Martha Stewart Chicken Pandora With Sun Dried Tomatoes Recipe

I had never heard of chicken pandora before I found this recipe and I am glad I looked it up. Martha Stewart’s Chicken Pandora with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts is a baked chicken breast recipe marinated overnight in red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, and Kalamata olives, then baked low and slow with brown sugar and red wine until the whole house smells incredible.

This baked chicken recipe serves 12 and you do all the work the night before, which is why I make it every spring for big gatherings and holidays. Martha featured this from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America as a make-ahead Passover dinner, but it works for any crowd. The sun-dried tomato and artichoke topping goes on at the end and turns a simple marinated chicken into something nobody expects.

Try More Chicken Recipes:

• Roast Chicken
• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Divan

Why You Will Love This Chicken Pandora:

• You do all the work the night before: The marinade takes 10 minutes to throw together. Everything goes in a baking dish, chicken gets tossed in, and it sits in the fridge overnight. The next day you just bake it. I have never made a dinner for 12 people with less stress.
• The brown sugar sounds wrong but trust it: I know, brown sugar on marinated chicken with olives and vinegar. I almost skipped it. But it caramelizes in the oven and balances the acid from the wine and vinegar in a way I did not expect. Do not leave it out.
• The topping at the end is everything: Shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts get sauteed quickly and poured over the chicken for the last 15 minutes. It turns what was already good into something people ask about all night.

Chicken Pandora With Sun Dried Tomatoes And Artichoke Hearts Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 head garlic, peeled and pureed
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, halved crosswise
• 3/4 cup light-brown sugar
• 1 cup red wine
• 8 shallots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, halved
• 1 (16-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken Pandora With Sun Dried Tomatoes

1. Make the marinade: In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, mix together the vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, oregano, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and olives. Add the chicken breasts and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Bake the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the chicken and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Pour the wine over the chicken. Cover with parchment paper-lined foil. Bake for 1 hour.
3. Make the topping: Meanwhile, heat the margarine and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Add the topping and finish: Uncover the chicken and pour the sun-dried tomato mixture over the top. Return to the oven uncovered for about 15 minutes until heated through.
5. Serve: Discard the bay leaves and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• Marinate overnight, not less: The vinegar and herb marinade needs time to work. I tried a 4-hour shortcut once and the flavor was noticeably weaker. Give it the full night.
• Line the foil with parchment: Martha is specific about this and I learned why. The acidic marinade reacts with aluminum foil if they touch directly. The parchment layer prevents that.
• Do not skip the brown sugar: I know it sounds strange on savory chicken. But it caramelizes during the bake and balances the vinegar and red wine. I was skeptical and I was wrong.
• Prep the topping while the chicken bakes: The shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts only take a few minutes in a skillet. I get them ready around the 45-minute mark so they are warm when the chicken comes out.

My Take On This Recipe

The brown sugar was the thing that almost stopped me from making this. Sugar on olive-and-vinegar chicken sounded like a mistake. But it creates this sticky, caramelized glaze on the bottom of the dish that mixes with the wine and I honestly cannot imagine this recipe without it now.

• I have doubled the olives because after a night in the marinade they taste completely different, soft and soaked with oregano. They are the best part.
• I tried bone-in thighs once for a smaller dinner. The flavor was great but the presentation was messier. For a crowd, boneless breasts look better on a platter.

This is my go-to when someone asks me to bring a dish to a holiday dinner. I make it the night before, bake it the next day, and show up looking like I spent all morning cooking. Nobody needs to know how easy it actually was.

What Goes Well With This Chicken Pandora

The marinade and wine sauce are rich so I keep sides simple. Rice is my usual pick because it soaks up the sauce from the baking dish. Mashed potatoes work just as well.

For a vegetable I go with something green and plain. Green beans with garlic or steamed asparagus. The chicken has so much going on already that the sides just need to stay out of the way.

How To Store Leftovers

Store the chicken and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The olives and sun-dried tomatoes actually taste better after sitting in the sauce overnight. This is one of those recipes where leftovers improve. I would not freeze it because the artichoke hearts get mushy.

Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes with the lid on to keep the chicken from drying out. I eat leftovers cold more than I reheat them. Sliced over greens with some of the sauce spooned on top makes a solid lunch.

FAQs

• Can I marinate for less than overnight? You can do 4 to 6 hours in a pinch, but the flavor will not be as deep. The vinegar and herbs need time to penetrate 5 pounds of chicken. Martha says overnight and I would not cut that short if you can help it.
• Why does the recipe use margarine? This recipe comes from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America and was featured as a Passover dinner. Margarine keeps it dairy-free for kosher meals. I have used butter instead when kosher is not a concern and it works the same way.
• Can I use chicken thighs instead? Yes, bone-in thighs work well but the cook time stays about the same since it is a low oven. I prefer breasts here because they slice neatly for a crowd, but thighs have more flavor if you are cooking for a smaller group.
• What kind of red wine should I use? Martha does not specify but I use whatever I have open. A dry red like Cabernet or Merlot works. Nothing too sweet. If you would not drink it, do not cook with it.

More Chicken Recipes:

• Baked Chicken And Onions
• Chicken Marsala
• Apricot Dijon Glazed Chicken

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 12)

• Calories: 415
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Cholesterol: 120mg
• Sodium: 650mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 20g
• Protein: 42g