Braised chicken is one of those recipes that you can pull out again and again when they can’t think of something new to make. Braising the chicken with the skin exposed keeps it crispy while tenderizing the meat underneath.

Braised chicken is meant to use ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Olive oil, onions, garlic, tomato paste with a can of whole tomatoes and a touch of fish sauce. They are simple, fresh and flavourful and they are the perfect example of a good style of cooking.

Despite adding tomatoes and garlic to this braised chicken, you can still add beans to the braised chicken dishes because they become extra creamy and help to thicken the sauce while it braises. The whole dish is built in a single sauté pan and it is best served with rice.

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken thighs on the bone, skin-on
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Salt
  • 6 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 20 Muir Glen chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken stock (homemade or low sodium)
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • Rice for serving

Instructions;

  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry. Season them liberally on all sides with salt. Heat the olive oil in large, heavy sauté pan with high sides over medium heat.
  2. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides in two batches, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
  3. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of fat in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic.
  4. Cook, stirring frequently until you can smell it, about a minute.
  5. Add the canned tomatoes, chicken stock and a large pinch of salt, and turn the heat up until the liquid comes to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as they loosen.
  6. Add the thyme and then nestle the chicken thighs, skin-side-up in the sauce. Partially cover the pan and turn down the heat so that the sauce is simmering gently.
  7. Cook for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. If the sauce is thin, transfer the chicken to a clean plate and keep warm while you turn up the heat for a few minutes so that the sauce simmers and thickens a bit.
  8. Don’t let it cook down too much. Return the chicken to the sauce and heat through before serving over rice.