One of the first recipes I ever published was my Garlic Braised Chicken...it's consistently one of my most made recipes, both by me and by you! Braising chicken thighs is absolutely one of my go-to techniques and dishes, not only because it's so easy, but because chicken thighs are generally super affordable.
In the lead up to the birth of my daughter in November 2023, I started prepping big batches of dishes that I could portion and freeze, so that we could spend our money on unexpected baby gear, not take out. Braising is always an easy way to take a big hunk of meat and make it delicious without a ton of effort, and having a big batch of a protein in the fridge has been great for us to build bowls, salads, and whole meals around.
The other day, I was cooking for my parents who have been in town visiting, and thought I would make some sort of chicken dish since my parents don't eat any red meat. In addition, my dad only eats chicken breasts, and all I had on hand was chicken thighs. Enter a braise...a sneaky way to trick my dad into eating dark meat! I also had a jar of homemade tomato sauce in the fridge, so I decided to combine them to make a simple, but delicious chicken ragout. I served it with a simple risotto, but ate it again with some pasta and both were delicious!
CHICKEN RAGOUT
serves 6
2 lb bone in skin on chicken thighs
1 Tbs + 2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 ea yellow onion
4 ea garlic cloves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground pepper
1½ c your favorite tomato sauce
Preheat the oven to 285F. Season the chicken thighs thoroughly with the 2 tablespoons of salt. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then pat dry. While the chicken is sitting, thinly slice the onion: trim off the root and tip, then cut in half through the trimmed edges. Slice lengthwise thinly. Microplane the garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a medium dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the chicken thighs a couple at a time, without crowding the pan. Brown skin-side down first, then flip. Remove from pan to a plate as the thighs finish browning.
Lower the heat to medium low, and stir in the onions. As the onions soften, use them to deglaze the pan and scrape up the brown bits left in the bottom from the chicken. After about 5 minutes, when the onions are becoming translucent, stir in the garlic until fragrant, another minute or so. Add in the rest of the seasonings, including the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, and cook another minute before pouring in the tomato sauce.
Stir well to combine, then nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce and pour in any juices that have collected on the plate. Bring up to a simmer, then cover with a lid and place in the oven for about 2 hours, until the chicken is tender enough to fall off the bone.
Allow to cool just enough to handle, and remove the skin, bone, and any gristle. Shred as you go.
Serve with your favorite pasta or a simple risotto.
