luxurious that a little goes a long way.
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Mediterranean Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic or garlic paste
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 4 small tomatoes, diced, about 1 1/2 cups
- 1/4 cup sliced green olives
- Handful of fresh parsley, stems removed, leaves chopped
- Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry. Make three shallow slits on each side of the chicken breast.
- Season the chicken: Rub the garlic on both sides of the chicken, pushing some garlic into the slits you made. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper and 1/2 of the dried oregano.
- Sear the chicken: In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Sear the chicken on both sides, then add the white wine and reduce by half.
- Braise the chicken: Add the lemon juice and chicken broth. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oregano on top and turn the heat to medium. Cover with a lid or tightly with foil. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes on one side, then turn the chicken over and cook for 5 to 6 additional minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Finish the chicken and serve: Uncover and top with chopped onions, tomatoes and olives. Cover again and cook for 3 minutes. Finish with the parsley and feta cheese (if using). Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pro-Tip: If you're working with larger and thicker boneless chicken breasts, you might be okay using only two breasts and splitting them into cutlets. To do so, place the chicken breast flat on a cutting board. Place one hand on top to hold the breast. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces. It helps if you do this close to the edge of the cutting board.
- Change it up: This is one skillet chicken breast recipe that you can certainly tweak to your liking. Add a handful of spinach, switch out the olives for capers, throw in some extra herbs—really make this dish your own!
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.
Nutrition
*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
This. Was. So. Good! I did not salt the chicken, added drained (not rinsed so salt box was def checked) artichoke hearts, tons of fresh baby spinach, and more fresh lemon at the very end. WOW!!! 😀 Definitely a keeper!
This is such a great recipe! Wondering if I can make it in the crockpot using chicken thighs or boneless skinless ones?
Love when entertaining to have it done without the steps.
Thanks!
Hi, Vicky. This tastes best when prepared on the stovetop, but I’m sure there’s a way you could adapt it to work in a slow cooker.
Great base of a recipe – I used two, not four. I put multiple small slits in the chicken, sliced the garlic very small & thin and inserted all over, seasoned as directed. I seared both sides then placed chicken back on the first side. I added the lemon juice and chicken broth – I did not use wine. I covered with lid that let a little steam out, but I did not turn the chicken. After chicken temped at 165, I added a can of Red Gold tomatoes already seasoned with basil, garlic & oregano. Cooked about 7 more minutes. I served this on top/side of couscous cooked in chicken broth seasoned with a mediterranean spice blend I made and added red onion and sliced black olives. I was going to add Feta, but I forgot. We have been eating healthier for about a month. Some meals are hits, some are not. This one has made it onto the “make again” list. almost immediately from the first bite.
Yay! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience here, Jeff!
Delish! I use this site a lot. I wish you all had an app. for IPhone. I loved this recipe. I left out the salt and onions and added artichoke hearts quartered. Also used apple cider vinegar instead of wine. Also used Kalmata olives instead of green olives. I served it over quinoa. Yummy!!! Thank you!!
Jessica
Made this last night, delicious! I’m not a big eater so it will do me two nights. I am loving all the recipes that I have tried so far and my book arrived at the weekend.
I also like the fact that I can reduce the quantities of the recipe for one person, very handy, I do have to convert the amounts to our units here in Australia but that is easy.
Thank you for a great site and great recipes.
Thanks you so much for your lovely review, Margaret!
Don’t salt the chicken breast. The olives and stock have plenty! Added frozen spinach for extra veggie power.
This has become a frequent recipe in our rotation in the past 6 months. I’ve made as the recipe states and it was delicious. I also cut corners and have subbed canned fire roasted tomatoes for fresh, dried parsley for fresh and kalamata for green olives. All have resulted in wonderful results. Super easy and quick weekday meal over some farro or rice. Thank you!
Hi Chrissy, Devin here from the Mediterranean Dish team. So happy you love this recipe! And thank for sharing your tweaks and serving suggestions. We love this one over farro or rice as well, or lemony Greek rice for a little something extra. Happy cooking! 🙂
I’ve made this dish 3 times…thank you for putting this up. Question: does your recipe say when to add the red onion or am I missing something?
Hi, John! So glad you’ve enjoyed this one! The onions are added in the last step: Uncover and top with chopped onions, tomatoes and olives. Cover again and cook for 3 minutes. Finish with the parsley and feta cheese (if using). Enjoy!
Great recipe, thanks! I added some capers too to give it a little more salty brine taste. I’m adding this dish to our regular rotation!
I haven’t tried this yet, but I could see adding artichoke hearts, and maybe spinach and/or eggplant. Might think to do Kalmata olives instead of green. Looks like a good recipe!
Recipe was great. However it specifically calls for a cast iron skillet when a lot of the things in the recipient are acidic. You will destroy your cast iron skillet if it isn’t ceramic coated. Be aware.
My cast iron is well seasoned and has never been touched by animal protein, so it stands up to the acids in the recipe. Wonderful dish- very versatile. Thanks!
I have a well seasoned cast iron skillet and I put EVERYTHING in it. Including lots of acidic sauces. Had it for many many years. It’s not ceramic coated and has stood the test of time and daily use. I don’t think this recipe is going to ruin my skillet. And I can’t wait to try it!
Outdoor griddles like Blackstone are very popular so I’d love to see some recipes that would work on these. I use mine several times a week but most of the recipes are higher calorie “comfort” foods which usually means not the healthiest dishes. Don’t have to be able to prepare the entire dish on the griddle but maybe some meat and veggies that are combined with feta cheese, calamari olives, etc.
This was so easy and amazing. I substituted white wine with apple cider vinegar but the rest exactly like what the recipe called for. It was delicious! Took me back to my last visit to Greece! Thank you!
A nice combo of flavors. I wasn’t excited about all of the raw red onion so decided to alter the recipe a bit by sauteing it just after the chicken was browned on both sides (boneless skinless thighs) and before deglazing with the wine. Also cut back on the lemon juice after adding approximately half and tasting. Leftovers were even better!
This was a very interesting change to our normal routine. Thanks for the “alternate” concessions/suggestions … I won’t normally comment on a recipe if I don’t follow it exactly, but you were so nice and forgiving with your notes so I feel better about the subs I had to make 🙂 I used what I had on hand … thighs, kalamata olives, sweet onions instead of red onions … and it was still really good. Somewhere between Italy and Greece! We had a bunch of tomatoes to use up from the summer harvest, so this was perfect!
Great and easy recipe! Thanks Suzy. This was so tasty. It’s a keeper.
Yay! Thanks, Jim!