One Pot Chicken with Olives and Mushrooms

A version of Chicken Espagnole, this flavorful stovetop chicken dinner features olives, tomatoes mushrooms and smoked paprika.

Growing up, one of my favorite dishes my mom would make for a crowd was called Chicken Espagnole.

And luckily for me, she has kept everything so she actually found the original recipe note card in a random box. This was quite a feat as she’s been a vegetarian for over 20 years so I know it’s been that long since she’s cooked any type of chicken dish.

Espagnole sauce is a brown sauce – usually made from veal or beef stock – and is one of the 5 mother sauces of classic French cooking. (Side note –> if you are visual learner and like movies, you must watch The Hundred-Foot Journey – these 5 French sauces play an important role in the plot.)

There are many variations of Chicken Espagnole ranging from serving as chicken skewers to adding sausages, proscuitto and clams to the pot.

I ended up making my own variation with a few updates to my mom’s recipe including:

–> Adding Spanish smoked paprika (my cherished souvenir from Regan @Healthy Aperture from her recent trip to Madrid. Score for my spice drawer!)

–> Using canned tomatoes instead of tomato soup. Either work but use a low-sodium version if you can.

–> Using boneless chicken parts. This simply speeds up the cooking time. But by all means, use bone-in pieces for extra flavor and moistness – just add another 30 minutes to cooking time.

–> Cutting the recipe by half. My mom’s version featured 2 cut-up (4-5 pound) chickens, so you could easily double this verison when entertaining.

I served it with whole wheat couscous but I think it would also be delicious with brown rice or wild rice.

One Pot Chicken with Olives and Mushrooms

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• Yield: 8-10 servings. 1x

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Description

A version of Chicken Espagnole, this flavorful stovetop chicken dinner features olives, tomatoes mushrooms and smoked paprika.

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Ingredients

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts and thighs (or use 4 pounds of bone-in chicken parts)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can low-sodium diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces canned olives, pitted and sliced (I use a combination of black and green)
• 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup Madeira or dry red wine

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Instructions

1. In large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with pepper and salt. Add pieces to pot and sear for about 2 1/2 minutes, turn over and cook another 2 1/2 minutes (chicken will not be cooked through.) Remove chicken and set aside.
2. Lower to medium heat and add onion, garlic, bell pepper and smoked paprika. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and sauté for about 5 minutes.
3. Add water and stir to deglaze pan.
4. Add tomatoes and olives. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add chicken pieces back in and bring to a boil.
6. Lower to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes and then mix in mushrooms and wine. Cook for another 25 – 30 minutes until chicken is very tender. Serve with whole wheat couscous or brown rice.

And if you need more “chicken dinner inspiration”, here are few of our most popular chicken recipes on the blog:

Chinese Style Baked Lemon Chicken

Naked Chicken Burrito Bowls

Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets

 Do you have any favorite chicken dishes from your childhood? Have you made them in your own kitchen yet?