Chicken Provencal is a classic French dish that combines tender chicken thighs seasoned with herbes de Provence and roasted with shallots, olives, artichoke hearts, and lemon, and is one of the best one-pan meals you’ll ever make. This one is rustic enough for quiet nights at home, but special enough for dinner parties and gatherings.
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A French favorite
I grew up making Italian-American food, so it will always be my first love, but every time I make a French dish, such as beef bourguignon or coq au vin, I wonder why I don’t do it more often.
The simple French flavors in chicken Provencal make this dish incredibly rustic – the roasted shallots are mellow and tender, while the artichoke hearts, olives, and roasted lemon provide additional layers of texture and flavor, which are second only to the incredibly moist chicken and its crispy skin.
Chicken Provencal is wonderful paired with a loaf of baguette to soak up the delicious sauce, but would also be great with crispy roasted potatoes and a green salad dressed with homemade French vinaigrette.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Chicken. This recipe is best made with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Chicken thighs hold up well to braising and roasting. If you must use chicken breasts, you can, just be sure to remove them from the oven when they reach 160°F so they don’t overcook and dry out.
- Artichokes. I used extra-large artichoke hearts with stems intact, packed in oil. They can sometimes be hard to source, though, so feel free to use regular artichoke hearts packed in oil or water.
- Shallots. When roasted, shallots become incredibly mellow and delicious. Whenever I make Chicken Provencal my family fights over who gets the last shallot, so while the recipe calls for 4, you can definitely use more.
- Olives. I’m using a mix of kalamata and Sicilian olives, but you really can use any olives you’d like. This would be especially good with the black oil-cured olives I use in my chicken cacciatore.
- Vermouth. This ingredient gives acidity and great flavor. You can sub with a dry white wine, or with chicken stock.
- Herbes de Provence. This dried blend of French herbs includes thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, tarragon, and lavender.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make chicken Provencal
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Trim the chicken thighs of any overhanging fat or skin, then pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Season the thighs on all sides with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of herbes de Provence.
- Dredge the chicken thighs in flour and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Sear the chicken, skin side down, in a large pan over medium heat with olive oil until well browned.
- Turn the thighs over and sear for another 5 minutes, working in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan.
- Add the vermouth and stock and bring to a simmer for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits. Spoon some of the sauce onto each chicken thigh.
- Turn off the heat and add the olives, artichokes, shallots, and lemon halves, cut side up. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of herbes de Provence all over.
- Roast in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes, then baste the chicken with the juices and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until the chicken thighs reach at least 185°F. Remove from the oven and whisk in the butter 1 cube at a time. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving, then serve with a crusty baguette.
Top tips
- Searing the chicken. Be sure to take the time to dry the chicken very well with paper towels. This will help ensure the chicken gets a good sear to develop a beautiful golden color.
- The right pan. The right pan is essential for chicken Provencal; I recommend using a pan large enough to accommodate all the ingredients. A 14-inch pan works well. The pan should also be oven-safe so you can easily transfer from stovetop cooking to oven roasting. If you don’t have a large enough pan, or a pan that’s oven safe, you’ll need to work in batches and/or transfer everything to a large roasting pan before placing in the oven.
More roasted chicken recipes
If dishes like chicken Provencal are in your wheelhouse, give these other favorites a try.
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Chicken Provencal
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs trimmed of overhanging fat
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons herbes de Provence divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging only
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 4 large shallots peeled, cut in half
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup pitted Sicilian green olives
- 4 large marinated artichoke hearts patted dry of excess oil and halved, see notes below
- 1 large lemon halved
- 1 tablespoon unsalted cold butter cubed
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry then season well with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of herbes de provence on both sides. Dredge the chicken thighs in flour and set on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs skin side down and sear for 6-8 minutes or until well browned. Turn the thighs over and cook for another 5 minutes. Work in batches to not overcrowd the pan.
- Add the vermouth and chicken stock and bring to a simmer for 1 minute. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge the brown bits. Spoon some of the sauce onto each chicken piece. Turn off the heat and add the olives, artichokes, shallots, and lemon halves cut side up. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of herbes de provence all over. Note: This will only fit in a 14-inch pan. If needed, transfer everything to a large roasting pan.
- Roast for 30 minutes, then baste the chicken with the juices. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temp of at least 185°F. Whisk in the butter 1 cube at a time. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Make sure to mop up the sauce with crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Herbs. Herbes de Provence is the recommended seasoning but if you can’t find it a mixture of dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano will work.
- Artichoke hearts. Large marinated artichoke hearts look great in this dish, but if you can’t find them, simply use a 12 ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts. Artichoke hearts in water can also be used.
- Shallots. 4 large shallots are needed, but they are so good after roasting, that I often use 10 or more shallots.
- Pan size. All eight chicken thighs should just fit in a 12-inch pan but a 14-inch pan works better, plus an oven-safe 14-inch pan will be able to hold all of the remaining ingredients for roasting. If needed, transfer everything to a large roasting pan before placing in the oven.
- Sauce. Most of the liquid will be evaporate during the roasting process, but the bottom of the pan with the remaining caramelized bits have tremendous flavor. Use crusty bread to mop up all of that flavor.
- Leftovers. Chicken Provencal can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave or oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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