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Mary Berry Italian Chicken Recipe

Mary Berry Italian Chicken Recipe

Mary Berry's Italian chicken is a vibrant one-pan supper with tomatoes, olives, capers, and fresh herbs.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 Portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 390
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks skin on, bone in
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper roughly chopped
  • 150 ml dry white wine
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 100 g pitted olives
  • 2 tbsp capers rinsed
  • Large handful fresh basil torn
  • Salt and pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil to finish

Method
 

  1. Season chicken. Brown skin-side down in hot oil 4–5 minutes until deeply golden. Turn — 2 minutes. Remove.
  2. Cook onion in same pan 8 minutes. Add garlic and pepper — 3 minutes. Add wine — bubble and scrape base. Add tomatoes, purée, oregano, and sugar. Season.
  3. Nestle chicken skin-side up in sauce. Cook uncovered in 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4 oven for 35–40 minutes.
  4. Add olives and capers in final 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat. Stir in torn basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve from the pan.

Notes

Keep chicken skin above the sauce throughout — submerged skin goes pale and soft.
Add olives and capers in the final 10 minutes only for the best texture.
Add basil off the heat — cooked basil loses its freshness.
Use good quality marinated olives from a deli where possible.
Finish with extra virgin olive oil — it elevates the flavour significantly.
Flavour improves overnight. Stores 3 days in fridge. Freezes 3 months.
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