Braised Chicken
I used to be afraid to even try this type of meal. Long ago, before I did what I do now, my cooking skills were, let’s say, less than amazing.
In fact, when my husband & I first got married, I thought a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese & small sausages in BBQ sauce was a great meal. OOF.
But a couple of things changed that for me. First, many years ago, my husband & I took a cooking class with an amazing chef. The skills I learned that day ignited something in me. I remember thinking in that class, “wow, I had no idea cooking something fresh & amazign could actually be this simple.” Second, when I got so sick in 2008, I had to change the food I was eating. That change led me to whole, sustainable food choices. Both of these things are partly why The Nourished Body & Soul exists today.
This Braised Chicken does take about 3 hours total to complete, but it’s only about 30 minutes of active cooking & the rest of the time is just the chicken braising in the oven. And let me tell you, this is the kind of meal you serve when you have company over for a Sunday lunch, your boss comes for dinner, or you need to really impress someone, but it’s also the kind of meal you serve on a random Tuesday.
My only advice on this Braised Chicken is to ensure you have all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking. The process moves quickly once you get going & there’s no time to stop & chop or measure ingredients.
I know you’ll love this Braised Chicken as much as we do! If you make it, post it & tag me (@benourishedcp), or email me a pic & let me know what you think!
Braised Chicken
INGREDIENTS
8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
1 red onion, cut into bite-size chunks
6-8 carrots, cut into bite-size chunks
3-4 stalks celery, cut into bite-size chunks
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth or chicken bone broth
¼ cup gluten-free (I recommend using Bob’s one-to-one)
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon garlic granules
¾ teaspoon onion powder
Freshly ground salt
Parsley, chopped for garnish
DIRECTIONS
preheat the oven to 350°.
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, dried oregano, garlic granules & onion powder. Gently lift the skin on the chicken & spread about ¾ of the seasoning mixture over the flesh, then evenly divide the remaining seasoning & spread over skin. Set aside.
Prep all remaining ingredients (chop veggies, mince garlic, measure out broth, red wine vinegar & flour). Set aside. (I love these prep bowls)
Set a large braiser on the stove top & preheat over medium for 2-3 minutes. Add half of the butter to the braiser. Once the butter has melted, turn the heat up slightly & begin browning chicken pieces. You’ll need to work in a couple of batches to be sure that there’s ample room for the chicken to brown nicely. Brown all pieces 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan & set aside.
Once the chicken is done, add in remaining butter & let it melt completely. Add in all veggies & brown until they begin to look golden & pick up brown bits left in the pan from the chicken. Once veggies are nicely browned, add in minced garlic & sauté for about 30 seconds.
Add flour to veggies & stir continuously until you don’t see any more white from the flour. This will be quick, don’t let the flour burn here. Immediately add in the broth & red wine vinegar. Stir quickly. Turn off heat.
Carefully place chicken pieces back into the pan, nestling them into the broth & veggies.
Cover the braising pan & place into the oven for 2-2 ½ hours. (this will depend on the size of your chicken thighs, for smaller ones, I do 2 hours, for larger ones, I do 2 ½ hours)
When done, remove from oven & serve with rice or mashed sweet potatoes.