Italian Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives
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This is my favorite Italian Braised Chicken recipe. The chicken thighs are first seared until the skin is crispy then they're gently simmered in a delicious tomato and olive sauce. The chicken becomes super flavorful and tender. This is a healthy dinner recipe you don't want to miss.
Italian Braised Chicken ā a must-have recipe to tuck into your back pocket. Keep this one close at hand. You need it. You want it. Don't hold back.
This recipe now sits firmly in the category of my Favorite Chicken Recipes. (yes, that's plural. no, I can't choose only one. picking favorites is more fun than picking a favorite.)
All the Italian Braised Chicken love:
- One pan chicken dinner.
- Super tender meat that's infused with all the tomato and olive flavor goodness.
- Salty crispy chicken skin. ā best ever.
- Finishes cooking itself in the oven so you can pour yourself a glass of wine, tidy the kitchen, and relax before dinner.
- Saucy.
- Domestic dinner bliss.
How to make Italian Braised Chicken
- Salt and pepper the chicken then pop it into your pan. Let it sizzle away until the skin is nice and crispy. Take it out of the pan and resist the urge to eat it.
- Cook the onions until they're soft and the garlic until it's fragrant.
- Caramelize the tomato paste for a few minutes. If you want the best Italian braised chicken, don't skip this step! See the picture up there? That's what your pan should look like when the tomato paste is sweet and caramelized. So much flavor!
- Add the rest of the tomato and olive sauce ingredients, nestle the chicken back into the pan, and pop the whole thing in the oven.
- Now go pour yourself a glass of wine and pat yourself on the back. You deserve it. And yes, I believe this step is mandatory.
READ MORE: Favorite Italian Seasoning
How to serve Italian chicken:
- You could eat it straight from the pan. No one would judge you. I say go for it!
- After taking these pictures, I served it with a pot of basmati rice and a big salad with lots of greens and a brown butter dressing. (yes, I said brown butter dressing.)
- The tomato olive sauce is a natural with pasta. I like wide noodles like pappardelle, but linguini is great, too.
- Thick slices of your favorite bakery bread smothered in butter are perfect for mopping up the sauce and make this dinner extra simple.
- To keep this a gluten-free/ paleo/ Whole30 compliant recipe, serve this with a side of roast or mashed potatoes and a salad or roast carrots or Italian cauliflower.
If you've got a big-time crush on olives (like I do!) make sure you check out the recipe Cheesy Roasted Garlic Artichoke Olive Dip. It's crazy delicious. I used the same Olives from Spain in that recipe as I did in this Italian Braised Chicken recipe. They're so good!
Easy and healthy chicken dinner recipes:
- Asian Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
- Orange Cranberry Roast Chicken
- Sticky Guinness Chicken
- Lemon Herb Butter Roast Chicken
- One Pan Honey Mustard Chicken and Potatoes
- One Pan Bacon Apple Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
- Baked Sesame Ginger Chicken
Italian Braised Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (skin on or off, your choice)
- Ā½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup coarsely chopped olives
- 2 tablespoons EACH: capers and balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon EACH: chopped rosemary and oregano
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.8 bone-in chicken thighs, Ā½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof pan over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side up, and brown them for 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook until the skin is brown and crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan. (While the chicken is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients.)2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pour out all but about 2 tablespoons of the oil from the pan. Add the onion to the pan and let it cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste to the pan and let it cook until it has darkenedĀ slightly and is fragrant smelling, about 3 minutes.1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir well. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Nestle the chicken back into the pan, skin side up. Pop the chicken into the oven and let it cook for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve it right away.28 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 cup coarsely chopped olives, 2 tablespoons EACH: capers and balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon EACH: chopped rosemary and oregano, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon honey
Notes
Ā
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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