If you’re looking for a new idea for a chicken dinner, consider this. These braised chicken thighs are tangy, tender, and full of flavor. Braising in white wine brings in extra complexity to help you create a satisfying dinner with a short ingredient list. You can use any dry white wine that you like, just don’t forget the golden rule: if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it.
Recipe: White Wine-Braised Chicken Thighs
Ingredients:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1.5 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 lemon, sliced and deseeded
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper generously on both sides. Dust lightly with the flour.
2. In a large, oven safe pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil medium-high heat until hot. Add the seasoned chicken, skin side down, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Flip and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until browned, but not necessarily fully cooked through. Turn off the heat. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate. Carefully drain off any excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
3. Heat the pan of reserved fond on medium. Add the sliced shallot and cook, 1 to 2 minutes, or until translucent. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the wine (carefully, as the liquid may splatter), and cook, scraping up any fond, until the wine has reduced by half.
4. Add the chicken broth, capers, lemon slices, thyme and bay leaf to the pan. Heat to boiling on high. Carefully add the browned chicken back to the pan, skin-side up. Turn off the heat. Place the pan in the oven and cook, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove the pan from the oven.
5. If you’d like a slightly thicker sauce, remove the finished chicken from the pan and reduce the sauce until it’s a desired consistency. Enjoy!
