Braised Chicken Thighs

No ratings yet

Braised chicken thighs are rich with flavor, incredibly tender, and have a way of elevating any weeknight dinner to make it feel a little special—especially when you make a gravy with the braising liquid and serve with mashed potatoes!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Chicken, Main Course, Main Dish, One Pan

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

For chicken:

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 pounds)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil (or another cooking oil)
1 cup diced yellow onion (1 medium onion)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine, or more broth (I recommend sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or an unoaked chardonnay)
1 cup chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary (or 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped)

For pan gravy:

½ cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (see note)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Using a sharp kitchen scissors, trim the excess fat and skin from the chicken thighs, if desired. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet (with lid) or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 5 to 6 minutes until the skin is golden brown. Do this in batches if necessary. Flip the chicken over and sear the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. The chicken will not be cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan, and set aside.
In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and add diced onion. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
1 cup diced yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, minced
Pour in white wine (or extra broth) and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for 2 minutes, then stir in the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, thyme, and rosemary.
½ cup dry white wine, or more broth, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves, ½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
Return the chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side up. Broth should come about halfway up the thighs, but they shouldn't be completely covered.
Remove pan from the heat, cover, and transfer to preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and fully cooked (internal temp: 175°F).
To make the gravy, transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate. Place the pot with the pan juices over medium-high heat (be careful, the handles will still be hot!) and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together ½ cup broth and 3 tablespoons flour until smooth and no lumps remain. Gradually pour this mixture into the simmering pan juices, stirring constantly, and cook until the gravy has thickened. Taste the gravy to see if more salt or pepper is needed.
½ cup chicken broth, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Serve chicken thighs with pan gravy, and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. I like to serve the chicken with mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Notes

Seasoning: Season the chicken to your liking. I kept it pretty simple but feel free to experiment or use seasoning blends you have in your pantry. If they contain salt, don't season the chicken with additional salt. Be sure to taste the gravy before serving. Depending on what type of broth you used (regular, low sodium, unsalted), you may need to add salt to the finished dish.
Gluten-free: Substitute cornstarch for the flour to thicken the gravy.
Storage: Refrigerate leftover chicken and gravy in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the chicken thighs with the gravy in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: Warm the chicken and gravy in a baking dish covered with foil in a 325ºF oven until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions.

Nutrition

QR Code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.

*If you're viewing this on your phone, press and hold the QR code to open in your browser.