Why you’ll love this!
Pieces of chicken thighs are simply seasoned with kosher salt and pepper and seared in a skillet. In the same pan, artichoke hearts are sauteed with leeks and baby potatoes, then de-glazed with vermouth (or white wine) and chicken stock.
Fresh tarragon leaves and lemon zest are added along with a tiny little bit of cream. The chicken thighs are nestled down in this lovely spring goodness, and it all goes in the oven for a bit. When it comes out, the chicken is juicy and crispy, and the artichokes are flavorful and tender. A delicious one-pot meal.
I’ve been thinking about flowers lately. How quickly they bloom… and then go – their sole purpose being opening, becoming fully what they are, no matter how temporary.
Last evening, while walking through the lilac grove, smelling each one, I thought to myself (a little morbidly) that I probably only have 40 more springs to experience all this loveliness- if I’m lucky. And suddenly, all the blossoms and all the flower smells in the night air…seemed so much more important.
As I study the sleepy blossoms outside my window this morning, I wonder, will I ever fully open? Some things just can’t be forced. We are, what we are when we are. But today at least, I feel somewhat willing.
Through the years, I’ve been a witness to this in others- the gradual opening of those close to me. Watching them become more and more of who they are. It is a beautiful thing to behold. It moves me.
How to make Artichoke Chicken
Finally, you will get to the fine thread-like filaments. These are inedible, even when cooked, so using a spoon, firmly and gently pry them off.
If you get the edge of your spoon, in just the right spot, they will come off easily.
Once these are off, using a sharp paring knife, quickly trim the artichoke edges and stem- removing the tough skin of the stem and the bottom 1/2 inch or so. Immediately immerse in a bowl of cold lemon water, to help prevent browning. You’ll want 2-3 cups.
You can cut a whole chicken into pieces or use chicken thighs. Pat dry, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and sear in a hot skillet. I usually cook the bottom side longer than the tops, because the tops will brown in the oven, and you don’t want them overly brown. Once seared, set them aside.
After draining off some of the chicken fat, in the same pan, you will saute the leeks, artichokes and potatoes with a little butter.
For this dish, I use tiny baby potatoes, just cut in half. Whatever potatoes you use, make sure they are cut to about a 1/2 inch thick, so they cook to the proper done-ness.
When ready to saute the artichokes, pull them out of the lemon water and slice them to 1/4 inch thick.
Sometimes I’ll throw in some pearl onions. Mushrooms would taste good too. Or fresh English peas. Or caramelized fennel bulb. Make it your own.
This recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of fresh tarragon, which to me, pairs really well with artichoke hearts. But, if you are not a fan of tarragon, fresh sage is a really good alternative.
Once the artichokes, leeks and potatoes are just tender, after about 10 minutes, de-glaze with Vermouth (or white wine). Bring to a boil and reduce by half, about 5 minutes.
Add stock, lemon zest and fresh tarragon and a little half and half.
Once simmering, give a quick stir and taste for salt. You may need to add a pinch of salt and pepper. Nestle chicken into it so the undersides are immersed in the liquid and skin sides are up. Place in a hot 425F oven for 20-30 minutes or until thighs register 180F or breasts reach 160F. If not crisp enough, place under the broiler for a few minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Storage
Leftover Aritchoke chicken will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a warm oven.
Hope you enjoy this Artichoke Chicken recipe and leave your notes in the comments below!
More Favorite Chicken Recipes!
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Coq Au Vin
- Chicken Adobo
- Gorgonzola Chicken with Mushrooms & Sage
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Katsu (or Tofu Katsu!)
- Chicken with 7-Spice
- 35+ Chicken Breast Recipes
- Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs
Crispy Braised Artichoke Chicken
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: chicken
- Method: braised
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs with Artichoke hearts, leeks, potatoes and tarragon- a delicious, French-inspired one-pan recipe perfect for spring!
Ingredients
- 4 large artichokes, trimmed and sliced (or sub frozen artichoke hearts, see notes)
- one lemon, zest and juice.
- 6 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter, divided.
- 1 large leek, sliced and rinsed, drained.
- 2 cups tiny potatoes sliced ( 1/4 thick in pieces)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
- 1/2 cup vermouth or white wine.
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1/2 cup half and half, heavy cream or dairy-free cream alternative
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, divided
- Optional Additions: Mushrooms, ramps, pearl onions, fresh English peas, fennel bulb
Instructions
- Zest the lemon, set zest aside.
- Prep the artichokes. Fill a med bowl with 4 cups cold water and squeeze with the juice from the lemon. Because artichokes will easily brown, work on one at a time as quickly as possible. Snap off all the hard out leaves using your fingers ( Save for later) With a sharp paring knife, trim off all the outer green skin around the base and stem, keeping the stem in tact. Remove the yellowish soft leaves and using a spoon, gently scrape away the white or purple silk like threads. Immediately place in the lemon water, to prevent browning. Slice just before placing in the skillet. (see notes for frozen artichokes)
- Preheat oven to 425F. Pat chicken dry and season with kosher salt and pepper. Heat 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in a heavy bottom oven-proof skillet over med-high heat. Place chicken skin side down and sear for until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown undersides until golden, about 7-8 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Drain some of the chicken fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon oil in the pan. Add 1 tablespoon more butter. Add leeks, sliced artichokes, sliced potatoes and fennel seeds. Saute on med heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they just begin to soften. Season with a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper.
