Stovetop Braised Chicken Recipes

HOW TO BRAISE CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Coat bottom of heavy large skillet (preferably cast iron) with olive oil and heat over high heat.
• Place chicken breasts in a single layer in hot skillet and cook for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Turn over and cook 1 minute.
• Add liquid and herb(s). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 160 to 165 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove chicken from pan and set aside to cool.

BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients and heat the oven to 300 F.
• Dry the chicken well with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until it's crispy and the fat has rendered out. Remove and set aside.
• Add 1 breast (skin-side down), 1 thigh (skin-side down), 1 drumstick, and 1 wing. Brown the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, then remove to a platter and repeat with the other 4 pieces. Finally, brown the backbone, skin-side down, and remove.
• Add the onion, leek , and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and boil, scraping any roasted bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato paste.
• Return the chicken and bacon to the pot. Add the chicken stock or water. Season with salt (if needed). Add the rosemary and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for one hour, or until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 165 F . Remove the lid and let the chicken cool in the pot for 15 minutes before serving.

EMERIL'S BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Season the chicken all over with the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Place the 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl, and quickly dredge both sides of each thigh in the flour, shaking to remove any excess. Set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch flameproof casserole or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, and when it has melted, place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Brown for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan, and when it has melted, add the onions, garlic, thyme bundle or rosemary sprigs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon then whisk in the chicken stock and increase the heat to high. Return the chicken, skin side down, to the pan, and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a heavy, tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Uncover the pan, stir the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching, and turn the chicken skin side up. Cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes longer.
• Stir the bottom of the pan a final time, re-cover, and simmer for 20 more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and discard the herb bundle or rosemary sprigs. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Add the parsley to the sauce, stir to combine, and then spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with steamed white rice.

OVEN-BRAISED CHICKEN STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut each chicken thigh into 5 or 6 pieces. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil and butter in a 6-quart, oven-safe Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add onions to the hot pot; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add carrots and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 more minute. Add mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add green beans and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour wine into the pot and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pot. Pour in just enough chicken broth to barely cover everything in the pot. Sample broth and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Add rosemary sprigs, pressing them below the surface of the liquid.
• Cover and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until vegetables are tender and chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove rosemary sprigs.
• Place cornstarch in a small bowl and add just enough water to create a thin paste. Stir until all lumps are dissolved and slowly add to the stew, stirring constantly.
• Place stew on the stove and heat over medium heat. Cook and stir until gravy has thickened and desired consistency has been achieved, about 5 minutes.

BRAISED CHICKEN BREASTS IN TASTY MIREPOIX RAGOUT

Steps:

• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour until completely coated. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven and fry breasts until lightly browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
• Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and saute the onions for 2 minutes. Stir in the celery and carrots and cook for about one more minute. Season with garlic, bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute.
• Deglaze the pot with white wine, stirring until nothing is stuck to the pan, then pour in the chicken broth. Simmer for 90 minutes.
• Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. The mixture should reduce considerably by this time so check frequently to see that the chicken is covered. Spoon baste if necessary. The ragout should have a stew like consistency when finished.

OVEN-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven.Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.
• Bring a 2-qt. saucepan of water to a boil. Drop in the onions and blanch them for 1 minute.
• Drain in a colander, then shower with cold water to stop the cooking.
• Peel the onions, leaving enough fo the root end intact.
• Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper.
• In a straight-sided 10 inch ovenproof saute pan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side down in the pan (it will be crowed), cover with a splatter screen.
• Cook until deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook until other sides are deeply browned, 3-5 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to plate and pour out fat.
• Set pan over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, bacon and carrot to the pand and cook until the bacon is crisp and the vegetables are browned, 8-10 minutes.
• Add the wine ant thyme sprigs and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom.
• Boil unitl the wine has ruecued to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Return the chicken pieces to the pan and cover.
• Transfer to the oven and braise until the chicken is fork-tender and the drumstick meat starts to come away from the bone, about 45 to 50 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer everything to a serving dish and keep warm by covering loosely with foil.
• Discard the thyme sprigs.
• Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce.
• Bring the sauce to a boil over medium high heat, then simmer until slightly thicken, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with thyme leaves and serve.

EASY OVEN-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, place in the hot skillet, skin-side down. Cook until well browned but be sure not to burn, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the bottom side for 1 minute. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish, skin-side up.
• Combine boiling water, garlic powder, and bouillon in a small bowl. Pour into the baking dish around (not over) the chicken until it comes about 1/3 of the way up the sides of the chicken; do not cover the chicken.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 60 to 75 minutes, uncovering and broiling for the last 5 minutes if possible. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove from the pan and let sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving.