One-Pot Chicken, plus Olives, Tomatoes And Lentils

Succulent, fall off the bone braised chicken with olives, tomatoes and lentils. This chicken recipe is so easy to put together and makes a healthy, flavour packed meal the whole family will enjoy any day of the week. Made with chicken thighs, green olives, sun-dried tomatoes and lentils.

Because there's nothing easier than a one-pot meal!

We've made this braised chicken with olives at least 3 times in the last two weeks and we love it. It's is the type of dish that you can leave to simmer away while you get on with other things. It's full of good, Mediterranean flavours and the addition of lentils make it a hearty and substantial meal that's so good for you.

Tip: We use a mixture of chicken thighs and drumsticks with the skin on because we think it gives a lot of extra flavour to the dish and it's also a little cheaper to buy. Because the chicken is braised in a tomato sauce the skin isn't crispy or nice to eat when it's ready. We remove it at the end and we don't mind doing this but you could also buy skinless chicken for this instead.

It's made with a soffritto base (finely chopped carrot, celery and onion) and red wine. It's important to let the soffritto saute slowly until soft, it's the only work that's involved to make this chicken with olives, tomatoes and lentils and gives a lot of depth and flavour to the sauce.

Looking for more good chicken recipes? Try our Cherry Tomato and Basil Chicken.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

First, heat a little olive oil in a saucepan and brown the chicken on all sides, remove it from the pan then set aside on a plate. Add the finely chopped soffritto (carrot, celery & onion) and saute Finely chop the carrot, celery & onion and saute for 5 minutes then add the garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes until soft (photos 1 & 2).

Add the chicken back to the pan and add the red wine. Reduce the wine by half then add the canned plum tomatoes (photos 3-5).

Use the side of a wooden spoon or spatula to carefully mash the plum tomatoes into smaller pieces. Add the olives and chopped sun-dried tomatoes (photos 6 & 7).

Simmer the chicken, olives and tomatoes for 40 minutes then add the pre-cooked lentils. Stir them in and simmer again for another 10 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley (photos 8 & 9).

The best thing about this one-pot chicken with olives is that it makes GREAT leftovers. We eat this cold the next day for lunch and it is so good. The flavours get time to develop overnight and get extra good so it's worth keeping some if you can.

More easy chicken recipes to try

• Italian Baked Chicken Thighs
• Chicken involtini with spinach and ricotta
• Chicken Cacciatore – Pollo alla Cacciatora
• Chicken croquettes with ricotta and thyme
• Chicken and mushroom pies
• Chicken pesto ciabatta

Ingredients

Makes 4 people

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 white (yellow onion)
• 2 cloves garlic (, finely chopped)
• 2 lbs (850g) mixed chicken thighs and legs with the skin on ((2 pieces of chicken per person))
• 1/2 cup (125ml) red wine
• 16 oz (480g) canned plum tomatoes
• 20 green olives ((roughly))
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes ((roughly))
• 14 oz (400g) puy lentils (,pre-cooked, canned)
• salt and pepper
• 1 small bunch parsley (,chopped)

Method

1. First, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and brown the chicken on all sides, remove it from the pan and set aside on a plate. Finely chop the carrot, celery & onion and saute in the same pan for 5 minutes then add the garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes until soft.

2. Add the chicken back to the pan and add the red wine. Reduce the wine by half then add the canned plum tomatoes.

3. Use the side of a wooden spoon or spatula to carefully mash the plum tomatoes into smaller pieces. Add the olives and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Simmer the chicken, olives and tomatoes uncovered for 40 minutes then add the pre-cooked lentils. Stir them in and simmer again for another 10 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

Kitchen notes

1. Tip 1 We use a mixture of chicken thighs and drumsticks with the skin on because we think it gives a lot of extra flavour to the dish and it's also a little cheaper to buy. Because the chicken is braised in a tomato sauce the skin isn't crispy or nice to eat when it's ready. We remove it at the end and we don't mind doing this but you could also buy skinless chicken for this instead.
2. Tip 2 The soffritto (finely chopped carrot, celery and onion) needs to be sauteed slowly until soft, it's the only work that's involved to make this dish and gives a lot of depth and flavour to the sauce. Don't try to rush this step.
3. Tip 3 Use a red wine that you would drink and stay away from cooking wine it's not nice and wouldn't give the same flavour to this chicken dish.