Skillet Braised Chicken Recipes

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, OLIVES, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken, and push to side of skillet. Add 1 cup stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add potatoes to liquid. Bring to a boil. Add garlic, olives, lemon wedges, and thyme to liquid. Return to a boil.
• Transfer skillet to oven. Roast, stirring potatoes halfway through, until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Return skillet to stove. Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup stock, and stir into pan. Bring to a boil to thicken sauce. Serve immediately.

CAST IRON SKILLET CHICKEN WITH COGNAC SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Sauté the shallots, garlic and thyme. Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to an extra large skillet - ideally cast iron. Place it over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté until the shallots are soft and beginning to brown. Add the thyme, stir, and let it become aromatic -- about 30 seconds.
• Brown the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to high and add it to the skillet. Brown both sides of the chicken and then turn the heat to low-medium. (You're not cooking the chicken through here, just browning the surface.)
• Make the sauce and add it to the skillet with lemon slices. In a small dish, mix the chicken stock, cognac and lemon juice together and then evenly pour it over the chicken. Add the lemon slices around, on top and below the chicken.
• Braise. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and braise just until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. (Cooking times will vary slightly, and larger pieces, like the breasts, will take more time than smaller pieces.)
• Finish the sauce and serve. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and let it melt into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve! (Here's How to Season to Taste.)

SKILLET-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken thighs; sprinkle with salt. Cook chicken until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl.
• 2. To drippings in skillet, add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are lighly browned, about 10 minutes.
• 3. Return chicken thighs to skillet. Stir in stewed tomatoes; eat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with tip of knife, about 25 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and grated lemon peel, if you like.