Tomato Braised Chicken with Homemade Pappardelle

Prep Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 2 hrs

Tomato Braised Chicken Thighs

This recipe for chicken thighs braised in tomatoes with white beans, served over homemade pappardelle is one of my all time favorites. There’s something about the chicken fat melting in to the acidic tomatoes that melds in to one of the most under-appreciated sauces ever.

We’re starting off with three organic chicken thighs from Whole Foods. I like to trim off a bit of excess skin and fat but that’s optional.

This comes together pretty easily and can be altered in a lot of different ways. I’m serving this over homemade past but you could really eat this entirely on it’s own. Beans could be subbed for veggies like potatoes or carrots. I’m using parsley because that’s what I had but basil would be fantastic.

So, just trim up some chicken thighs and pat them dry with some paper towel. Heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven. Season your chicken with spices. I’ve used salt, pepper, an Italian seasoning mix and a little cayenne. Fry the chicken over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until the skin gets golden brown. Flip to skin side up and heat for another 4 minutes or so then we’ll start adding other ingredients.

Start off with some olive oil in a dutch oven and brown the chicken thighs skin side down for 4 minutes.

Add herbs and beans or vegetables.

Add your parsley and finely minced garlic along with the beans. Give the pot a little shake or stir them up. I like to let the beans crisp up a bit in the oil with garlic before adding the tomatoes. Totally optional.

When you add the tomatoes, add a half tin of water.

We’re shooting for fall off the bone chicken so this is going to braise for at least an hour and a half. If we just dumped some canned tomatoes in, the sauce may get too thick stewing over that period of time. So, the longer you braise, the more the connective tissues and cartilage in the chicken will break down and cause it to be fork tender. The longer you braise a liquid, the more hydration you lose. Keep an eye on this and add water as needed. If your beans start to break down and thicken the sauce, you may need more water.

Braising ensues…

When our dad made sauce, we would go through an entire loaf of white bread and a stick of butter dipping in to the pot on the stove. My Fannie Farmer White Bread recipe is perfect dipping bread.

I’ll work on a homemade pasta recipe in the near future.

Plated!

So there you have it. A super hearty braised chicken in tomatoes with white beans served over homemade pappardelle. That’s a plate big enough to serve two! There aren’t many meals I’ve made for myself that even come close to being as delicious as this. I hope you give it a try!