Anchovy Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Potatoes

A more flavorful chicken and potato dinner

This Anchovy Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Potatoes is one of our favorite cast-iron dinners in the fall and winter months. Tender and juicy boneless skinless chicken thighs are pan-seared until brown, then basted in a rich sauce of anchovies, lemon zest, dijon, garlic, and red pepper, before nestling down into browned baby potatoes and Castelvetrano olives to finish in the oven. The resulting dish balances savory, briny, and salty flavors with the heartiness of a classic chicken and potato dinner.

Inspiration and adaptations

This recipe was adapted from Melissa Clark's Garlicky Chicken with Lemon Anchovy Sauce. Her recipe is gorgeous, but I've made some considerable changes to suit our preferences, including some adjustments to the method, increasing the chicken and anchovies, adding Dijon mustard and lemon zest to the sauce, swapping the capers out for Castelvetrano olives, and adding baby potatoes to make this a complete meal.

What kind of green olives are best to use?

I love to use Castelvetrano green olives for this Anchovy Chicken recipe. They are firm enough to hold up to the high heat of the oven and offer a mild, sweet, and butter flavor. I like to buy them pre-pitted to make this dish super easy to prep and enjoy.

If you can’t find Castevatrano olives a decent substitute is green Cerignola olives, which are also firm and buttery. If neither option is to be found, this recipe works well with green Manzanilla olives, which are readily found in most grocery stores, often stuffed with red pepper. This option is much brinier and slightly bitter compared to the Castelvetrano olive, but will still be delicious in this recipe if you’re having trouble finding the others.

Can I use a different cut of chicken than boneless thighs?

Yes, of course. However, I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this Anchovy Chicken dish because they offer the rich and juicy flavors of dark meat, but cook much quicker than their bone-in counterparts, making them perfect for busy weeknights. Though bone-in chicken thighs provide the deepest chicken flavor, owing to the marrow in the bone, deboning an anchovy sauce-covered piece of chicken with a knife and fork is the last thing I want to do once it hits my plate. I prefer to reserve bone-in thighs for lightly seasoned or fried chicken recipes.

If you choose to use bone-in thighs, you’ll want to adjust the cooking time in the oven, increasing by around 10-15 minutes in order to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 C).

For those wondering if you can swap boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, the answer is also yes, though I highly advise against it if given the choice. Though chicken breast is a tempting choice to use given its lean qualities, it’s also much less forgiving when overcooked. An extraneous 5 minutes in the oven can turn chicken breasts dry and stringy, but is unlikely to ruin moisture-rich dark meat thighs. Simply put, less fat equals less flavor and less moisture. Chicken breasts also tend to be much more expensive than other cuts, so you’re getting the added bonus of likely saving a little money when choosing dark meat chicken.

If you choose to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, you’ll want to adjust the cooking time in the oven to only 15-20 minutes in order to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 C).

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

• A food processor
• A kitchen scale
• Measuring spoons
• A cutting board
• A chef's knife
• A citrus juicer
• A citrus zester
• A large oven-proof skillet
• A wooden spatula

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

Looking for more dinner inspiration?

Love this recipe? Here are some additional dinner dishes that you might enjoy!

• Chicken Thighs in Orange Dijon Herb Sauce
• Salmon with Whisky Cream Sauce and Cheddar Mashed Cauliflower
• Swedish Meatballs
• Shrimp in Romesco Sauce with White Beans
• Salmon with Adobo Sauce and Blackberry Cucumber Salsa

A note for special diets

This Anchovy Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Potatoes is friendly for gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, Paleo, Whole30, and, Low-FODMAP diets. If following a low-fodmap diet, it is important to remember that whole garlic must be omitted, but garlic-infused oil is considered friendly for the diet. This is the one I use most regularly these days.

Print