This weather is perfect for a quick braised chicken recipe ! I have been absolutely enjoying this chilly soups and stews weather, it’s a real treat for us Californians. Who knows how long it’s actually going to last, so I simmer and braise away as many hearty meals as I can before the thermostat reads 80″F again.
Yesterday I made this simple, fall off the bone braised chicken recipe with lots of colorful bell peppers and some oranges from the garden. It is so flavorful but fresh at the same time because of the citrus addition. Great with some golden rustic baby potatoes or even over spaghetti squash.
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, because they have been the favorite cut around here lately. But this braised orange chicken recipe is absolutely delicious with just bone in cut up chicken as well. Go for your favorite parts, I only post these recipes as a guide, so you can feel free to make it your own. That’s the most fun about cooking after all, being a little alchemist with your own pots and spice rack.
This is also really good reheated the next day with some charred bruschetta to soak up that delicious orange sauce. Forget about that take out orange chicken filled with nasty stuff. Orange braised chicken is the easy healthy way to go for a rustic weeknight dinner your body will thank you for. And if you liked my braised garlic chicken in white wine recipe , I’m sure you’ll love this one as well.
Orange Braised Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs
- 1 yellow onion cut into eights
- 2 inch yellow carrots cut into 1 pieces
- 1 inch red bell pepper cut into 1 pieces
- 1 inch yellow bell pepper cut into 1 pieces
- 3 leaves bay
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes + more to taste
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 10 peppercorns
- The juice from 1 organic orange
- The juice from 1/2 lemon
- Zest from 1 organic orange
- 2 strips of orange peel
- 1 orange sliced
- 2 c water
- Parsley for garnish
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. season it well with sea salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Add a lug of olive oil to a heavy cast iron pot and brown the chicken on medium high flame until nice and golden. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and saute the onion and carrots until they start to get a little color. Stir in the bell peppers, bay leaves, orange peel, red pepper flakes, peppercorns and squeeze in the orange juice. Stir with a spatula trying to get any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken back into the pot and cover it with the water. Bring to a gentle simmer,cover with a tight lid and cook for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and fork tender.
- Turn off the flame and stir in the lemon juice. Adjust seasonings to your taste with the sea salt. Ladle into bowls and serve with a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, some of the orange slices on top and garnished with the parsley.
From Food Blogs :
Farmhouse Farro Salad from LoveandLemons.com
