Mediterranean oven chicken with sundried tomatoes

Step into the Mediterranean sun with this delicious dish of Mediterranean oven chicken with sundried tomatoes. This culinary journey brings the rich and warm flavors of the Mediterranean straight to your plate. The juicy chicken fillets are surrounded by the savory taste of sundried tomatoes, cream, and olives. This perfectly complemented by a hint of white wine and the fresh herbs of cilantro and some basil leaves. This dish is a feast for the taste buds, ideal for a cozy evening with family or friends. Let yourself be surprised by the simplicity and full flavors of this Mediterranean classic, giving you the feeling of a summer vacation, right at home.

How to make Mediterranean oven chicken with sundried tomatoes?

Preparations for this Mediterranean oven chicken with sundried tomatoes are like a journey to the sun. There's some chopping involved with the vegetables, but the result is a delicious meal with Mediterranean vibes.

The preparations

Plan some time for the chopping. The vegetables give this Mediterranean dish its distinctive flavor.

Let's start with the chicken breasts. Depending on their size, you can use a whole breast or cut them lengthwise in half. Season them with pepper and salt and let them rest while we chop the vegetables.

First, we handle the white onion. Remove the skin and halve it. Then chop the onion into small pieces.

Follow a similar process for the garlic cloves. Remove the skin and chop them into small pieces.

Next, chop the ginger root. First, remove the bitter skin. Then slice the remaining yellow ginger root into small pieces or strips.

Now it's time for the spicy red chili pepper. Remove the stem and halve it lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and chop the remaining red flesh into small pieces.

Next are the cherry tomatoes and olives. This is fairly easy: just halve them.

Finally, chop the fresh cilantro.

Searing the chicken breasts

Now we are well on our way on our Mediterranean journey. Let's start the warm part of this recipe.

Heat some oil in a pan. You can use some of the oil from the sundried tomatoes, or if you don't have that, use regular neutral oil.

When the oil is hot, briefly sear the chicken breasts on all sides until they are fully browned. Let them rest in a greased oven dish.

Making the Mediterranean sauce

We have now made significant progress towards the south. It's time to start on the sauce.

In the still-warm pan, heat some more oil (from the sundried tomatoes if you have it). Briefly sauté the flavor carriers: onion, garlic, chili pepper, and ginger.

Next, deglaze with the white wine. Your kitchen will start to smell very Mediterranean. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and capers. Let the wine reduce.

Meanwhile, puree the cream and sundried tomatoes in a food processor. When the wine has reduced, add this mixture to the sauce. Finally, add the olives and cilantro.
Let the sauce warm through and then pour it over the seared chicken fillets in the oven dish.

The final steps

You can almost smell the Mediterranean sea now. Place the oven dish with the chicken breasts and Mediterranean sauce in the preheated oven at 180°C. Let it bake for 20 minutes to develop the flavors.

Meanwhile, bring some water to a boil for the Orzo. Cook it for ten to twelve minutes.
When the orzo is ready, arrange it in the center of the plates. Take the oven dish with chicken and sundried tomatoes out of the oven. Arrange the chicken fillets on the Orzo and drizzle the sauce around them.

Pour a cool glass of white wine and imagine yourself on a pristine white beach by the Mediterranean sea. As you enjoy the view and the salty sea air, savor this Mediterranean oven-baked chicken with sundried tomatoes in the best company.

More surprising from the oven

Oven dishes can be incredibly delicious. They give the ingredients the time to perfectly integrate with each other. For more inspiration on various oven dishes, check out the following articles:

• Pork medallions wrapped in farm ham with a creamy curry sauce.
• Pangasius in tomato saffron sauce.
• Delicious seafood fricassee.
• Fish casserole with tomato apple sauce.
• Yellow-green vegetarian tortellini lasagna.
• Sylvester duck with cranberries.

If you speak Dutch, you can find the Dutch version of this recipe on gerechtenweb.blog.