Wine-braised chicken has to be one of the most beloved comfort foods in France – with probably as many variations as grandmothers in the country. The concept of browning meat in a bit of oil, and then cooking it in liquid (ie. wine) always makes for incredible flavors, and meat that is fork-tender. And if you ask me, I find braised meat slightly more sophisticated than stews, yet just as comforting.
In this favorite braised recipe of mine, onions and loads of garlic are caramelized in butter, and plump chicken thighs are seared on the stovetop until crispy. Everything then get braised in the oven in white wine and aromatics. It makes for a delicious combination of sweet and salty flavors, with crisp and melty textures.
It’s such a simple and humble dish, yet full of rich flavors and absolute comfort. You can achieve the whole dish in one pot – if you choose one that goes from the stovetop to the oven – and in under one hour.
How to make these Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Onion
The recipe starts by salting the chicken thighs 2 to 3 hours before you start cooking (leave them on the counter). This allows enough time for the meat to fully absorb the salt, and results in evenly seasoned and moist chicken thighs.
When ready, sear the chicken thighs, skin-side down in an oven-proof pan with olive oil and thyme until golden brown. Flip the thighs and continue searing until nearly cooked through. Transfer the chicken to plate and cover with foil.
The recipe continues with caramelizing the onions and garlic in the same pan, with some butter and using the chicken drippings. When caramelized, the chicken is placed back into the pan along with dry white wine. The dish is finally transferred into the oven for 30 minutes, until perfectly golden and fragrant.
Cooking notes:
- I recommend you salt your chicken beforehand (2 to 3 hours before), to allow the salt to penetrate into the meat. If you’re interested in knowing more about how salt is used to build and enhance flavor in food (especially for meats), I recommend the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat.
- Leaving the skin on the chicken is essential to this recipe. The chicken will be first cooked, skin-side down, in the pan. The fat from the skin will melt and render into the pan, and be used later to caramelize the onions and garlic, and as a base for the sauce. It will contribute greatly to building flavors in this dish. You can choose to remove the skin later on – in your plate, once the dish is served.
- Instead of chicken thighs, you can substitute skin-on chicken legs.
I hope you’ll love these Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Onion as much as I do! This is a simple yet impressive recipe that is perfect for Fall and Winter. You can serve it with pasta, rice, other types of grains (quinoa, barley, etc.) or green beans.
You may also like:
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts in Grape Sauce
- Simple Chicken Marengo with Mushrooms
- Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives
- Slow-Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench. Bon Appetit!
34 comments
ça à l’air trop bon tout ça! Je suis une grande fan de votre blog
Merci! Une recette simple et super bonne!
An easy recipe to follow and super tasty. Thank you.Martin
Thank you for your feedback Martin! Happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Absolutely amazing! I didn’t have fresh thyme si i used rosemary, and I finished the sauvé with just a touch of cream. Magnifique !
Thank you for your feedback Mary, very happy that you enjoyed this dish!
Very easy and tasty chicken dish. Salting method worth the effort. Thanks
Amazing, thank you for your feedback !
Stumbled on this tonight. It’s a really great recipe as is. Simple and perfect – just like a meal in a small restaurant in France. We will definitely be exploring more recipes from Audrey’s website. She is the real deal.
Thank you so much!
I come back to this recipe over and over. It is so delicious and simple.
Amazing, thanks!
Thanks!
What did you use the oven for? If it’s made on the stove top. Did I miss a step, help?!
Hi Kandis! The pan goes into the oven for 30min (end of step 3 in the recipe instructions). Happy cooking!
My family and I love this dish which is simple, delicious and comforting. Thank you so much Audrey! Happy cooking and have an enjoyable summer!
Amazing, thank you for your feedback!
I just made it for the first time. . Came out absolutely AMAZING. Easy and oh soooooo tasty!
Fantastic, thanks so much!
Made this tonight and it was amazing. Skin was super crispy and have some of those delicious onions leftover for tomorrow
Fantastic, thank you for your feedback!
This has become a staple in our house. We love it so much and always find new ways to serve it.
Fantastic, thank you!
This is a very nice recipe but as a Chef I implore you to stop telling people to rinse their chicken. It is not necessary and can contaminate more than just the sink. Other than that this is very nice.
Thank you so much for the compliment, Angel. And yes, the chicken rinsing debate. To be honest, I don’t always do it when I purchase fresh farm raised chicken here in France. But when I moved to Canada, it seemed like most people believed it necessary, as did I, when buying store bought/cut chicken.
I do however very much agree about the risk of contamination if not properly cleaned up after.
This is the chicken recipe I have been looking for! I made this, didn’t think to take a picture, but it was delicious! Simple ingredients brought out great flavors. Searing it first made it moist and juicy, even though I overcooked it a bit, no one said anything and it did not dry out or get like leather gloves. Of all the food in the world, French is my favorite. I have not attempted it before as I am new to cooking after many many years of successfully avoiding it. There was a Cooking Rebellion in my household, and knew my years of escaping cooking were over. I am doing better each time. This recipe was a gift!
Sharon, such a lovely and exciting comment! Thank you so much! French food is NOT to be feared, and that’s why I started this blog. Yes, it has that reputation, and yes in 3 star michelin restaurants it is insanely refined and intricate. But real, homemade French cooking is generally simple and delicious.
I hope you enjoy your stay, and there are several other chicken recipes that should be right up your alley, with different flavor profiles that the entire household should love. Good luck!
We made this for Sunday dinner tonight and it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! I can’t wait to make more recipes from this site! All of my children went back for seconds! This will be something we make over and over.
Thank you so much, Angel! Much appreciated, and love to hear when it’s something the entire family enjoys! There are several “similar” type recipes on the blog that I think your family will enjoy. May I suggest Chicken Breasts in Creamy Mushroom Sauce, Chicken Chasseur (Classic French Hunter’s Chicken), or Creamy French Chicken Tarragon (Poulet à l’Estragon)? There are plenty more as well, I hope you enjoy your stay!
Hello Audrey! I just discovered your site and made this recipe for dinner tonight. It was lovely! We were out of white wine (the horror) so I substituted 1/3 cup chicken broth and a splash of apple cider vinegar. I also added two pinches of dried rosemary and 2 pinches of dried culinary lavender to the onion/garlic mix. Once the chicken went back into the pan, I surrounded it with fresh green beans and then covered the pot and kept in on medium on the stovetop for 30 minutes. We are renovating our kitchen, so there’s no oven at the moment, otherwise, I would have followed your cooking directions. The herb/onion/garlic combo made the house smell delightful and dinner was delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Thank you so much, Katherine, and welcome! So glad you found the site and so glad you made the recipe work, despite some limitations. Sounds like you know your way around the kitchen!
I hope you’ll continue to enjoy the recipes and sincerely hope you get that oven in quickly! I know the anxiety of not having the kitchen the way we want it
A simple and delicious recipe! So I started browsing your other recipes and then your cookbook caught my eye. I have a copy in route to me today! Thank you Audrey, I look forward to cooking many more of your recipes!
I really appreciate the support, Roger, that is extremely generous of you. The book was very special to me for many reasons, as it’s a moment of time captured on paper. I love it to this day. But it’s also nice that the blog can be continuously updated with new recipes and to interect with visitors. I hope you’ll continue to enjoy the recipes – merci!