- Deglaze the pan with vermouth (or white wine). Reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Add stock, mustard, half and half, half of the fresh tarragon, and 1/2 of the zest. Give a stir, bring to a simmer, and taste broth adjusting salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken pieces into the stew with skin sides up, and roast in a hot 425 F oven for 20-30 minutes, until golden, and thigh internal temp is 170F, or breast internal temp is 160F. If needed, broil for a couple of minutes to get skin extra crispy.
- Garnish with remaining lemon zest and fresh tarragon before serving.
Notes
Save the leaves and blanch for another meal!
If using frozen artichoke hearts- nestle in the broth at the same time as the chicken- use 2-3 cups or however many will comfortably fit in the pan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 728.5 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.6 g
- Fiber: 7.5 g
- Protein: 51.1 g
- Cholesterol: 237.7 mg
Very tasty recipe that I would make again! I subbed culinary almond cream for the dairy and used rutabaga instead of potatoes. Note to you – in #3 you say to add the fennel seeds. Then in #4, you say to add them again… I think this is a mistake. I love to Savor the Harvest, here, artichokes ;-D
Oh thanks Lynn, fixed it! Love your alterations!
Another great recipe. This was very very good. I did add mushrooms and broiled it at the end. It really made the chicken crispy. Will make this again.
Perfect Peggy- love the addition of mushrooms- sounds delicious! yes, broiling is a great option here.
Wonderful! I made it with boneless skinless thighs and added mushrooms, fennel & peas. It was delicious!
Nice! So glad you enjoyed!
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing. We subbed two breast on bone pieces and used thighs for the rest. Great flavor, so enjoyable to make, and the leftovers are excellent!!!!
Awesome Glen- so happy you enjoyed this!
Delicious! A new hit for my family.
Awesome Sharon!
out of curiousity when do the optional extra veggies go in? Like if I do mushrooms do i toss them in with the potatoes? Second the recipe calls for zest and juice of a lemon but for the life of me I cant find where the juice goes, with the stock and cream?
Hi there! Saute other veggies with the artichoke hearts. Lemon juice goes in the water in step 2. 🙂
Oh right! I skipped that part because I used canned artichokes.
We LOVED this dish. I added skinless chicken breasts with the thighs since not everyone in our family likes dark meat. I’ll definitely make again and love a one pot hearty dish!
So happy you enjoyed this!
This recipe was great. I added cremini mushrooms and fennel. Thank you for such a delicious dinner!
Yum, sounds perfect Elizabeth!
Hi Sylvia, I was thinking about making this recipe, but I am dairy-free. Is is ok to leave out the half and half or substitute with something else?
Hi Sharon, I would substitute with your favorite nondairy or vegan creamer.
You left out the recipe for braised chicken with artichokes
Hi Craig- it is there now- sorry about that!
Everything but the recipe is at the link. I really would love to try making this so please fix the link asap. Thanks!
Oh dear- sorry about that! It is there now and thank you SO MUCH for letting me know Jackie! 🙂
Fresh artichokes are expensive here in Michigan. I can get artichoke hearts with stem, marinated, in the olive section of the market. They are slightly marinated, mostly in olive oil. Do you think these will work, and what might I do differently, given the slight acidity in the marinate, and the fact that they are not raw? Thanks .
Hi Joseph! Have you ever looked in your freezer section of the grocery store? We often have frozen artichoke hearts, these would work best here! If you must use marinated artichoke hearts, drain, rinse, pat dry. 🙂
Fabulous & beautiful recipe! My husband and I loved it, made it exactly as written and it turned out perfect. Really appreciate the step-by-step photos on how to prepare an artichoke. I was intimated at first and thought about using frozen but moved forward and am now a fan and a pro with artichokes. This this meal is something that you would get at a restaurant! Couldn’t stop saying it’s “very good!” So much so, that we made this recipe again, this past weekend. This time we used a pork tenderloin, no artichokes, instead carrots, potatoes, leeks, mushrooms with sautéed kale on the side. It was excellent. In general, my husband I absolutely love your recipes. They are reliably excellent and easy to follow. I feel confident experimenting with new flavors and dishes. Thanks so much for sharing them. P.S. For dessert, my husband made your Strawberry turnovers. He made the homemade pie dough. Gees, they too, were so good.
I love this Sissy! Thanks so much!!!
Extraordinary recipe!! I was actually overwhelmed with gratitude and tears to be blessed with such a beautiful dinner in such hellish times. Thank you Sylvia, for the reminder that the world is not yet flat…blessings to you for sharing
Thanks Lisa- appreciate this very much. xoxo
Just adapted this for my diet-restricted 90 y.o. mother but it rocked; she’s French and hard to please.!
Had to omit potatoes; chk breasts, fresh garden sage, pinch thyme, frzn. artichoke and leeks (TJ’s), plus onion & garlic, vermouth + rich home-made chk broth, lemon juice & zest, dijon mustard. She can’t have straight dairy, but I pulled most of the liquid after baking (350º) and stirred in plain ‘Fage’ greek yogurt to thicken. (It doesn’t curdle at high temps). Tasted like cream. Happy finicky camper! Thanks for this
This looks absolutely delicious and has some gorgeous colors too!
This looks so fresh, healthful and delicious! I have a few whole-body chickens in my freezer, so I’ll be trying out your recipe soon!!
OMG, That looks so delicious!!!
Would chicken breasts work well in this recipe? My husband has an aversion to chicken thighs for some reason… and this dish looks too good to pass up!
Yes…chicken breasts would work great too- just be sure to not overcook (internal temp 160F). Often I just cut up a whole organic chicken into pieces. Fish like halibut would be good too.
Just leave it out completely! It will still be good.