This tangy and flavorful Vinegar Chicken With Crushed Olives and Capers is an easy weeknight meal. Seasoned and vinegar-soaked chicken roasts for under 1 hour, then finished with a vibrant dressing of olives and fresh herbs.
Jump to Recipe
This recipe was inspired by Alison Roman’s Vinegar Chicken with Crushed Olive Dressing. It was so elegant and flavorful that I had to create my own version!
My Vinegar Chicken With Crushed Olives and Capers is tangy, filling, and adventurous. To start, the chicken quarters are seasoned in a bright turmeric seasoning. They bake for under 30 minutes in a shallow vinegar bath.
You end up with tender and juicy bites of chicken that pair so nicely with a briny dressing of crushed olives, fresh herbs, and capers. It’s a fun weeknight meal that has all the flavors of the Mediterranean!
Prepare the chicken in no time and toss the dressing together in just 1 bowl. In under 1 hour, you’ll have an easy weeknight meal or a crowd-pleasing dinner!
What is vinegar chicken?
This is an easy, no marinade chicken recipe. Vinegar chicken is made by first seasoning chicken quarters in turmeric and oil, then surrounding them in a shallow white wine vinegar bath. The chicken will tenderize and soak in bright and tangy flavors as it bakes.
Vinegar doesn’t just work for chicken. You can also use white wine, balsamic, or apple cider vinegar in marinades for both salmon and steak.
Ingredients you need
Get ready for a burst of flavor from this Mediterranean recipe! The chicken is seasoned and dressed with plenty of fresh flavors and is so bright and colorful once it’s served.
These are the ingredients you need:
- Bone-in chicken leg quarters
- White wine vinegar
- Ground turmeric
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Green olives
- Capers
- Garlic
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh tarragon
The best chicken to use
Chicken leg quarters (essentially the whole chicken leg) with the bone in and skin on always turns out extra juicy and flavorful. The dark meat blends so well with the layers of flavor as well. As a bonus, chicken quarters give you large servings and are budget-friendly too!
Feel free to use thighs, drumsticks, wings, or breasts if chicken leg quarters aren’t for you. Bone-in, skin-on will give you the best flavor. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time depending on what cut you use.
Make this recipe using a whole chicken if you have a large crowd to feed. Roast it in a deep dish in the oven, dressed in all of the seasonings and vinegar. Place the baked whole chicken on a serving platter surrounded with the crushed olives, herbs, and capers for a beautiful presentation.
How to make vinegar chicken with crushed olives and capers
If you have less than an hour to spare, you can make this for a fun weeknight meal. It’s ready in only 6 easy steps!
Here’s how to make it:
- Season the chicken: Preheat your oven and place the chicken thighs skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with turmeric, olive oil, and sea salt. Finish by pouring the vinegar all around the chicken in the pan.
- Bake the chicken: Place the pan with the chicken in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Make the dressing: Combine the olives, garlic, parsley, tarragon, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl.
- Remove the chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken from the baking sheet to a serving platter.
- Mix the olives and chicken grease together: Pour the olive dressing onto the baking sheet. Stir everything around so the olives, capers, herbs, chicken grease, and brown bits can mix together.
- Serve: Pour the olive dressing, browned chicken bits, and leftover grease over top of the chicken. Serve hot and enjoy!
Helpful recipe tips and substitutions
- Ensure the meat is fully cooked by checking its internal temperature. It’s ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF (or 75ºC). A meat thermometer makes this really easy!
- If you don’t have white wine vinegar at home, champagne or apple cider vinegar will work as replacements. White vinegar won’t work for this recipe.
- You must use a rimmed baking sheet to ensure the vinegar doesn’t spill out. If you don’t have one, a shallow baking dish will also work.
- Can’t find fresh tarragon? Substitute it for fresh chervil or fennel fronds, or dried fennel seed or anise seed instead.
- Green Castelvetrano olives are best for this recipe because they have a mild, sweet flavor. You can also use Cerignola green olives or Kalamatas for a stronger flavor.
How to serve
Make it a meal and pair this chicken recipe with the best side dishes:
- Easy And Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Polenta
- Sautéed Broccolini With Garlic And Lemon
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Lemon Risotto
- Baby Potatoes With Garlic Butter
- Mediterranean Chopped Salad
To finish, prepare a small bowl of tarragon sauce on the side for dipping!
More chicken recipes
These tasty chicken recipes are sure to please the whole family:
- Crispy Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
- Chicken Pot Pies With Puff Pastry
- Mediterranean Chicken And Orzo
- Greek Crispy Chicken Thighs With Potatoes
- Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Did you try my Vinegar Chicken With Crushed Olives and Capers recipe? Let me know what you think! Leave a comment or rate this recipe below. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me on Instagram! I love to share all of your recreations!
Vinegar Chicken With Crushed Olives and Capers
Ingredients
Vinegar Chicken
- 4 chicken leg quarters skin-on, or 6 drumsticks or 4 thighs
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ cup white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar (don't use white vinegar)
Crushed Olive and Caper Dressing
- 1 ½ cups Castelvetrano olives, crushed and pitted or use pitted olives
- 4 tbsp capers
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
Instructions
Vinegar Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
- Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and season with turmeric, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sea salt. Place the chicken skin-side up before pouring the white wine vinegar over and around the pieces. Place the baking sheet in the oven.
- Bake the chicken for 30 minutes (without flipping) or until the internal temperature reads 165ºF (or 75ºC).
Crushed Olive and Caper Dressing
- Combine the crushed green olives, capers, chopped garlic, chopped parsley, chopped tarragon, and the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl.
To Serve
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the chicken to a serving platter.
- Pour the olive dressing into the baking sheet with the leftover grease and brown bits from the cooked chicken. Mix it all together, lifting the stuck bits with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Pour the olive dressing over top of the chicken and serve.
Rachel
Made this tonight and I loved it! Amazing flavor, easy and fast. Such a winner fir the entire fam. Will be making many more times. Thanks Lena
lena
That is so great to hear, thank you so much for trying the recipe and loving it. It’s one of my favorites for sure.
Carlie
SSO GOOD!! I have made this a couple of times now and it’s a crowd pleaser. I think I will make this for my next dinner party. Such great flavors.
lena
Oh! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our absolute favorites.
Jana
Make this dinner all the time and it is now my husband’s very favorite. Amazing flavors and always the juiciest tender chicken. A quick, one sheet pan dinner fit for comfort or for entertaining guests!
Anna
Made this recipe last night and let me tell you this is by far the most flavorful, delicious, juiciest chicken dish I have ever tried. Everyone needs this recipe in their life ?
lenaskitchen
Anna, so glad you tried the recipe. It’s one of my favorites for sure. Happy cooking.
Lana
I love cooking with olives. This is so simple yet the flavors are complex
KS
Definitely a simple dish to have on repeat. Sophisticated and simple and packed with flavor.
Catharine Cooper
Have made this four times now – absolutely delicious. Turned on my ‘foodie’ friends who have also raved. Learned to make extra because everybody wanted more, and I like it cold fir lunch the next day. Ready to try it with my salmon! Great recipe, Lena. My chef friend made for her husbands birthday with a whole chicken. A perfect celebratory meal!