Braised chicken thighs with sweet carrots, onions, celery, and mushrooms make for a deliciously easy meal.
These dutch oven braised chicken thighs are seriously easy to make and beyond delicious and comforting. If you've never made a braised chicken recipe before, you're in for a treat because braising chicken adds a whole new dimension to chicken, and it's anything but boring.
One thing I always hear is how expensive it is to go gluten-free. So today, I thought I would share one of my favorite easy dinners that is also inexpensive. It uses simple everyday ingredients, and the flavor you'll have in the end will blow the entire family away.
I am not even kidding; with only a few simple steps and some time alone in the oven to let it work its magic, dinner is served with this braised chicken recipe.
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Ingredients.
When I say this dutch oven chicken recipe is super simple with very basic ingredients, I mean it.
- Chicken
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Chicken Stock/ Broth
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Arrowroot Starch
- Parsley
- Spices
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Ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Chicken - Bone-in chicken is easy to find, and you can use whatever pieces you want, legs, quarters, thighs, or even breasts. If you wish, you can make braised chicken wings. I typically use thighs for this recipe. You can braise boneless chicken thighs if you don't want to deal with bones. Boneless chicken breasts would be the last resort since darker meat tends to do better when braising chicken.
- Butter - The butter is used to add flavor to the vegetables and help make the gluten-free roux that helps this braised chicken recipe make a delicious gluten-free gravy as it cooks. You can use any dairy-free butter alternative or add a little bit more olive oil if you prefer.
- Arrowroot starch - Arrowroot starch is used to help the gluten-free gravy come together as the chicken thighs cook low and slow. If you can't find arrowroot starch, you can use corn starch or some 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
Best cooking pots for braised chicken.
Typically you need a good quality braiser to braise chicken, which is just a fancy way of saying a dutch oven or covered cast iron type of pot. I find I get the best results making this as a dutch oven chicken thighs recipe. However, if you don't have one, don't worry; you can still make this dish.
You can also use the following:
- Cast Iron Skillet - Cover the skillet with foil and then place an oven-safe lid on top of the foil to create a seal.
- If all you have is a baking dish, you can use it, but you will need to watch the liquid levels and possibly add more as it cooks since it is not as deep as a typical dutch oven. Make sure you seal the foil over the top as tight as possible to keep the steam inside.
- You will not get the same results in a slow cooker or instant pot, so I would not recommend them for this particular dish.
Steps.
Let's make an easy braised chicken recipe.
- Sear the meat.
- Saute the vegetables.
- Add the starch to coat the vegetables.
- Place the meat on top of the vegetables and add the cooking liquid.
- Let it go low and slow till the chicken is tender.
Braise chicken FAQ.
To braise chicken might sound complicated, but it's not. It is just the term used for a combination of cooking methods where you first lightly fry or sear your meat before you let it go low and slow in some kind of cooking liquid until it's tender.
Braising chicken requires a good seal to help trap the steam from the liquid. It is the steam that cooks the chicken and makes it tender since the meat is not submerged in the liquid. If your pot does not have a good seal, then I suggest wrapping the top of the pot with aluminum foil before placing the lid on top to seal it.
It is possible to overcook braised chicken. Making sure you have enough cooking liquid to create the steam needed to cook the chicken is essential. Keeping the temperature low will also help reduce the possibility of the cooking liquid cooking off too quickly. The best temperature to braise chicken is between 275 and 300 degrees.
Tips and Tricks
- Dry the chicken before searing. - This is especially important for using bone-in-chicken pieces. Keeping the skin dry with help the chicken get nicely browned and the skin crispy.
- Let the pan get hot before adding the oil and chicken. - Adding chicken to a cold pot will increase the likelihood that the chicken will stick to the pot. Let it warm up first to help reduce this.
- Make sure not to crowd your pan when you are searing the chicken. - It needs room to breathe; otherwise, the chicken will steam and not sear. You want the chicken to be brown because that will give more flavor to the final dish.
- Use a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan for making this braised chicken recipe. - You really want to use a cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed pan that is oven safe.
- Don't fully submerge the chicken in the cooking liquid. - We are not stewing the meat; we are braising it, so we do not want to submerge the chicken in the stock fully. I like to prop the chicken on top of the vegetables to help bring them up in the pot and keep them sticking out of the cooking liquid. If you are using a smaller pot, watch how much cooking liquid you add. If needed, you can always add more as the chicken cooks.
