Mediterranean Stove Top Chicken Casserole
on Feb 12, 2020, Updated Aug 23, 2024
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Whether you have an appreciation for the Mediterranean diet, or you’re just a fan of easy one pot chicken dinners, you’re going to love this Mediterranean chicken casserole.
Made on the stove top with just 10 minutes’ prep time needed, its tomato base is delicious. But it’s packed with so many other goodies including smoky bacon, peppers, and red wine. Sprinkle your casserole with capers, olives and feta for some healthy comfort food that the whole family will love!
Why you’ll love it
Have you ever tried a traditional Italian chicken cacciatore – or Hunter’s chicken? This stove top Mediterranean chicken casserole is a bit like these traditional chicken stews, but with a Greek twist!
You might look at this simple and yet colorful and flavorful stove top casserole and think that it would make a great winter warmer.
It would. But I first made it in the spring – in Greece, actually! The flavours and colours of the casserole seem to me to match the warm and sunny Mediterranean spring weather.
This is a perfect easy midweek meal for any time of year, including the spring, but perhaps also for those late summer or early Autumn days when you’re still in the mood for summer produce, but there’s starting to be a chill in the air.
However, since this casserole is made on the stove top, it’s also a great option when it’s too warm to turn on the oven!
In summary:
- great any time of year!
- comforting… but light!
- vibrant Mediterranean flavors and colors
- quick and easy, and no need to turn on the oven
- possible to prep ahead by freezing the ingredients in a bag, then making it in the slow cooker or pressure cooker instead
- turn the leftovers into a pie!
Love Stove-top Casseroles?
Try this Greek beef stew (stifado) as well! Great summer or winter, either for yourselves midweek or for guests with Greek bread.
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
- Skinless boneless chicken thighs
- Chopped bacon or pancetta: I would go with smoked bacon for plenty of smoky flavor.
- Sliced onion and crushed garlic: A yellow or white onion will give the best flavor.
- Canned cherry tomatoes: These can be more expensive than regular canned tomatoes, but they’re so sweet and tasty. Can you use canned regular tomatoes? Yes, of course, in a pinch.
- Chicken broth/stock: I like to use a good quality organic or free range broth for the best flavor.
- Red wine: This adds wonderful depth of flavor to this simple stove top chicken casserole. Feel free to substitute with white wine. It’s also possible to replace the wine with more broth/stock, but bear in mind the flavors won’t be as complex without it. If you do this, consider adding a few squeezes of lemon juice to compensate.
- Lots of tasty Mediterranean herbs and spices: Bay leaves, paprika, dried thyme, an optional sprig of rosemary and a cinnamon stick add plenty more flavor. Feel free to add different dried or fresh herbs if you don’t have any of these. Oregano and/or mixed Italian herbs are a good substitute. I don’t recommend skipping the paprika. If you don’t have fresh rosemary, by all means add a large pinch of dried instead.
- Chopped red peppers: I like red for the extra sweetness, but actually there’s no reason why you can’t use green, yellow or another color instead.
- To serve: capers, olives and feta cheese: Just in case you were still doubting this is a Mediterranean casserole! Try not to skip any of these – they really are the ‘icing on the cake’. Capers are usually sold in brine, in a jar. Kalamata olives are a good choice since they are nice and big and juicy, but you can use any olives you like.
How to make a Mediterranean chicken casserole on the stove top
- Grab a big pan.
- Brown chicken. Remove from the pot and cover.
- Sauté the bacon, then the onion, garlic, and paprika.
- Add all the liquid, the herbs and spices and the chunks of red peppers/capsicum.
- Put the chicken back in the pot and SIMMER!
- Don’t forget to sprinkle with the toppings (capers, olives and feta). See serving ideas below.
Helen’s Top Tips
- Don’t be tempted to skip browning the chicken on all sides. It enhances the flavor, locks in the juices, and gives it a nice golden brown color!
- Not sure about adding olives, capers and feta? Be brave and try it anyway! The salty tangy-ness they add really does bring out and complement all the other delicious Mediterranean flavours.
How to serve it
My favourite ways to serve this Greek style chicken casserole are:
- over cauliflower and potato mash or fancy truffle mashed potatoes for some classic winter comfort food
- with these Greek style air fried smashed potatoes if you want to stick to the Mediterranean vibe (this recipe is especially easy if you have an air fryer)
- with these olive oil toasts (2 minute side dish!) or parmesan toasts if it’s been a warmer day or if you don’t want to mess around with a time consuming side dish. Or, if serving to guests, you won’t regret making some of this amazingly moist and delicious Greek bread.
