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Garlic Oregano Chicken with Red Pepper Parmesan Tapenade and Crispy Pancetta, close up photo

Garlic Oregano Chicken with Red Pepper Parmesan Tapenade and Crispy Pancetta

Garlic Oregano Chicken with Red Pepper Parmesan Tapenade and Crispy Pancetta. This recipe is quick & easy enough for a weekday dinner but impressive enough to serve at a dinner party as well.
Course Dinner, Dinner Party, Lunch
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword chicken, olives, parmesan, tapenade
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 495 kcal
Author Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken breast 4 pieces
  • 8 rounds of pancetta
  • 2 diced tomatoes

For the marinade

  • 1 tbsp dry oregano or 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • ½ tsp black pepper

For the Parmesan Red Pepper Tapenade

  • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • ½ small red pepper chopped small
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • ¼ cup shredded parmesan
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

To prepare the crispy pancetta

  1. Place 8 rounds of pancetta on a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees F until crisp, turning once; about 6 minutes.

To marinate the chicken

  1. Mix together the oregano, salt, garlic and pepper.
  2. Pour over the 4 chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag.
  3. Marinate for 20 minutes, or overnight in the fridge if you prefer.

To prepare  the tapenade

  1. Simply pulse all of the ingredients for the tapenade together in a food processor or blender.
  2. Add only enough of the olive oil to bring it to the consistency you prefer. The tapenade should still have some texture to it and not be completely smooth.
  3. However, you can actually add more olive and process longer for a smoother tapenade. It's totally a matter of preference.

To prepare the chicken and serve

  1. Grill the chicken breasts until completely cooked.
  2. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before topping with the tapenade, fresh diced tomatoes and the crisp pancetta rounds.
  3. Garnish the plate with fresh grated parmesan, cracked black pepper and a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe Notes

Note: I really do love tapenade but you need not use all that is made for this recipe. A couple of tablespoons per serving is really enough for most people.

Tapenade will keep in your fridge in a covered container for at least a couple of weeks. I love to serve it on charcuterie boards of assorted meats and cheeses or slathered on pieces of baguette with a nice glass of red wine. Delicious!

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.