This Mediterranean chicken recipe stars tender chicken breasts baked with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon, and feta for a healthy one-pan dinner. Cooked in just 30 minutes!
Here’s a one-pan recipe that’s bright and bold with no tricky steps or hard-to-find ingredients: my baked Mediterranean chicken! After developing Mediterranean diet recipes for years and recently testing hundreds for my upcoming Mediterranean diet cookbook, I’ve been hooked on dinner ideas with zingy flavors and minimal dairy.
What makes this Mediterranean chicken recipe work is the layers of flavor: the cherry tomatoes burst into a glossy sauce, the Castelvetrano olives add richness, and the capers make salty pops. It’s so delicious, whenever I make it for dinner it disappears in a flash!
Ingredients You Need
This recipe is simple; the key is in the combination of fresh ingredients:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Look for breasts that are roughly the same size so they cook evenly. You’ll pound them to an even thickness to ensure the meat stays juicy while the vegetables roast.
- Olive oil: Used both for the vegetables and brushing the chicken.
- Spice blend: My custom spices create layers of Mediterranean flavor without any fresh herb prep.
- Cherry tomatoes, shallot, garlic: These form the vegetable base and
- Lemon slices: As they roast, the lemon releases oils and infuses citrusy flavor throughout.
- Castelvetrano olives and capers: This type of buttery, mild Sicilian olives are my favorite for cooking: Castelvetranos add richness without overwhelming everything else. Capers provide bursts of tangy brightness.
- Feta cheese: Just a hint of feta makes a rich, salty garnish, but it’s not required for the flavor.
Pro Tips for Perfect Mediterranean Chicken
Here are a few tricks for making this recipe:
- Pound the chicken evenly. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound each breast until it’s roughly the same thickness throughout. This is key for baked chicken because different thicknesses cook at different rates.
- Watch the broiler carefully. Those final 2 to 4 minutes under the broiler are when the magic happens: the chicken those nice charred spots that aren’t possible with baked chicken. Every broiler is different: set a timer and peek through the oven door frequently.
- Let it rest. This is something I learned from my husband Alex: letting the chicken rest for 5 minutes allows the juices to redistribute. It really does make for moister, more flavorful meat!
This recipe fits into a Mediterranean diet meal plan because it’s go fresh vegetables, uses olive oil instead of butter, and relies on herbs and spices for flavor instead of heavy sauces. It’s also naturally gluten-free and easily dairy free without the feta.
Ways to Serve It
The sauce that develops at the bottom of the pan is great for serving alongside, though it’s best to take the pieces of chicken out of the dish with a slotted spoon. The vegetables make a sort of natural vegetable side, but for a filling meal I usually serve this with:
- White rice or brown rice
- Whole grain farro for a hearty side
- Quinoa for a protein-packed, gluten-free option
- Fluffy couscous which absorbs the juices
- Pearl couscous (Israeli couscous) for a slightly chewier texture
- Orzo pasta tossed with a little of the pan sauce
- Crusty bread for mopping up every drop of the sauce
- Roasted potatoes – or try my pan fried potatoes which can cook on the stovetop
- A big green salad dressed with zingy vinaigrette to keep things light
For a complete Mediterranean diet meal, start with easy stuffed dates and finish with fresh fruit or another Mediterranean diet dessert. This chicken also pairs well with other Mediterranean diet recipes if you’re meal planning for the week.
Recipe Variations to Try
Here are a few ways to customize this recipe once you’ve tried the original version:
- Greek-style: Use fresh dill instead of parsley for garnish and more feta cheese.
- Italian: Tear up some fresh mozzarella and add it during the last 5 minutes of baking. Finish with fresh basil.
- Spicy: Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and add sliced pepperoncini to the vegetable bed.
- Artichokes: Stir in 1 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts with the other vegetables.
- Protein swap: This technique can work with other proteins. Try salmon fillets (bake for 12-15 minutes) or boneless chicken thighs (bake for 25-28 minutes).
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 4 days. To reheat, use a covered skillet over medium low heat with a splash of water or broth.
I have not tested this specifically, but you could freeze the chicken for up to 3 months: the vegetable texture would become softer after freezing.
Leftover chicken would be great on a sandwich the next day on ciabatta with some arugula (and maybe garlic aioli?). It’s also great chopped and tossed into a grain bowl with farro.
Dietary Notes
This Mediterranean chicken recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free without the optional feta cheese.
Baked Mediterranean Chicken
This Mediterranean chicken recipe stars tender chicken breasts baked with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon, and feta for a healthy one-pan dinner. Cooked in just 30 minutes!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small lemon, thinly sliced into rings (seeds removed)
- ¼ cup ripe green olives (like Castelvetrano)
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and dried tarragon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 oz feta crumbles, optional
- Fresh chopped parsley or basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Move an oven rack to the upper third of the oven to help with the final broil.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Using a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, lightly pound the thick end of each chicken breast until they are roughly the same thickness all the way across, about ¾-inch thick. This ensures they cook evenly alongside the vegetables.
- In a 9 x 13″ baking dish or large rimmed baking sheet, stir together the halved tomatoes, sliced shallot, minced garlic, lemon slices, olives, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
- In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Brush the pounded chicken breasts with 1 tablespoons olive oil, then rub the spice mixture generously over both sides of the chicken.
- Nestle the seasoned chicken breasts on top of or snugly between the vegetables and feta in the baking dish. Bake for 18 minutes.
- Turn the oven to Broil on high. Broil the pan for 2 to 4 minutes, keeping a close eye on it. The chicken should develop golden brown edges, but be careful not to burn the garlic. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest in the pan for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and feta crumbles if desired. Add chicken to a plate and use a slotted spoon to remove some veggies to serve alongside.