Chicken with Olive Tapenade and Crispy Bacon Recipe

This easy chicken tapenade features juicy pan-seared boneless, skinless chicken breasts topped with a bright, savory sauce of bacon, capers, olives, lemon, and butter. It’s a simple one-pan dinner ready in about 30 minutes and works well for low-carb and keto meals.

A flavorful, quick weeknight meal that highlights simple pantry ingredients.

Although I love a good steak, chicken is our go-to protein at home because it’s versatile and quick to prepare. It adapts easily to a wide range of seasonings and sauces, and pairs well with low-carb vegetables. One of my favorite quick methods is pan-searing because it produces a golden exterior and tender interior without fuss.

This chicken tapenade is bold yet balanced: salty capers and olives, smoky bacon, bright lemon, and a touch of cream and butter create a glossy sauce that clings to the chicken. The tapenade is left slightly chunky so each bite has texture and visual appeal.

Tapenade with Bacon

Tapenade traditionally combines chopped olives, garlic, capers, herbs, an acid, and olive oil. It can be made into a smooth paste or left chunky. In this version, crisp bacon adds smokiness and richness while the capers and olives provide briny, savory notes. A splash of wine, a little cream, butter, and fresh lemon juice finish the sauce into a glossy pan sauce that brightens the dish.

This tapenade pairs well not only with chicken but also with pork, fish, or roasted vegetables. Keep the texture chunky to showcase each ingredient against the seared chicken breasts.

How to Make Chicken Tapenade

The method is straightforward and efficient. Start by cooking the bacon and reserving some of the fat for browning the chicken. Sear the seasoned chicken breasts in the same pan until golden and cooked through, then remove them while you build the sauce. Sauté shallots briefly, deglaze the pan with white wine, reduce, then add cream, butter, lemon juice, and any juices from the chicken. Finish by stirring in capers, chopped olives, parsley, and the crisp bacon. Return the chicken to the pan to warm through, then serve topped with the tapenade sauce.

Key tips: pound or even the chicken pieces for uniform cooking, let the chicken come closer to room temperature for more even searing, and taste the sauce for seasoning—salt just enough so the flavors pop, then add pepper to balance.

Recipe

Chicken Tapenade with Bacon

Juicy pan-seared chicken breasts topped with a bright, savory tapenade-style sauce of bacon, capers, olives, lemon, butter, and a touch of cream.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 330 kcal (per serving)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 slices bacon, cubed
• 1/4 cup shallot, sliced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon capers, not rinsed
• 5 small green olives, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preparation

1. Let the chicken breasts or cutlets come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Pound to an even thickness so they cook evenly. Pat dry, rub with 1 tablespoon oil, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Slice the bacon into 1/4–1/2 inch squares.

Bacon

1. Place a frying pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Stir after a couple of minutes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6 minutes total. Remove the bacon and reserve 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. If the bacon was very lean, add a little olive oil.

Chicken

1. Arrange the chicken in the pan so pieces do not touch. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the chicken turns white about halfway up the thickest part. Flip and cook about 4 more minutes, or until the chicken is firm to the touch or reaches an internal temperature around 160°F (it will rise slightly as it rests). Remove to a plate and loosely cover with foil.

Sauce

1. Add the shallots to the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Sauté for about 1½ minutes. Remove the pan from heat and pour in the wine. Return to medium heat and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Cook until about 1 tablespoon of wine remains, then add the cream and water and stir.
2. Add the butter, lemon juice, and any accumulated chicken juices. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce until the sauce looks glossy. Stir in the capers, bacon, olives, and parsley and heat through.
3. Serve the chicken on plates and spoon the tapenade sauce over each portion.
4. Serves 4. Estimated carbs: about 2 g per serving.

Notes

Season the sauce so the flavors stand out but are not overwhelmingly salty. Add pepper to taste to round out the savory notes.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 330; Fat 22 g; Carbohydrates 2.11 g; Fiber 0.04 g; Protein 28 g.

*Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Conclusion

This chicken tapenade is an ideal weeknight dinner because most of the prep happens while the bacon cooks. With the chicken seared and the sauce assembled in the same pan, you can finish a complete meal in about 20–30 minutes. Serve with roasted or steamed low-carb vegetables, a simple green salad, or cauliflower mash for a satisfying plate. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated gently; store promptly in an airtight container and use within a few days.