Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Leeks
Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Leeks is the perfect cold weather comfort food.
Nothing makes a cold winter night more bearable than a hot and hearty meal made in the oven. Some dishes I love to prepare in the winter are Braised Brisket with Potatoes and Vegetables, Turmeric Braised Chicken with Beets and Leeks, and Baked Chicken Enchiladas.
When it comes to chicken, some many people prefer breasts, but personally I’m a thigh girl all the way. Chicken breasts of course have their place – as breaded cutlets or in chicken salad, but when it comes to braised dishes, dark meat is my first choice because it’s more versatile and forgiving, and bonus, more affordable.
This braised chicken dish starts on the stove, then finishes in the oven, so you’ll want to use a heavy oven proof skillet or dutch oven with a fitted lid. First step is browning the chicken, then you’ll want to saute your aromatics and vegetables. Then the whole dish goes in the oven until the chicken is tender and delicious.
Tommy loved this dish, and asked what made this taste so good. It’s the leeks I told him, and he said we should use them in more dishes. I agree, leeks add something special to dishes, once you know how to cook with them you’ll want to cook with them more. Pictured above, the chicken is served with raw kale tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.
How To Make Braised Chicken
How To Cook With Leeks
Leeks are delicious and healthy, but it’s important to get rid of the dirt trapped between the layers. You don’t use the whole leek, you just keep the white and light pale green part.
- Cut off the dark green part of the leek, trimming to the part where the color is a pale green.
- Cut off the root end then slice the stalk the lengthwise.
- Run leeks under cold water, separating the layers slightly to help remove any dirt.
- Place the leeks in a bowl of cool water, to let and dirt sink to the bottom, then strain, dry and slice.
Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Leeks
Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Leeks is the perfect cold weather comfort food.
Ingredients:
- 2 large or 3 medium leeks, whites only
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- olive oil spray
- 8 pieces bone-in, skin-off chicken thighs, trimmed, about 40 ounces
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
- 2 tablespoons flour (or gluten-free flour mix)
- 1 cup chicken broth or water with chicken bouillon
- 3 tablespoons sherry
Directions:
- Rinse the leeks well and separate the layers to make sure there is no dirt. Slice into 1/4-inch thick half moons.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix together 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the paprika and season all sides of the chicken.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or oven safe skillet on high heat. Once hot spritz with olive oil and brown the chicken, in batches on all sides, about 5 minutes on each side, adjusting the heat as needed.
- Set aside and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter. When the butter starts to foam, add the leeks and cook, stirring until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, stir and cook covered 5 minutes, stirring until they release their juices.
- Sprinkle the flour over them, stir in the chicken broth and the sherry and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the Dutch oven, spooning the mushroom-sherry sauce over them and cook in the oven, covered, for 40 to 50 minutes, until cooked through and tender.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: 2 thighs
- Amount Per Serving:
- Freestyle Points: 8
- Points +: 11
- Calories: 445 calories
- Total Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 276.5mg
- Sodium: 852mg
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 4g
- Protein: 59.5g
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Meal Prep
I have made this twice now, and it is delicious!! Very simple but full of flavor. Both times, I have used boneless chicken thighs simply because that’s what I had on hand. I actually don’t think I’d change that at this point. I like that the meat is so tender it just falls apart with no bone to deal with!
Delicious! My whole family loved it. My partner told me it was so tender that it “melted” in his mouth. I doubled the sauce, because I love sauce. So it cost me a few extra points but it was while worth it. I also didn’t have sherry, so I used apple cider vinegar. Definitely making this one again!
I only have a white wine… should I use it?
yes
Hi Gina!
If using boneless thighs, do I need to alter the recipe at all? Cooking time?
Thanks,
Gina T.
Should be fine
Can this be made in the instant pot?
I make this in my instant pot and it always turns out great! I sear the chicken, remove it from the pot, sauté the veggies, add everything back in and then cook on high pressure for 7 minutes with a 5 min natural release before manually releasing. So good!
Can I freeze this recipe after prepared and how would I go about it?
WOW! Followed this recipe exactly as written – (well , with the exception of the sherry – I used white wine instead – a little for the recipe, and a little more for me – lol!) This is definitely my new ‘company’ dish, although simple enough for the two of us on regular days. The best part is – there’s enough for our dinner tomorrow – yay! (I LOVE having leftovers, especially when they’re this delicious!) YUM!
This was delicious!
I think this is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever eaten. I would even serve this to company. I didyhave sherry so I used Marsala wine. It’s sooooo delicious!!
This is our new favorite ST recipe, we just love it. I use a large shallot instead of leeks as hubby has an aversion to leeks. I made it with boneless chicken breast last time to save a few points and it was excellent. Great recipe!