- over tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta
Make a Mediterranean chicken pie as well
The wonderful bonus of this casserole is that you can turn your leftovers into a delicious pie! Here’s how:
- Shred up the remaining chicken.
- Empty the casserole into a baking dish, put a pastry lid on top (use ready made if you like) and brush with a little whisked egg.
- Bake for around 25 minutes at 200C / 390F.
2 MEALS IN ONE!
Recipe FAQ
Yes, no problem. However, you will need to cook the casserole for slightly longer – 45 to 50 minutes. I recommend testing the inside of the chicken with a meat thermometer to check that it’s 165°F (74°C) near the bone.
Yes you can, although I think the flavors are better on the stove top.
Slow Cooker: Brown the chicken, bacon, and onions, then reduce the liquid by about two-thirds. Cook on low for at least 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. To thicken before serving, use the sauté function or cook on high with the lid off for a few minutes.
Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot: Sauté the chicken, bacon, and onions on the sauté setting, then add all other ingredients and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Quick release the pressure. If cooking from frozen, increase the time to 20 minutes and skip sautéing.
If you’re a fan of meal prep, you can throw all the ingredients into a large freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. After defrosting, you can still grab the chicken out of the bag of goodies with some tongs and brown it if you like. Then throw all the other ingredients on top and turn on your slow cooker or pressure cooker.
3 to 4 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, simply heat gently on the stove top again until piping hot.
Yes. To freeze, let it cool to room temperature, then freeze in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. To reheat, let defrost in the fridge overnight, then follow the instructions above.
More crowd pleasing one pot chicken meals
- If you try one one pan chicken recipe from this list, let it be this marry me chicken pasta!
- You can make this easy crockpot chicken gnocchi soup in a slow cooker or pressure cooker.
- This baked chicken and chorizo casserole has been one of our favourite recipes for YEARS. Try it to find out why! Love the chicken chorizo combo? Try this one-pot baked risotto with chicken and chorizo too.
- This 25-minute Italian chicken pizzaiola is a perfect midweek family meal.
- This 30-minute stove top chicken and rice is simple and comforting – a perfect family meal option for a busy weeknight.
- For a chicken casserole recipe with a twist, try this slow cooker Korean chicken!
- Or check out ALL OUR EASY CHICKEN RECIPES HERE.
Mediterranean Stove Top Chicken Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs
- 3 ounces bacon, this is about 3 large rashers / slices (use pancetta if you prefer)
- 1 onion, sliced into rounds
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 can cherry tomatoes, (14 ounces)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 red peppers, chopped into medium-sized pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme, (or use oregano or mixed Italian herbs)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary , (optional)
- 1 stick cinnamon, (optional)
- 1 tablespoon corn flour, /corn starch (for thickening)
to serve
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 10 black olives, pitted (approximate number)
- feta cheese, crumbled (amount to taste)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stove top casserole dish or pot. Brown the chicken on both sides. Then transfer it to a plate and cover to keep warm and moist.2 tablespoons olive oil, 8 chicken thighs
- In the same pan, fry the bacon for a few minutes, then add the onion and cook on a medium heat for around 5 minutes.3 ounces bacon, 1 onion
- Add the garlic and paprika and cook for another minute or two.1½ teaspoons paprika, 4 garlic cloves
- Put the chicken back in the pan with the cherry tomatoes, broth/stock, and wine. Then add the peppers, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Add the optional rosemary sprig and cinnamon stick at this point too. Season well.1 can cherry tomatoes, 2 cups chicken stock, ½ cup red wine, 2 red peppers, 2 bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons dried thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 1 stick cinnamon
- When it’s boiling, turn down the heat and let the casserole simmer for about 40 minutes.
- Just before the end of the cooking time, mix the corn flour with a little water, then stir into the pan to thicken the sauce a little.1 tablespoon corn flour
- Just before serving, sprinkle over the capers, olives and crumbled feta cheese. Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, or olive oil toasts.1 tablespoon capers, 10 black olives, feta cheese
Forgot…….did it in the slow cooker………
Got it all wrong, forgot herbs until half way through, only had Marylands and some old frozen wings………… jammed it all in the slo cooker and voila’ something popped out that even my three teenage boys all commented on how great it was – no seconds left………. oh and I forgot the feta.
