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For a modern take on roasted chicken, try this paprika chicken with olive walnut vinaigrette. The juicy golden chicken is flavored with warm spices and served with a briny herb dressing and parmesan roasted potatoes for a complete meal.
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What makes this dish special
One of the challenges when I was a private chef was constantly coming up with new dishes. When I was cooking for about 30 people every day, I prepared chicken about twice a week since it was the one protein almost everyone liked. Chicken is great and all, but it can get boring. I'm constantly searching for new chicken recipes, trying to make the meals as exciting as possible. The latest creation is this roasted paprika chicken with olive walnut vinaigrette. It takes basic roasted chicken and adds spices and a fresh and tangy olive walnut dressing for a dinner that's anything but boring.
Fortunately, this dish is a fairly simple meal to prepare. Marinate the chicken, roast it, and make a sauce. The garlic parmesan roasted potatoes are optional, but they go perfectly with the chicken. You can also serve it with honey mustard roasted brussels sprouts, or charred smoky asparagus. Make a big batch and enjoy this meal throughout the week for a delicious weeknight dinner.
Recipe
Paprika Chicken with Olive Walnut Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Paprika chicken
- 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 3 sprigs thyme
Olive walnut vinaigrette
- ½ cup castelvetrano olives sliced
- ½ cup toasted walnuts chopped
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ¼ cup basil chopped
- 1 garlic minced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- salt and pepper
Garlic parmesan roasted potatoes
- 2 pounds baby golden potatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Marinate chicken. Combine chicken thighs with olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, coriander, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and turmeric, tossing to coat. Let sit for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Meanwhile, make olive walnut vinaigrette. Combine sliced olives with chopped walnuts, parsley, basil, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and sherry vinegar in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Pour ½ cup chicken stock and 3 sprigs thyme in bottom of a sheet pan. Place marinated chicken directly on top and roast for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and the juices run clear. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roast potatoes. Toss halved potatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Lay on a sheet pan and roast for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle parmesan on top and toss together.
- Arrange potatoes and chicken on a serving platter. Spoon olive walnut vinaigrette on top and serve with extra vinaigrette on the side.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Marinate chicken
Let's start preparing this dish by first marinating the chicken. Combine bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts with olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, coriander, turmeric, salt, pepper, and a generous amount of smoked paprika.
Smoked paprika adds a fantastic, deep, smoky flavor, but you can use Hungarian paprika instead for a sweeter flavor.
You can also use boneless chicken breasts or thighs, but bone-in skin yields much juicier chicken.
Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour or overnight. If you have the time, go ahead and let it sit overnight. This allows more time for the chicken to absorb those spices. However, if you're short on time, 1 hour will do just fine.
Step 2: Make olive walnut vinaigrette
Meanwhile, make the olive walnut vinaigrette. Coarsely chop toasted walnuts and combine them with sliced olives, chopped herbs, olive oil, garlic, and sherry vinegar. You can also use a food processor to chop the ingredients if it makes it easier.
I chose Castelvetrano olives for the vinaigrette because they're meaty, have a mild flavor, and have buttery flesh. You can substitute them for another olive, such as kalamata or picholine, if desired.
Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper and let it sit for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marry. Feel free to make the vinaigrette the night before. However, the herbs may be dull in color.
Step 3: Roast chicken and potatoes
Now, let's turn our attention back to the chicken. Pour ½ cup chicken stock into the bottom of a sheet pan and add the thyme sprigs. Place the chicken directly on the thyme and roast the chicken until the juices run clear.
Why do we add the chicken stock? I found that it helps cook the chicken more evenly since we're using bone-in chicken. It also keeps the meat especially juicy.
While the chicken is roasting, go ahead and roast the potatoes. Cut baby gold potatoes in half lengthwise and toss them in garlic powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread the potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown.
Once the potatoes are fork-tender, sprinkle the grated parmesan and toss to combine.
Plate the roasted chicken and potatoes on a serving platter, and top the chicken with the olive walnut vinaigrette. Serve the extra dressing on the side.
I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this paprika chicken with olive walnut vinaigrette. It's a step up from basic roasted chicken, and the vinaigrette brings texture, acid, and freshness to the entire meal.
I love to serve this with a side of crusty bread to soak up all those delicious juices. A solid weeknight dinner!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The chicken can be marinated the day before, and the olive walnut vinaigrette can be prepared the day before.
- Store: Store the olive walnut vinaigrette separately from the chicken and potatoes in airtight containers in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.
Serving suggestions
Looking for sides to serve with this roasted chicken? Try these:
Work with me
All images shot and styled by Christine Ma. Available for food photography, styling, and recipe development.
GAYA says
Looks amazing! Is the Coriander for the chicken marinade fresh or seeds? Can't wait to try this recipe!
Christine Ma says
Hi there! It's ground coriander (from the seeds) for the chicken. Let me know if you have any other questions!