Braised Chicken Thighs
With juicy chicken and melt-in-your-mouth potatoes and carrots, these braised chicken thighs are quick to assemble and very family friendly.
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Braised Chicken Thighs
I love chicken, especially thighs, but I haven’t always given this bird the respect it deserves. That’s because when a mandatory trip to the grocery store was imminent, I could usually rely on the fact that there was at least some chicken sitting in the freezer, begging me to defrost it and give it some semblance of dignity. The problem, however, was I tended to almost always make it the same because I was busy pondering about some of the more exciting things I would cook after completing said trip to the supermarket.
But that all changed because, well, people love chicken, dammit. And so do I. And here we are. And I knew I had to do more with it. I enjoy braising chicken because it’s almost as easy as baking or roasting it. Plus, everything cooks in one pan and in under one hour. The result is delicious, tender chicken with all the “fixings.” And because of my carb-lovin’ ways, I start the veggie assembly line with potatoes. The veggies are also easy to prepare and practically melt-in-your-mouth upon cooking.
Many braised chicken recipes use white wine, but I like red wine here. Maybe it’s because of its coq au vin vibes, but it also gives the chicken a more distinct flavor, and I like how it turns everything in the pan a more earthy color.
I hope you try these braised chicken thighs. If you do, I’d love to know what you think!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken Thighs
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Yellow Potatoes
- Carrots
- Dried Thyme
- Yellow Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Red Wine
- All-Purpose Flour
- Chicken Stock or Broth
- Italian Flat-leaf Parsley
Why You’ll Love These Braised Chicken Thighs
Everything cooks in one pan: This recipe is filled with chicken thighs and hearty vegetables but comes together in just one pan.
Lots of flavors are happening here: Between the onions, garlic, red wine, and chicken stock, there are lots of flavors for your chicken to absorb if he doesn’t choose to be stubborn about it.
It creates a nice “sauce/gravy”: Some braised chicken recipes have thinner sauces, but this one is thicker due to adding less liquid, more flour, and full-bodied red wine, creating a lovely sauce to pour over the chicken.
Pro Tips
Remove some potatoes from the pan, if needed: If the pan seems a little crowded after you add everything to it, including the chicken, just fish out a few potatoes. On the other hand, your pan can probably handle a little overcrowding, as the veggies should cook easily in the liquid stock.
Reduce the liquid at the end, if necessary: If the sauce is too thin for your liking after the chicken has finished cooking, remove the chicken and veggies from the pan and simmer the stock/wine mixture for a few minutes on the stovetop until it reaches the desired consistency.
I don’t recommend trying this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs: The chicken skin helps flavor the veggies, and bone-in thighs can cook for longer in the oven without the risk of drying out.
Suggestions for Variations and Substitutions
- Add any veggies you like. I would just steer clear of any that could easily turn mushy, like zucchini, and stick to more robust vegetables.
- Use any mix of dried and/or fresh herbs you like.
- You can slice or mince the fresh garlic in this recipe instead of leaving it whole. I just like cooking it whole and biting into big pieces of sweet garlic.
- Add as much garlic as you like!
Leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and consume within three days. You could freeze this, but I don’t think it would reheat as well as it would straight from the fridge.
For more chicken recipes, try these baked vinegar chicken thighs and potatoes.
Braised Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (could do 6)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 yellow potatoes, small to medium in size and cut into 1" to 1 and 1/2" cubes
- 6 carrots, peeled and sliced down the center lengthwise and cut into 1 and 1/2" pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 yellow onion, cut julienne into 1/4" each
- 4 garlic cloves, whole (could also slice or mince)
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chicken stock or broth
- Handful Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Remove any excess moisture from the chicken by blotting it with a paper towel. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan or skillet (cast iron is best). Add the chicken thighs skin side down, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until the skin turns golden brown. You can move the chicken around in the pan every 2 minutes to encourage even browning, as some parts of the pan might cook hotter than others. But don't move them too much, or they won't brown properly. Turn over and brown the other side for about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and thyme to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook the vegetables until they turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly and don't burn. Add the onions and garlic once the potatoes and carrots start to brown, cooking until they also soften a bit and turn color.
- Pour in the wine, toss with the vegetables and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir it into the vegetables for about 2 minutes to cook off the raw taste and allow it to develop some flavor. Don't let it burn. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a high simmer, and add the chicken back to the pan. Remove from the heat and place the pan in the oven on the bottom rack, covered, and cook for 40 minutes. If you don't have a proper lid for your pan, you can cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and garnish the chicken with fresh parsley. Enjoy!