Braised Chicken with Vegetables and Gravy (Crisp Skin)

Good braised chicken with vegetables and gravy has two textures working together: meat tender enough to pull from the bone with a fork, and skin that’s browned instead of pale and soggy. Underneath sits a gravy made from the pan itself. This version gets there without a drop of wine or wine vinegar. Deep browning, a spoonful of tomato paste and a squeeze of lemon at the end do the work wine usually does.

It also fixes the usual problems with long braises: mushy vegetables, gravy that cooks away and timing that only works for one cut. There’s a times list for every cut, plus stovetop, slow cooker and Instant Pot notes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Browning does the work wine usually does. The depth comes from the browned bits stuck to the pot and the tomato paste. Lemon juice at the end supplies the acidity.

The gravy is built first. The flour cooks in the fat with the onions and gets whisked smooth with broth. The carrots and celery go in afterward, so the flour never clumps around them.

The vegetables hold their shape. Two-inch pieces of carrot and celery stay intact through a 90-minute braise. Small pieces turn to mush long before the chicken is tender.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Serves 6. You’ll need a 12-inch braiser or a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven, wide enough for a single layer.

For the chicken

3 to 3 1/2 pounds (1.4 to 1.6 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, or 4 leg quarters – Dark meat has more connective tissue, which softens with slow, moist heat.

1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt) – The fine salt is half the amount, so don’t swap them one for one.

1/2 teaspoon black pepper – Nothing fancy.

1 teaspoon sweet paprika – It goes on with the other seasonings.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder – In the spice mix.

1 tablespoon olive oil – For browning the chicken.

For the vegetables and gravy

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or more olive oil for dairy-free) – It cooks the onion and starts the gravy.

1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges – Big wedges hold up.

6 garlic cloves, smashed – Smashed, not minced.

1 tablespoon tomato paste – It cooks until it turns brick red, and a lot of the depth comes from that.

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour – It thickens the gravy.

2 1/2 cups (600 ml) low-sodium chicken broth – Low-sodium, so you control the salt.

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces – Keep them big.

2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces – Same here.

4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried) – The stems come out at the end.

1 bay leaf – It comes out too.

To finish

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice – Stirred in at the end.

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley – A little green on top.

How to Make This Recipe

Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels, since wet skin steams instead of browning. Mix the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder and season all sides.

Heat the oil in the braiser over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down without crowding, working in two batches if needed. Cook without moving for 6 to 8 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases easily. Flip and brown the other side for 2 minutes, then move the chicken to a plate. It won’t be cooked through yet.

Leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot and discard the rest. Don’t wipe out the browned bits stuck to the bottom. They’re the base of your gravy.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Cook the onion wedges for 4 to 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the paste darkens to brick red. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the broth while whisking and scraping the bottom of the pot. Bring it to a simmer. It will thicken within a minute or two.

Stir in the carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Nestle the chicken skin-side up into the gravy, along with any juices from the plate. The liquid should come about halfway up the chicken, with the skin above it. Add a splash more broth if needed.

Cover and move the pot to the oven for 60 minutes. Remove the lid and keep cooking for 25 to 35 minutes, until the skin has browned and the thickest thigh reads 185 to 195°F (85 to 90°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Spoon off any fat pooled on the surface, then stir in the lemon juice. Taste, adjust the salt and scatter with parsley.

My “Crisp Skin, Thick Gravy” Mini Guide

• Dry the chicken, then brown it longer than feels necessary. Wet or pale skin stays soft.
• Keep the liquid halfway up. Fully submerged skin turns flabby. Exposed skin browns in the last half hour.
• Keep the oven at 325°F with convection off. A hotter oven cooks the gravy away.
• If the gravy is thin or greasy, spoon off the fat, then simmer it uncovered for 5 minutes with the chicken out.

Helpful Tips

Braising Times by Cut

All times are at 325°F (165°C), after browning.

• Bone-in, skin-on thighs, drumsticks or leg quarters: 60 minutes covered, then 25 to 35 uncovered, until 185 to 195°F (85 to 90°C) and the meat pulls easily from the bone.
• Bone-in, skin-on split breasts: 30 minutes covered, then 10 to 15 uncovered, until 165°F (74°C).
• Boneless, skinless thighs: 30 minutes covered, then 10 to 15 uncovered, until 175 to 185°F (80 to 85°C). Cut the broth to 1 1/2 to 2 cups.
• Boneless, skinless breasts: 15 to 20 minutes covered, until 165°F (74°C). I’d skip them for a long braise, since lean breast meat dries out.

For a whole cut-up chicken, add the breast pieces for the last 45 minutes.

Braiser, Dutch Oven or Skillet?

A braiser is ideal, because its wide, shallow shape keeps the chicken in a single layer with the skin above the liquid. A Dutch oven of at least 5 1/2 quarts works if it’s wide enough, and so does an oven-safe 12-inch skillet with a lid. Skip a thin baking dish covered with foil. You’d lose the browned bits that build the gravy.

Stovetop, Slow Cooker and Instant Pot

• Stovetop: follow the recipe through adding the chicken, then cover and keep it at the lowest simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until the thighs reach 185°F (85°C). Check the liquid every 15 minutes.
• Slow cooker: brown the chicken and make the gravy on the stove, using only 1 1/2 cups of broth, then cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. The skin will be soft, so remove it or crisp it under the broiler.
• Instant Pot: brown on Sauté, cook the onion, garlic and tomato paste, and leave out the flour. Add 1 1/2 cups of broth, the vegetables and the chicken, then cook at high pressure for 15 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. To thicken, whisk in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of cold water on Sauté.

Variations

• With potatoes: add 1 pound of halved small potatoes with the carrots, plus 1/2 cup more broth.
• Gluten-free: skip the flour, then thicken the simmering gravy with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water.

Make-Ahead, Storage and Reheating

Braised chicken improves overnight, because the flavors keep blending in the gravy. Cool it, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. The fat solidifies on top, so you can lift it off. Reheat covered at 325°F (165°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp the skin. Eat leftovers within 3 to 4 days. It freezes in its gravy for up to 3 months, though the vegetables turn softer.

Nutrition and Serving

Per serving (1/6 of the recipe, without potatoes), approximate: 400 calories, 31 g protein, 24 g fat, 11 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fiber and about 500 mg sodium. That assumes you eat the skin and skim most of the fat from the gravy. Serve it with mashed potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Braised chicken takes a little time, but most of it isn’t yours. The work happens at the start: dry the chicken, brown it hard and build the gravy in the same pot. After that the oven does the rest.

It’s also a dish that gets better the next day, which makes it an easy one to make ahead when people are coming.