Braised Chicken Thighs
Golden, crispy braised chicken thighs baked in a bright lemon and olive sauce. This easy Italian oven-braised recipe delivers tender, fall-apart chicken with restaurant-quality flavor perfect for weeknights or entertaining.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3 tablespons butter
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon homemade Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup dry white wine or substitute chicken stock
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup Castelvetrano olives
- 1 tablespoon olive brine from the olives
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Season the chicken: Pat thighs completely dry for crispy skin, then season generously with sea salt, black pepper, and paprika.
- Sear: Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin-side down and sear undisturbed 6–8 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and cook 3–4 minutes more. Remove and set aside, leaving the browned bits in the pan.
- Build the base: Reduce heat to medium. Add a little more olive oil if needed, the better, then cook diced onion with a pinch of salt until soft and lightly golden, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds, then add Italian seasoning and Dijon.
- Deglaze: Pour in white wine (or stock) and scrape up all the browned bits. Simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add braising liquid: Stir in chicken stock, lemon zest and juice, olives, olive brine, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Braise: Return chicken to the pan skin-side up, keeping liquid halfway up the sides (not over the skin). Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 35–40 minutes, until tender and about 180°F internally.
- Finish: For crispier skin, uncover during the last 10 minutes. Taste the sauce, adjust salt, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with plenty of that beautiful pan sauce. Mangia!
Notes
- Pat the chicken very dry for deeply crispy skin.
- Sear without moving the chicken until it turns naturally golden, then release it from the pan.
- Brown with confidence: color equals flavor.
- Deglaze well and scrape up every browned bit.
- Keep liquid below the skin so it stays crisp, not soggy.
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
