Braised Chikn Thighs with Potatoes
Chikn thighs browned until golden, then simmered with garlic and potatoes in a savory pan sauce until everything is tender. A comforting one-pan dinner.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 35
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Braising
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Pat the chikn thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with 0.25 tsp salt and the black pepper. Peel the potato and cut it into 2 cm cubes. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
~10 min
Drying the skin prevents steam so the surface can brown, and salting early seasons the meat and helps it retain moisture.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay the chikn thighs in the pan and sear undisturbed for 4 minutes, then flip and sear 3 minutes more, until both sides are deeply golden. Transfer the chikn to a plate.
~7 min
Searing at high heat triggers Maillard browning, building the deep flavor that will season the whole pan sauce.
Searing Pat the meat dry and wait for the oil to shimmer before adding it. Leave it undisturbed so a golden crust forms instead of steaming.
-
Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the pan and cook 1 minute until fragrant, scraping up the browned bits.
~1 min
Briefly cooking garlic in the hot fat blooms its flavor and scraping the fond dissolves those browned bits into the sauce.
-
Add the potato cubes and stir to coat. Pour in 200 ml water and the remaining 0.25 tsp salt, scraping the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, then nestle the chikn thighs back in, cover, and simmer gently for 18 minutes, until the potato is tender and the chikn reaches 74°C/165°F.
~18 min
Covered simmering braises the thighs gently, keeping them moist while the potatoes cook through in the savory liquid.
If the potato is still firm after 18 minutes, add 2 tbsp water, cover, and steam 3 to 5 more minutes off the heat.
Braising Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer, not a boil, and cover tightly. The meat should stay moist while the potatoes turn tender.
-
Uncover and simmer 3 minutes more, until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt. Serve the chikn and vegetables with the pan sauce spooned over.
~3 min
Uncovered simmering evaporates water so the sauce thickens and clings rather than staying thin and watery.