Another winner, thank you
Bob
Hello Bob! Thank you so much for this great feedback! It’s really helpful to know you can Merry ‘mess everything up’ and a recipe still turns out well. I’m so happy your family enjoyed it. Try it with the feta next time and I think you’ll be blown away!
Very helpful to know it works well in the slow cooker too, Bob. Thanks!
Hi Helen
I got it all wrong in a hurry…..forgot to add herbs until half way thru, only had marylands and some old frozen wings but !! OMG another all family winner (the three boys all with differing taste buds loved it enough to comment how good it was).
Thank you, chalk up another winner !
Kind regards
Bob
Really tasty, I used chicken breast cut into large chunks and a can of chopped tomatoes as no tinned cherry tomatoes in the house, but did add some fresh cherry tomatoes and served with some fresh bread, warmed in the oven.
Thank you so much for your review, Kathy! It’s great to know the recipe worked well with breasts too. You’re making me crave this again now!
I did this in my slow cooker, was too lazy to brown the chicken first, so I just threw it all in and left it on slow all day….very good! Just one tip : use less liquid if doing it in the slow cooker
Hello, Mary! Thanks so much for taking the time to give me a bit of feedback on this. Nothing gives me more pleasure than a reader reporting that they tried a recipe and liked it! Yippee! And thanks for the slow cooker tip, too. I must admit I haven’t tried this in the slow cooker, but I have learnt the hard way over the last few months (got a new slow cooker!) that I need to reduce the liquid. 🙂
What a fabulous recipe! My hubby is a huge fan of anything with olives and capers, and he also loves chicken thighs! This is so perfect for him, and I love the addition of feta. It must be just epic as a pot pie- I can only imagine! Pinning this for sure and I will definitely be making it soon! Thanks so much!
So nice to ‘meet’ you, Allie, and thanks so much for your enthusiasm about this casserole. It was delicious and the capers, olives and feta really do make it. I hope you give this a try and let me know if you do!
I love this kind of food. This is why I want to go to Greece!
You really must get to Greece some time, Aimee! Shame I probably won’t be here to show you around, but the good food is everywhere so you’ll have no problem finding that!
I’m so sorry to hear of all the hectic times you guys are having. the dentist is the worst. I’m glad you are able to have such comforting meals still. This casserole looks amazing!!
Thanks for the good wishes, Zainab. I should be finally getting the tooth fixed today … hooray! But really I have nothing at all to complain about … life is good!
MMM. I might be stealing this when I get to Greece, or at least asking you for more local favorites that you happen upon. Deelish!
I can’t say this is strictly speaking Greek, Chrissy, but it did use some great local flavours … you will love the food in Greece when you come here!
Wow what a busy week! Sounds very hectic indeed! This is a great dish for when you want flavour but want something you can leave to simmer. I bet it freezes well too! 🙂
My favourite dishes are the ones that pretty much cook themselves … yes, I’m a very lazy girl at heart! I bet it does freeze well if you don’t gobble it all up so fast like we did!
Very versatile recipe! But I would never ever omit the pancetta 😉
Hello, Mariana! Yes, you’re right, you could definitely adapt this according to what you have or like, but I have to agree that the pancetta is pretty non-negotiable! 😉
Mediterranean style dishes are my all time favorite. This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing. Sorry about the dentist and all that traveling, Wow!
Thank you, Cheri! The end is in sight with the dental issue … travelling can be fun but it’s definitely harder to sort out things that would be so simple at home.
Wow! What a busy week you’ve had! At least you were able to enjoy this lovely home cooked meal, it looks delicious and I looovvveeeee olives! 😉
Thanks, Karen! I didn’t use to like olives, but it’s sort of obligatory to eat them if you live in Greece!
Oh man, sorry that you’ve had such a crazy busy week! But this dish looks absolutely amazing! And such stunning photographs! Hopefully you can relax a bit this weekend!
Thanks so much, Chris! I’m definitely going to relax in the sun a little this weekend. That’s probably all I need to get back on track! Glad you liked the photos – I love the vibrant colours in this dish!
Ugh, the dentist. No fun! And hour-long commutes are not fun either! I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with that anymore after we moved! But this dish sounds wonderful – perfect for during the week. And I love all the flavors going on in here!
It’s interesting, Ashley – while I was in Australia recently I was moaning about being in all day long while working from home, and now I’m complaining about my commute again … lol! Some people are never happy! Glad you like the dish. It really was tasty, especially with the feta on top!