- Try not to peek. - This braised chicken recipe relies on the steam that is sealed into the pot. The more you open and check on the chicken, the less tender it will become. Trust me; you want to just let it go undisturbed if possible.
Storing leftovers and reheating.
- Leftovers of braised chicken will keep in the fridge for three to five days.
- Reheat leftovers in the dutch oven or a small pot over medium-low heat until it is warmed through.
- You can also place the chicken under a broiler to help bring the skin back to life and get a little crisp.
Serving suggestions.
You can serve this with what you like, but my husband loves it with some simple jasmine rice or easy mashed potatoes. It's total comfort food either way. I find the gluten-free gravy this braised chicken recipe makes is perfect for drizzling on top for an extra boost of flavor.
I would suggest whipping up a batch of my cassava flour french bread to enjoy with dinner.
More gluten-free chicken dinner recipes.
When it comes to making gluten-free dinners that are easy and taste delicious, I've got you covered with some of my family's favorites below.
📖 Recipe
Braised Chicken with Vegetables and Gravy (gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 4-6 Pieces Chicken Bone-in or boneless, dark meat is best.
- 3-4 Carrot Sticks roughly chopped
- 1 Medium Onion roughly chopped
- 3-4 Celery Stalks roughly chopped
- 1 ½ Cups Mushrooms roughly chopped
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic Sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- ¼ Cup Arrowroot Starch
- 2-3 Cups Chicken Stock
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley to garlish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
- Heat your braising pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
- While the pan is heating up, dry your pieces of chicken and season them with salt and pepper.4-6 Pieces Chicken, 2 Teaspoons Salt, 1 ½ Teaspoons Pepper
- Once the pan is warm, add your oil. Place your chicken skin side down and let it cook for 4-5 minutes or until it is golden brown, flip and let it cook another 4-5 minutes on the other side. You might need to brown your chicken in batches depending on size and quantity.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Remove the chicken from the pan.
- Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, and onions to the pan and let them saute in the pot until they start to become slightly caramelized. This should take 5-7 minutes.3-4 Carrot Sticks, 1 Medium Onion, 3-4 Celery Stalks, 1 ½ Cups Mushrooms
- When that happens, add in the sliced garlic and stir it around for about a minute. You do not want to burn the garlic.2-3 Cloves Garlic
- Next, add in the butter and arrowroot starch and cook it, stirring just until the flour is cooked and no longer visible for 1-2 minutes.2 Tablespoons Butter, ¼ Cup Arrowroot Starch
- Pour in the chicken stock and apple cider vinegar, and stir to combine. You can scrape up the bottom to help release the bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan come up and into the sauce. That's more flavor.2-3 Cups Chicken Stock, ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- Turn off the heat and add the chicken pieces back into the pan. Making sure the chicken is not fully sumberged in the stock.
- Cover and transfer the pot to the oven and let it cook for 40-50 minutes until the chicken is fall off the bone tender and the sauce has thickened to a nice gluten-free pan gravy.
- Remove the braised chicken from the oven and serve topped with fresh parsley over some rice, potatoes, or gluten-free pasta. Be sure to spoon some of the delicious gluten-free gravy over the top as well.2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley
Notes
- Dry the chicken before searing. - This is especially important for using bone-in-chicken pieces. Keeping the skin dry with help the chicken get nicely browned and the skin crispy.
- Let the pan get hot before adding the oil and chicken. - Adding chicken to a cold pot will increase the likelihood that the chicken will stick to the pot. Let it warm up first to help reduce this.
- Make sure not to crowd your pan when you are searing the chicken. - It needs room to breathe; otherwise, the chicken will steam and not sear. You want the chicken to be brown because that will give more flavor to the final dish.
- Use a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan for making this braised chicken recipe. - You really want to use a cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed pan that is oven safe.
- Don't fully submerge the chicken in the cooking liquid. - We are not stewing the meat; we are braising it, so we do not want to fully submerge the chicken in the stock. I like to prop the chicken on top of the vegetables to help bring them up in the pot and keep them sticking out of the cooking liquid. If you are using a smaller pot, watch how much cooking liquid you add. If needed, you can always add more as the chicken cooks.
- Try not to peek. - This braised chicken recipe relies on the steam that is sealed into the pot. The more you open and check on the chicken, the less tender it will become. Trust me; you want to just let it go undisturbed if possible.
- Leftovers of braised chicken will keep in the fridge for three to five days.
- Reheat leftovers in the dutch oven or in a small pot over medium-low heat until it is warmed through.
- You can also place the chicken under a broiler to help bring the skin back to life and get a little crisp.
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