Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Lemon and Olives

Name: Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Lemon and Olives
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 6-8 chicken thighs (boned or de-boned); salt and pepper (ground black pepper, Kosher salt); 3 Tbs. olive oil (extra-virgin); 12 cloves garlic (minced); 2 med. onions (yellow); 1 lemon (thinly sliced, seeds removed); 2 Tbs. oregano (fresh, chopped extra for garnish); 1 cup Olives (Italian Castelvetrano or similar); 1 lemon (juiced)

Prep 30 min

Ready 1 hr.

Servings 3-4

This braised chicken has been very popular in our household and is easy to make. The lemon, garlic, capers, and olives give it a wonderful Mediterranean flavor.

I have made this recipe three times in the last six weeks. I have used Spanish olives and Italian olives. Both have been fantastic. If you love garlic and lemon, this chicken dish is for you. I have been cooking a lot of chicken lately and have made other braised chicken recipes, but this is our favorite so far. Chicken thighs are inexpensive and often overlooked in my opinion. Give this a try. I think you will love it as much as we do.

Ingredients

• 6-8 chicken thighs (I used de-boned.)

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

• 12 garlic cloves (minced)

• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, remove seeds

• 2 Tbs. fresh oregano leaves (chopped), plus more for garnish

• 1 cup Castelvetrano Italian olives (pitted)

• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season both sides with fresh ground pepper and salt. (I used pink Himalayan salt.)

3. Heat 3 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat in a skillet or oven proof pan. (I used a 10” copper pan.)

Add the garlic and saute until it becomes fragrant. Add the chicken (skin side down) and sear it until it becomes golden brown (about 10 minutes per side). I used a very thin metal spatula to flip the chicken.

4. Remove the chicken and garlic from the pan and cover it with a plate to keep it warm.

5. Add the onion, 1 Tbs. chopped oregano, and lemon slices to the pan. Stir until the onions become soft (bout 5 minutes). Scrape the sides of the pan. (The dark brown pieces add a delicious flavor!)

6. Add the chicken (skin side up) and garlic back to the pan. (My 10” round pan was perfect for 7-8 thighs.) Sprinkle 1 Tbs. chopped oregano over the top and add the olives, juice of one lemon and salt and pepper.

7. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes on a middle rack.

8. Remove pan from the oven being very careful. It will be very hot.

Serve immediately.

I served this dish with a small green salad and freshly-baked artisan bread. I placed a sprig of fresh oregano and a lemon wedge on each plate.

Recipe adapted from tastingtable.com

Thank you!