Braised Chicken

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Bone in, skin on chicken thighs seared until the skin is deeply golden and crisp, then braised low and slow in white wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, mushrooms, and carrots until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. The braising liquid reduces into a rich, savory sauce that is good enough to eat with a spoon.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: braised chicken, braised chicken recipe

Servings:

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Le Creuset 3.75-Quart Braiser

Ingredients

6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ cups chicken broth low sodium or no sodium added
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
2 medium carrots sliced
5 ounces mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Season the 6 chicken thighs evenly with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper on both sides.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs skin side down and sear for about 5 to 7 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes, then remove the chicken and set aside.
In the same pan, add the chopped onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the onions.
Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in 1 ½ cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1 bay leaf.
Add the 1 ½ cups sliced carrots and 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms to the pan and stir to combine.
Return the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side up, making sure they are partially submerged in the liquid. Cover and transfer the pan to the oven. Braise for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Remove the bay leaf. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Notes

Pat the chicken dry before searing. Wet skin steams instead of crisps. Dry it well, get the oil hot, lay the thighs skin side down, and leave them alone for 5 to 7 minutes. The skin will release from the pan on its own when it is ready. Do not touch it before then.
Cook the tomato paste for a full minute before adding the wine. Tomato paste added straight to liquid tastes raw and sharp. One minute in the hot pan caramelizes it and adds a deep savory richness to the sauce. Small step, big difference.
Keep the chicken skin side up for the entire braise. Skin sitting in liquid goes soft and loses everything we built in the sear. The skin needs to stay above the liquid so the oven heat keeps it crisp. If the liquid level looks too high before the pan goes in, pour a little out.

Nutrition