Slow Cooker Chicken Marbella is a delicious and fuss-free way to make this crowd-pleasing dish. Chicken Marbella became famous after being published in the Silver Palate Cookbook in 1987. With prunes and olives, it’s a beautiful combination of salty and sweet flavors.
The slow cooker version is incredibly simple and easy to make. Throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Stick on high for four hours (or low for 7), and you have a fantastic dinner ready.

Ingredient Notes:
- White Wine and Apple Cider Vinegar- the acidity of the vinegar and the alcohol in the wine both help tenderize the meat.
- Dried Pitted Prunes- this brings sweetness to the dish. In many Chicken Marbella recipes, there is added sugar- which I skip. I find that the prunes are sweet enough.
- Pitted Green Olives- for salty tang.
- Capers- I love capers and the burst of salty flavor.
- Lemon- is not in the original recipe, but I love the citrus addition as a bright and fresh counter note to the sweet and briny flavors.
- Fresh Herbs- I like to use fresh rosemary and oregano, but if you only have dried, use 1 ½ teaspoons each.
- Chicken Thighs- staying with the theme of keeping things simple and easy, this recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs. They stay juicy and flavorful; serving is a breeze without the bone or skin.
Instruction:
Ok, this is the most simple and easy recipe! Through everything in the slow cookers. Mix it all around so it's thoroughly combined. Put the top on and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 7). Take the lid off and cook for another 30 minutes on high.
What to serve Slow cooker Chicken Marbella:
Try this sweet and tangy chicken with starch vegetables (like make-ahead mashed potato) or grain (rice of couscous or quinoa). Roasted cauliflower, roasted carrots, sauteed butter beans, and sauteed green bean are excellent vegetables to pair with this chicken. Of just a chunk of crusty bread to soak up all the tasty juices.
If you like the beautiful combination of salty and sweet flavors of this Chicken Marbella you might also like Garlic Braised Chicken Thighs with Prunes and Capers or Moroccan Chicken Thighs, Braised with Preserved Lemons, Olives, and Chickpeas
How to store:
After cooking, you can refrigerate chicken Marbella in an air-tight container for up to a week. If you want to freeze this dish, I suggest removing the chicken from the slow cooker before the last step. Let the chicken cool before freezing in an air-tight container. Instead of cooking off some of the liquid, you will end up storing the chicken in the juices, keeping the chicken nice and tender. When freezing, the chicken can become more like a shredded chicken when reheating. It's equally delicious.
Slow Cooker Chicken Marbella
Ingredients
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 sprigs of fresh oregano or 1 ½ dried oregano
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1 ½ dried rosemary
- 2 sprigs freash thyme or 1 ½ dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 clove garlic
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 thins slices lemon
- 1 cup prunes
- ½ pitted green olives
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Put everything in the slow cookers.
- Mix it all around so it's thoroughly combined.
- Put the top on and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 7).
- Take the lid off and cook for another 30 minutes on high.