Chicken Marbella from Ottolenghi Simple (page 229) by Yotam Ottolenghi

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Brussels sprouts with burnt butter and black garlic; Carrot salad with yoghurt and cinnamon; Baked rice with confit tomatoes and garlic

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Requires marinating for 1-2 days. Can substitute chicken supremes for chicken legs, and treacle for date molasses.

  • carolyn_bhwd0z on June 01, 2026

    I use chicken thighs cutlets

  • adelina on May 19, 2026

    We loved this dish. I used drumsticks and thighs. I decided to reserve the marinade and add at the end of the last 30 min of cooking. The first 30 min, raised the heat 450 to get golden, then lowered to 400. Served iced bulgur vermicelli pilaf.

  • pastaplease on March 28, 2026

    Given all the nice reviews, this was disappointing. Maybe because I used dates instead of prunes? The Silver Palate version is, IMO, just better. Took 1:10 prep time.

  • Brittania on February 21, 2026

    Use legs, because thighs cook too quickly! Do not brown.

  • janeths on January 06, 2026

    The marinade is so simple that you don’t expect the level of deliciousness until it hits your tongue!

  • CourtneyT on September 22, 2025

    Fabulous!

  • treay on November 26, 2024

    This recipe is super simple and delicious. I didn't have time to marinate the chicken, so I followed the recipe below without the marination, but I can see that the flavours would be even better if I had done so. The leftovers eaten the following day were scrumptious.

  • Melyinoz on March 09, 2024

    I made this with the baked rice and baby carrots from the same book and they all worked well together. The meal had so much flavour. I would definitely make this again.

  • Babycarrot on November 09, 2023

    As others have commented this is a lovely blend of salt, acid, and sweetness. Marinated for two days and baked in an 8x8 pan. I threw in a small preserved lemon as well. I used a different type of dates and pomegranate molasses instead of date. I cut back on the amount of chicken since just cooking for one but kept the sauce the same bc I like a bit extra. Next time I’ll scale back on the wine if I cut down on the chicken. I also basted the chicken 3 times during the bake but didn’t allow enough time after the 3rd baste for the skin to get extra crispy but I’ll remember that for next time.

  • jdstone on July 31, 2023

    Crowd-pleaser, and makes a beautiful presentation. I had 9 chicken legs rather than 8 so they were well crammed into the roasting tin. Maybe that's why I had no issues with anything burning or the sauce cooking off the way some reviewers have mentioned. I also used a high-sided roasting tin, as specified in the recipe. I lost track of time and left them in for a full hour and forgot to baste them even once--result was beautifully browned, tender chicken, so I wouldn't bother with basting in future. I had rosemary rather than oregano on hand and that worked well. I used whatever dates were at the shop, not specifically Medjool dates. And I used 'date syrup' which I'm assuming is at least similar to if not exactly the same as date molasses. Served with bulgur wheat, cooked simply with some citrus zest, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Really easy and inexpensive dish for entertaining, limited only by how much chicken your pan will hold!

  • Delys77 on January 15, 2023

    I've made the Cook's illustrated version of this using chicken breasts and quite liked it, but this was easier. There is no browning of the chicken prior to going into the oven, and marinade is easy to put together as there is next to no chopping. I used thighs and drumsticks as that is what we had on hand and didn't score, but otherwise followed the recipe. We did have 6 for dinner so we went with 1.5 times the recipe which was nice and snug in the pan. we cooked for a 40 minutes on convection and it was just right. I did have some issue with capers and figs burning a bit, so I would make sure they were tucked under the chicken so they don't over caramelize. Nice and easy and well received.

  • Shaxon on March 25, 2022

    I made this using steamed cubed tempeh to make it vegan. I don't eat chicken so I'm not sure how it's supposed to turn out, but it was successful as a vegan dish - slightly sweet, sour and salty. I served it with roasted potatoes, but it would be better over rice.

  • KarinaFrancis on June 05, 2021

    Finally made this and now I know why everyone raves about it! Loved the flavours and it couldn’t be easier. I only marinaded the chicken for a few hours and it was still very tasty. I served it with the baked rice and it was great for soaking up the delicious juices

  • mharriman on May 06, 2021

    I agree with those who thought this was a delicious recipe. My husband and I loved it. I used four chicken w/ thigh quarters with full amount of marinade and Full amount of wine/molasses sauce with great results. I made two small cuts in each chicken piece and marinated the leg quarters 30 hours, turning the chicken in the sauce three times while it was in the refrigerator. Because I baked the dish alongside the recommended baked basmati rice, I cooked it at 425 degrees, since the rice was supposed to bake at 450. I just split the difference (400/450) with no noticeable change in the result of either dish. I basted twice during the 50 minute baking time which kept the chicken juicy and tender. We especially liked the subtle flavors. The flavors reminded us of ones we enjoyed when we were in Israel and Palestine two years ago. Update: Wonderful flavor as leftovers second night (350 degree oven for 40 minutes on top of leftover rice)

  • FJT on May 03, 2021

    A really easy, hands-off recipe. We all commented that we'd have liked more sauce, but otherwise very happy with it. Used pomegranate molasses instead of date molasses and boned chicken legs rather than bone-in. Will make again.

  • clkandel on April 21, 2021

    This dish is so tasty. Loved the flavor from the dates.

  • Anne_em on January 06, 2021

    A real success. I made sure my chicken legs were quite snug in the pan so the juices wouldn’t evaporate straight away and there was still plenty of sauce. I will certainly make it again.

  • Baxter850 on November 05, 2020

    Great recipe. No changes other than I wish the chicken skin was crispy.

  • Londonyankee on January 01, 2020

    This was disappointing. I like Martha Stewart’s chicken with dates, citrus, and olives much better, and it’s easier, too. I don’t feel the marinade did much of anything, and there were hardly any dates. The flavor was just too subtle compared to Martha’s, which is my go-to dinner party recipe, so I’ll stick with Martha on this one!

  • domechef on March 31, 2019

    This really was a show-stopper. Served it at a dinner party and everybody couldn't stop raving about how good it was. Also, it is quite a forgiving recipe, so easy to scale up or down.

  • stockholm28 on February 16, 2019

    This was so easy for a weeknight meal, but my dates were completely burnt and so was the marinade. The chicken and flavors were good. Next time, I will use a slightly smaller pan so the chicken pieces are closer together. I used chicken thighs and they were done before the 50 minute mark. I should have checked about 10 minutes earlier.

  • JennyHay on December 27, 2018

    I enjoyed this dish but I expected more, given the ingredients and the long marinating time. I will make again but not score the meat, as I thought it dried the chicken too much.

  • anya_sf on November 20, 2018

    I've only had this dish made with prunes before, never dates, and surprisingly really enjoyed the dates here. I used all chicken thighs and substituted pomegranate molasses for date. Delicious, will definitely make again.

  • Astrid5555 on October 26, 2018

    Can be made ahead and just popped into the oven. Used date syrup instead of date molasses (not sure if they are the same). Loved the combination of dates and olives baked in the oven. Very happy husband.

  • Foodycat on September 25, 2018

    I used pomegranate molasses instead of date molasses or treacle. Given all the big flavours in this, it's actually quite subtle. And very nice.

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