Make-Ahead Mediterranean Chicken with Asparagus, Artichokes, Cherry Tomatoes, Capers, and Lemon
July 13, 2025
This vibrant, flavor-packed dish is perfect for easy entertaining or effortless weeknight dinners. Juicy, marinated chicken roasts atop a bed of colorful vegetables—artichokes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and lemon slices—infused with briny capers and fresh herbs. The make-ahead marinade brings it all together with a bold blend of garlic, shallot, and bright Mediterranean flavors. Best of all, everything can be prepped up to two days in advance, making this a stress-free meal that delivers maximum flavor with minimal last-minute fuss. Just roast, drizzle with the reserved herb marinade, and serve.
Make the Marinade:
The marinade can be refrigerated in an airtight container and stored for up to 4 days. Reserve ¼ cup of marinade in a small container for final drizzle.
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup water
¼ cup packed combination of fresh parsley, tarragon, and basil leaves
1 shallot, chopped
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Process all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 20 seconds.
*Transfer 1/4 cup of the marinade to an airtight container; refrigerate until an hour before serving.
For the Chicken:
INGREDIENTS:
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry (Thaw completely and carefully pat them dry before roasting, or else they won’t brown, and might prevent the other vegetables from browning, too.
1 pound asparagus (about 1 bunch), tough ends trimmed, cut in half (Be sure to buy thick asparagus for this recipe—pencil-thin asparagus will overcook.)
1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces), stemmed and washed
¼ cup capers, rinsed
1 lemon, sliced 1/4 inch thick, end piece discarded
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds each), split (Boneless, skinless chicken breasts also work in this recipe—simply decrease the baking time to 40 minutes.)
2 tablespoons chopped herbs (tarragon, parsley, basil) (for serving)
- In a large zipper-lock bag, gently toss 2 tablespoons of the marinade with the artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes, capers, lemon slices, salt, and pepper. Seal shut, gently toss to coat, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a second large zipper-lock bag, toss the chicken with the remaining marinade (make sure you’ve reserved a ¼ cup of marinade for final drizzle!), coating the chicken thoroughly. Seal shut, toss to coat, and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days, turning the bag of chicken occasionally to redistribute the marinade.
TO SERVE:
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Transfer the marinated vegetables to a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and lay the marinated chicken breasts on top, skin-side up. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, allow the reserved ¼ cup of marinade to sit at room temperature to liquefy, then shake vigorously to recombine.
- Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a serving platter. Pour the reserved marinade over the chicken, sprinkle with the chopped herbs, and serve.
TO SERVE RIGHT AWAY: Refrigerate the vegetables and chicken separately for at least 30 minutes. Do not refrigerate the reserved marinade. Transfer to the baking dish and bake as directed.