Garlic Braised Chicken Thighs with Prunes and Capers is a deliciously savory meal for any night of the week. The recipe below was developed during a New England blizzard. We had skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs in the refrigerator and braising them seemed like the thing to do when the weather outside was so epically cold. The ingredients were what we had in the pantry and turned out to be a delicious combination.

chicken thighs, prunes, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, oregano, capers

What to do you need:

Equipment:

a large cast iron
wooden spoon

Produce:

1 onion chopped
10 cloves garlic minced
1 head of garlic with the top sliced off
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs of fresh oregano
1 lemon sliced into thin discs

Dairy:

2 tablespoon butter

Meat:

3-4 lbs chicken thighs bone-in, skin on

Pantry:

1½ cup dried prunes
½ cup capers
2 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
2-3 tablespoon flour

Dry Brine the Chicken Thighs

Ideally, if you have time you will season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs a few hours before you plan on cooking. Pat the chicken thighs with a paper towel to dry them off and season with salt, pepper, fresh oregano, and rosemary. Thyme is a lovely addition to this if you have it. Place the chicken on a platter and cover with plastic wrap. You can do this up to a day in advance but whatever time you have will be just fine.

chicken thighs, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper

When you’re ready to cook, pull the chicken out of the refrigerator to allow them to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350. In a large cast-iron with deep sides or a dutch oven, drizzle olive oil and allow it to heat up on medium to high heat.

Place the chicken skin side down in the hot oil and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the skins are golden and crispy. Flip the thighs and cook the other side for another five minutes. Don’t worry about the chicken being fully cooked at this point, it's going to go into the oven to finish cooking.

chicken thighs, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, in cast iron

Set the chicken aside on a platter. Add the onions and chopped garlic to the chicken drippings in the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir frequently so that the garlic does not get bitter. After the garlic and onions have cooked for 5 to 6 minutes, mix in the prunes, capers, bay leaves, oregano, rosemary, and roasted red pepper flakes.

Pour in the cup of white wine and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan. After letting the wine simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, nestle the chicken thighs back into the liquid. Pour the chicken stock around the thighs. Place the head of garlic down into the liquid so that the cut side meets the bottom of the cast iron. Finally, add a few slices of lemon and place them in the oven. Let the chicken braise for about an hour or until the meat falls off the bone.

How to Make a Delicious Decadent Sauce from the Drippings

Place the chicken thighs on a platter while you thicken up the drippings into a delicious decadent sauce. Place the cast-iron back on the stovetop on medium-low. Use your spoon to move the drippings to the side of the pan. Add the butter to the center of the pan along with 2 tablespoons of flour use your wooden spoon to mix the two together.

After creating a loose paste slowly incorporate it into the rest of the drippings in the pan. The flour and butter will thicken up the sauce to create a wonderful consistency to pour over the chicken and whatever starch you would like to serve with the chicken. Garlic Braised Chicken with Prunes and Capers is wonderful with rice, butter beans, or potatoes, but it's also great with crusty bread to soak up all the delicious flavors.

If you’ve tried this Garlic Braised Chicken recipe or any other recipe on BalancingBowls, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.

Recipe