Braised Chicken Thighs with Gravy

Square overhead shot of a pan of braised chicken thighs.

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5 from 1 vote

Braised Chicken Thighs with Gravy

Tender and juicy braised chicken thighs cook slowly with carrots and onions in a white wine gravy.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword braise chicken thighs, braised chicken thigh, braised chicken thighs, braised chicken thighs recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 40

Total Time 1 55

Servings people

Calories 517kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

6-8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 heads garlic, halved crosswise
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups chicken broth
¼ cup white wine (or sub with additional chicken broth)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 lb. carrots, peeled and halved crosswise (if the carrots are more than about ¾ inch thick, cut them in half lengthwise as well)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or thyme

Instructions

Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or braiser (12 – 14 inches) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, cut-sides down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the garlic to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Depending on the size of your pan and on the size of your chicken, you may need to sear the chicken in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the broth, wine, and vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and breaking up any lumps. Add the carrots, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Bring to a simmer, and then remove from the heat. Nestle the chicken and any accumulated juices skin-side up in the pot. The skin should be above the surface of the liquid. Cover with a lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Braise for 1 to 1¼ hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender.
If the chicken isn’t crispy enough for your liking when it comes out of the oven, you can place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. This will help the skin crisp up nicely! Just keep a close eye on the meat because it can burn quickly under the broiler.
If you’d like to thicken the pan sauce slightly, just simmer it on the stovetop (uncovered) for 10-15 minutes, or until it reaches the desired consistency. Discard the garlic. Serve the chicken with the carrots and garnish with chopped fresh herbs.

Notes

Pat the chicken dry before seasoning and searing. Minimizing excess moisture helps the skin get crisp and brown in the pot.

Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces rather than boneless, skinless thighs or breasts. The skin and bones add flavor to the dish and help to prevent the meat from drying out.

While you can use a whole cut-up chicken, I prefer chicken thighs in this dish. The pieces are a uniform size, so they cook in the same amount of time. The dark meat on the thighs stays moist and juicy during the braising process, while white meat breasts have a tendency to become dry when cooked for too long.

If the chicken isn’t crispy enough for your liking when it comes out of the oven, you can place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes while you simmer and thicken the gravy on the stovetop. This will help the skin crisp up nicely! Just keep a close eye on the meat because it can burn quickly under the broiler.

For a thicker gravy, simmer and reduce the braising liquid on the stovetop after the chicken is done. You can also thicken the gravy by whisking in some additional flour or a cornstarch slurry at the end.

You'll know that the chicken thighs are done when they are no longer pink and the juices run clear. The meat should reach an internal temperature of 165°F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (not touching the bone).

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