Description
Elegant yet simple, Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs takes only 25 mins of hands-on time before baking. Perfect for entertaining.
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on ( or sub skinless or chicken breast)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 medium shallots, sliced (or 1 red onion, sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme- or sub rosemary or sage
- 10 fresh figs, halved
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup sherry cooking wine, ruby port, or white wine. ( Or sub 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar plus 1 tablespoon honey)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
Serve over goat cheese mashed potatoes or creamy polenta with wilted greens.
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear until golden. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until deeply golden on both sides, then transfer to a plate. If using skin-on chicken, start skin-side down and take your time here, lowering the heat to medium if needed, until the skin is beautifully golden and crisp.
- Sauté the aromatics. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, 7–9 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and butter and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in the wine, scraping up all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half, then gently stir in the fresh figs.
- Make the braising sauce. Add the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and honey as needed. The sauce should taste savory, rich, and just slightly sweet—the sweetness will intensify as the figs cook.
- Braise. Nestle the chicken into the sauce, skin-side up if using skin-on chicken, arranging the shallots and figs around it. Turn a few figs cut-side up for a beautiful presentation. Once gently simmering, transfer the uncovered skillet to the oven.
- Cook until tender. Braise until the chicken is cooked through. Bone-in thighs will take roughly 20–25 minutes; begin checking boneless thighs or chicken breasts after 10–15 minutes. Cook chicken to a safe internal temperature appropriate for the cut you’re using.
- Season to taste. Add a pinch of salt, a touch of honey for sweetness, or a splash of vinegar for brightness, if needed.
- Serve. Spoon the chicken, figs, shallots, and plenty of pan sauce over Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes or creamy polenta, with sautéed or wilted greens alongside.
Notes
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in the fridge or can be frozen for 3 months.
Can this be made with dried figs? Yes. Cut the dried figs into quarters or slices, and simmer in the broth (adding a little more broth if needed) covered, until tender. Then nestle in the chicken. This will be a little sweeter, so you may not need the honey- add to taste.
To make ahead: make the whole dish and reheat in a 350F oven with a little extra broth.
To make with chicken breast: Pound the chicken breast into equal thickness. Optional- dredge in a little flour after seasoning. Prepare the same way. It will not need to bake as long, check after 10 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh
- Calories: 441
- Sugar: 19.6 g
- Sodium: 385.9 mg
- Fat: 26.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.3 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 23.7 g
- Cholesterol: 135.4 mg
