Crispy roast chicken is simmered in a tangy lemon broth and served on a bed of Swiss chard, potatoes and carrots. This bistro-style oven-braised chicken and veggies has everything you love about cozy comfort food.
While not strictly a French dish, this has all the hallmarks of a warm and leisurely meal one might imagine at a local corner café in France. If you can’t travel, you may as well eat as you are!
This bistro-style crispy chicken is simmered with carrots, potatoes and, for good measure, veggies in a chicken broth flavored with mustard and lemon. It all comes together easily in one pan and makes a satisfying, flavorful meal.
Braising is a way of cooking meat with moist heat. It cooks food gently, keeps it from drying out and requires very little liquid in the pan. Braising, on the other hand, contains much more liquid, enough to cover the meat.
The real bonus here, however, is that the small amount of braising liquid on the bottom of the pan allows the chicken skin to crisp up in the oven while the veggies cook in the juices. The liquid in the pan creates a flavor swap of sorts — the veggies add extra richness to the broth and the chicken infuses the veggies.
Winner, winner skillet dinner
After searing the chicken on one side, set it aside on a plate and give the potatoes and carrots a head start. Return the chicken to the pan with the broth and place in the oven for about half an hour. Turn the chicken one more time on a clean plate while you cook the chard leaves in the pan on the stove. Finally, place the chicken on top of the vegetables and serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Ways to customize this recipe
When it comes to cooking, you can always find ways to tweak recipes.
How to prepare this dish in advance
I recommend cooking this dish all the way through, chilling, and then freezing to reheat at a later time. This is a perfect prep and reheat meal when you are caring for someone or bringing a dish to a friend who may not need to eat it now but could reheat it later.
While you can safely freeze this for up to four months, two months is optimal to retain great flavor and texture.
- A day or two in advance: Finish cooking the entire recipe. Store the chicken and vegetables in separate containers in the refrigerator. About 30 minutes before serving, spread the veggies in the bottom of a casserole dish, place the chicken on top and heat, uncovered, at 375F until the veggies are heated through and the chicken is crispy. The same applies leftovers!
- Freeze up to 2 months: Boil the chicken and vegetables. Place the veggies in a freezer bag and place the chicken on top of the veggies. (You will need at least two bags.) Seal the bags airtight. Freeze flat. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above.
More stir fry dinners
- Easy stir fry chicken enchiladas
- Fried chicken with baby bok choy
- Herbes de Provence roast chicken with potatoes and vegetables
- Fried chicken and rice
Fried chicken thighs with potatoes, carrots and vegetables
ingredients
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8 (approx 3 lb) with bones, with skin, chicken thighs
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
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2 tablespoon olive oil
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1 1/2 pounds (approx 4 Middle) Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
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12 ounces baby carrots
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3 whole, unpeeled cloves garlicsmashed with the flat side of a knife to break the skin
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1 bunch Swiss chard
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1 1/2 cups chicken broth
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1 tablespoon DIjon Mustard
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Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
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1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
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juice from 1/2 lemon
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1/4 cup chopped Parsely
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Clean and season the chicken thighs:
Use scissors or a sharp knife to trim excess skin and fat from thighs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
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Prepare chard stems and leaves:
Tear or cut the stems off the leaves. Cut the stems into 1 inch pieces. Cut the leaves into strips 2 cm wide. Keep the stems and leaves separate.
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Fry the chicken and pre-cook the potatoes and carrots:
In a large (12-13 inch) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is simmering, add the chicken, skin-side down. Cook on the skin side, without disturbing it, for about 5 minutes only, or until the skin is lightly browned.
Transfer to a plate. (If the chicken doesn’t fit in one pan, cook it in batches, or use two smaller pans and divide the ingredients between them.)
Add potatoes and carrots to skillet and sauté 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
5 Prepare braising liquid: In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the chicken broth, mustard, and lemon zest.
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Braise Chicken:
Add the chard stalks, crushed garlic and braising liquid to the vegetables in the pan. Place the chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with the thyme.
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Transfer to the oven:
Transfer the pan to the oven. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Take the pan out of the oven.
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Add chard leaves:
Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate. Taste the broth and add more salt to taste. Place the pan over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Stir the chard leaves into the pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or just until wilted. Remove the garlic cloves.
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Surcharge:
Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve from the pan or place on a large serving platter. Serve as is or with a salad.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 714 | calories |
| 37g | Fat |
| 41g | carbohydrates |
| 59g | protein |
