Braised Chicken

Prep 5 min

Cook 35 min

Ready in 40 min

This flavorful one-pot meal tastes like it’s been cooking all day, but only takes about 40 minutes on the stovetop. Serve with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small leeks, trimmed
4 slices bacon
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6 oz./175 g each)
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (4 oz./125 g each)
2 tsp (10 mL) Lemon Pepper Rub
4 garlic cloves, pressed
½ cup (125 mL) pinot grigio or white cooking wine
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) chicken stock
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups (500 mL) baby spinach leaves
Optional: Mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta

Directions

Slice the leeks and cut the bacon into ½" (1-cm) pieces. Heat the 6-qt. (5.7-L) Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and brown, about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pat the chicken thighs and legs dry with paper towels and season each side with the rub. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Working in two batches, brown the chicken, skin-side down, about 5 minutes (see cook’s tip). Flip and cook an additional minute. If there’s more than 2 tbsp (30 mL) of oil in the pan, drain the extra.
Add the leeks to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20–30 seconds. Add the wine, cook until reduced, about 3–4 minutes.
Add the butter and mustard. Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour until combined. Add the stock, bacon, and thyme; stir.
Add the chicken thighs and legs back into the pan and place the spinach on top. Cover and cook on medium-low until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C), about 13–15 minutes.
If you like, serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.

Yield:

4 servings

Nutrients per serving:

U.S. nutrients per serving: Calories 570, Total Fat 30 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 235 mg, Sodium 960 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Fiber 2 g, Total Sugars 2 g (includes 0 g added sugars), Protein 53 g 4 Servings 5 Prep Time Total Time mins 40 mins Braised Chicken 17 Main Dishes

Cook's Tips:

The bottom of the pan will get dark when browning the chicken. Don’t worry, once you add the wine, those brown bits will release into the sauce and add a deeper, richer flavor. Yum!