Chicken Thighs Braised in Mushroom Sauce

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Last updated on May 17th, 2020

This recipe may not seem like anything special at first glance, but trust me; it’ll knock your socks off. I like the thigh of the chicken because not only is it inexpensive, but it’s also flavorful. If you’d prefer, you can use boneless, skinless thighs (or even breasts), but I find the bone-in, skin-on have more flavor. Braising gives you that super juicy, fall-off-the-bone goodness that tastes like you’ve been cooking for hours. Not to mention, the sauce it cooks in is intensely flavorful and delicious. Make sure you serve a good crusty bread with this one to soak up all that sauce!

Chicken Thighs Braised in Mushroom Sauce

serves 4

2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups or so of chicken stock (you can also sub in 1 cup white wine if you’re not feeding the kiddies)
1 sprig rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
cornstarch for thickening

Heat your oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven (with cover) over medium-low heat. Season your chicken with salt and pepper, and brown in the hot oil, about 2 minutes per side.  Set chicken aside and cover with foil to keep it hot.

To the hot pan, add your mushroom, onions and carrots (you can add a bit more oil or a splash of stock if you need to). Cook your vegetables until they are nice and soft, about five minutes. Add your garlic, and cook for about two minutes, just until fragrant. Add your chicken and any accumulating juices back to the pan, placing skin up on top of the vegetables. Pour in your stock, until it reaches about halfway up the chicken. You won’t want to cover them so that the skin on top remains crisp. Place your rosemary sprig on top, cover, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes, until cooked through and tender.

Once the chicken is cooked, discard your rosemary sprig. Pull out your chicken and set aside. At this point you’ll probably want to thicken your sauce to make it more gravy-like. Make your cornstarch slurry. Whisk the slurry into your sauce a small amount at a time until you’ve reached your desired thickness. Give it a taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Spoon a bit of the sauce over each thigh, and enjoy!