Pollo in Umido con Olive (Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives)
Chicken thighs braised in a sweet soffritto, white wine and tomato sauce with briny green olives and rosemary.
Made with Soffritto and Homemade chicken stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.39 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Season the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a wide casserole over a medium high heat and brown the thighs skin side down for 6 to 8 minutes until deep golden. Turn and brown for 2 minutes. Set aside.
8 min - 2
Pour off all but 1 tbsp of fat. Add your ready made soffritto (see the base recipe) and the garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
2 min - 3
Pour in the white wine and bubble for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, your homemade chicken stock (see the base recipe) and rosemary.
- 4
Return the chicken, skin side up, so the skin stays above the liquid. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
30 min - 5
Uncover, add the olives and cook for 15 minutes more until the sauce is thick and the chicken is tender, with a 75C middle.
15 min - 6
Taste, season and serve with soft polenta, mash or crusty bread.
Tips
- Don't skip browning the skin. It gives the sauce its depth.
- Taste the sauce before salting. Olives and stock can make it salty enough.
- Add a splash of water if the sauce reduces too far before the chicken is tender.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 90 minutes. Keeps 3 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I use chicken breasts?
Thighs stay juicier in a braise, but breasts work. Brown them, then simmer for just 20 minutes until 75C in the middle, or they will go dry.
Can I use black olives?
Yes. Kalamata or Taggiasca olives give a deeper, fruitier flavour. Check they are stoned, or warn guests.
More made with soffritto
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.