Citrus Braised Chicken Thighs Recipes

CITRUS-MARINATED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Set aside 1/4 cup sliced scallions. Pulse cilantro, garlic, citrus zests, citrus juices, soy sauce, oil, salt, and remaining scallions in a food processor or blender until a coarse purée forms. Set aside 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, seal bag, and turn to coat. Chill at least 20 minutes.
• Preheat broiler. Remove chicken from marinade and place, skin side down, on a foil-lined broilerproof baking sheet; discard marinade. Broil chicken until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Turn; continue to broil until cooked through and an instantread thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 12-15 minutes longer. Serve chicken with reserved marinade and scallions.
• DO AHEAD: Chicken can be marinated 2 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

CITRUS CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat a wide braising pan or tagine over medium-high heat.
• In a small bowl, combine the harissa, paprika, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, allspice, cardamom, cayenne, orange zest and 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Stir to form a paste.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper; rub half of the spice mixture on both sides of the thighs.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil to the pan. Sear the chicken skin-side down until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side. Remove to a plate.
• Add the garlic, onion and remaining spice mixture to the same pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onions are softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pan along with the tomatoes, chicken stock, olives, apricots, preserved lemon and sliced oranges and season with salt and pepper, being careful with the salt. Braise in the oven, partially covered, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to braise until the chicken is tender, another 15 to 45 minutes. Serve from the pan over couscous, garnishing with sliced Meyer lemon and whole cilantro and mint leaves.

GRILLED CITRUS MARINATED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. In a non-reactive baking dish large enough to hold all the chicken to marinate, whisk together the vegetable oil, citrus zests and juices, cayenne pepper and the thyme. Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to a couple hours in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the grill. Remove the chicken from marinade and let excess drip back into dish. Place chicken on the hot grill, without overcrowding the pieces. Grill until fully cooked through, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes total, depending on how hot your grill is. Serve immediately.

EASY OVEN-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, place in the hot skillet, skin-side down. Cook until well browned but be sure not to burn, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the bottom side for 1 minute. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish, skin-side up.
• Combine boiling water, garlic powder, and bouillon in a small bowl. Pour into the baking dish around (not over) the chicken until it comes about 1/3 of the way up the sides of the chicken; do not cover the chicken.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 60 to 75 minutes, uncovering and broiling for the last 5 minutes if possible. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove from the pan and let sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

EMERIL'S BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Season the chicken all over with the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Place the 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl, and quickly dredge both sides of each thigh in the flour, shaking to remove any excess. Set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch flameproof casserole or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, and when it has melted, place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Brown for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan, and when it has melted, add the onions, garlic, thyme bundle or rosemary sprigs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon then whisk in the chicken stock and increase the heat to high. Return the chicken, skin side down, to the pan, and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a heavy, tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Uncover the pan, stir the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching, and turn the chicken skin side up. Cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes longer.
• Stir the bottom of the pan a final time, re-cover, and simmer for 20 more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and discard the herb bundle or rosemary sprigs. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Add the parsley to the sauce, stir to combine, and then spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with steamed white rice.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CUMIN, CAYENNE AND CITRUS

Steps:

• Preheat a gas grill, start a wood or charcoal fire or preheat a broiler; the fire should be moderately hot, and the rack should be about 4 inches from the heat source.
• Combine the garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, cayenne, cloves, salt, pepper and oil in a blender or small food processor, and blend until fairly smooth. Add the juices, taste and adjust seasoning; the flavors should be powerful.
• Smear sauce over chicken; if time allows, marinate 30 minutes or so. Grill 6 to 8 minutes a side, or until meat is nicely browned and cooked medium or better on the inside. (Thighs with bones will take longer, about 20 minutes total.) Serve, garnished with the cilantro.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat on stovetop. Put salt and pepper on chicken thighs and place in dutch oven (skin side down first) cook until each side has nice color on it (about 4 minutes each side). Take chicken out and put on a plate. Put a tbsp more oil in dutch oven and turn down to medium heat. Put carrots, celery, onion and garlic in and cook for 8 minutes or until onions are almost translucent. Add Chicken Stock, tomatoes and water and stir until they come to a boil. Put Chicken back in the pot so it is submerged in juices. Put lid on the dutch oven and cook @350 degrees for 2 hours 15 minutes and then turn oven off but leave the dutch oven in the oven for about 1 hour or more (it continues to cook). Remove pot from oven and serve over pasta-tastes good with egg noodles (chicken should be falling off the bone).

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL

Steps:

• Trim fennel bulbs, and set aside fronds. In a blender or food processor, pulse about 1/2 cup fronds, garlic, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup oil and purée.
• Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Slice thinly with a mandoline or very sharp knife.
• Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown chicken until skin is crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in pan.
• Stir fennel seeds into skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add sliced fennel and onion, seasoning with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Pernod and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Lay chicken on top of the fennel-onion mixture. Pour 3 tablespoons water into the pan. Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid if necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
• Serve chicken and vegetables topped with generous dollops of the fennel frond purée.

ORANGE BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GREEN OLIVES

Steps:

• Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken, transferring as browned to a plate.
• Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon fat from pan. Reduce heat to moderate and in skillet cook garlic, stirring, until it begins to turn golden. Add onion and cook, stirring, until pale golden. Stir in cumin, citrus juices, and salt and pepper to taste and add chicken and olives. Simmer chicken, covered, 25 minutes, or until tender.

CHINESE CITRUS CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Remove the surface layer of fat from the thighs. Rinse and towel dry.
• In a large non-stick skillet, combine all remaining ingredients.
• Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture up to a boil, then add the chicken (bones up).
• Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove the cover, turn the chicken pieces over, raise the heat to medium, and cook until the liquid is evaporated and the chicken is glazed, about 10 to 15 minutes.