Braised chicken thighs make an easy, elegant entrée that the whole family with love!
Juicy chicken thighs and mushrooms in a savory white wine sauce make for a delicious recipe that will be on rotation all year long! Just sear and bake everything together in the oven and dinner’s ready!
What is Braising?
Braising meat simply means to fry until crisp and then slow cook in liquid. In this case, the chicken thighs are browned in a frying pan and then baked with a mushroom broth and herbs.
It takes less than an hour and the chicken comes out delicious and tender!
Chicken Thighs are budget-friendly and this recipe uses simple ingredients you probably already on hand!
Ingredients & Variations
CHICKEN
Bone-in chicken is the best option for this recipe. My first choice is chicken thighs as the meat comes out incredibly tender!
The bones also add flavor to the sauce. If using boneless pieces, add a little more seasoning and reduce the cooking time (be sure not to overcook).
SAUCE Chicken broth, white wine, and spices are simmered with mushrooms and garlic to make this delicious sauce.
No wine? No problem, just replace with additional chicken stock or cream for a thicker, creamier version!
Not a fan of mushrooms? Try eggplant or onions in place.
How to Braise Chicken Thighs
Be sure to use a skillet that can go from the stovetop to the oven for easier prep and cleanup!
- Season chicken and brown the skin. Set aside.
- Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add in wine, broth and herbs (per recipe below).
- Set chicken on top of mushrooms and bake until chicken is fully cooked.
Easy peasy!
Serve this dish over easy rice pilaf, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Tips for Braising Chicken
- Look for thighs that are uniform in size so they all cook the same.
- Lightly saute the mushrooms in advance so they continue to cook in the oven and soak up all those amazing braising juices!
- Nestle the chicken in the mushrooms and ensure you have enough sauce to cover about ½ way up the chicken (add a bit extra broth if needed). You want to make sure the skin is exposed so it can crisp.
- Use a meat thermometer and test from the thickest part of the chicken (without touching the bone) to ensure it reaches 165°F.
- Once the leftovers are fully cooled, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Delicious Chicken Dishes
- Chicken ala King – 30-minute meal
- Sticky Bourbon Chicken – better than take-out
- Chicken Cacciatore – fresh ingredients
- Cilantro Lime Chicken – marinated & juicy
- Cheesy Chicken Casserole – kid-friendly
- Coq au Vin – so elegant & tasty
Did you make these Braised Chicken Thighs? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt or to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced ½" thick
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary slightly crushed
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup white wine optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Season chicken with salt & pepper. Set aside.
- Heat butter and oil in a 10" skillet over high heat. Add chicken (skin side down) and brown without moving the chicken, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Quickly toss the mushrooms with soy sauce. Cook mushrooms, garlic, thyme and rosemary until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and white wine. Simmer 2 minutes.
- Place seasoned chicken, skin side up over the mushrooms.
- Bake 35-40 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F. Broil 1 minute if desired.
- Spoon mushroom sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
so delicious and easy
Very easy and very tasty recipe. Will definitely make this again. We had leftover rice with it but mashed potatoes would be very good with this as well. Won’t change a thing, great technique and flavors.
I want to make this as it looks and sounds wonder but I am guessing the skin does not get crispy? My son willl not eat skin that is not crispy. Can I remove the skin ?
You want to make sure the skin is exposed so it can crisp while braising. But you can remove the skin if you prefer.
This was very good. I used garlic butter and less fresh garlic. I did not have any rosemary, but will get for next time. We don’t drink, so no wine. I made 5 pieces of chicken and only used 8 oz of mushrooms. The chicken was wonderfully moist. Hubby really liked it.
Next time, I will use more mushrooms and up the seasonning a bit.
Thanks for the great recipe
Wonderful! I used blue oyster mushrooms and herb de Provence because I didn’t have and dried rosemary. Company worthy!
Winner, winner chicken dinner! Great recipe! Served with mashed cauliflower and roasted carrot. Delish!!
Do you cover in the oven?
It’s cooked uncovered.
One of my staples in my cooking repetoire!
love this recipe.
Excellent recipe. I am making it again tonight. This time with more mushrooms as they are the stars.
Wow. That was so delicious. I had about 4 lbs of chicken, thighs and leg quarters, but didn’t double the sauce ingredients. I definitely will next time. It is a fabulous recipe. We had it with sautéed zucchini and some leftover takeout mac and cheese. I’ll try roasted or baked potatoes next time. Yum. Other than doubling the sauce, I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you!
I made this last night and got rave reviews from my guests. Even my picky eater bragged about it. I used only one 8 oz. container of mushrooms to which I added a cup of chopped onions. I substituted Worcestershire sauce for the soy sauce. I followed your advice of not using all wine but did switch the quantities between the two. Then I added a number of whole fingerling potatoes to the pan before placing it in the oven. Being as they are so small they cooked up perfectly in the time specified in the recipe. Nothing could be easier for the starch item. Thanks for offering this recipe. It was EZ to follow and delicious!
This looks delicious and I plan to make it in 2 days. I have one question. Do you think I would be over doing the wine if I used all wine and no broth and maybe add a bouillon cube?
Hi Jimmy, for best results we recommend using a mixture of broth and wine. If using all wine the flavor won’t be quite right.
This looks great, but can it be done all in one step, without pre-cooking mushrooms? As a busy mom I am always trying to find shortcuts!
I haven’t tried it that way Lisa, although I do think you can skip cooking the mushrooms. I like browning the chicken and reducing the wine a bit. Let us know how it goes!
It’s in the oven right now and smells wonderful. I used herbs de Provence instead of rosemary and thyme because I had it on hand. Added a splash of red wine vinegar as I didn’t have wine. And added broccoli florets along with the mushrooms because…why not?
Thanks for the recipe.
Once thighs were browned & removed, I sautéed onion, garlic and shallot. I then added in mushrooms, rosemary & thyme. I also added in about 2 tsp of Dijon mustard to the mushrooms & liquids. Let simmer a few minutes & then added thighs back in before baking in oven. Very good flavors! Great with mashed potatoes.
That sounds delicious! I am so glad you enjoyed it, Terrri.
Do you cover while you are braising?
I cook it uncovered.
Absolutely excellent. I am a serious mushroom lover and I’ve been known to adore chicken thighs as well. This hits all my favorites! Very balanced and very easy. Thank you for the recipe!!
This is now on my rotation for meals that I prepare, portion, and keep in the freezer! The gravy/sauce is so flavorful and the chicken stays so moist. I add 1 to 1/2 tablespoons of flour when I’m sautéing the mushrooms to thicken up the sauce.
Followed the recipe other than I had no rosemary (it froze), herbs de province had to do. Left it a little longer in the oven (55 mins) and had a winner. Served it with basmati rice in a chicken stock with peas and diced tomato. The good news is that I made four thighs, and two are in the fridge along with a bowl of rice and mushrooms for tomorrow.
That sounds delicious. I am glad you enjoyed it, Gord!