Braised Chicken Thighs with Red Rice
Flavorful and tender braised chicken thighs with fluffy rice on the side.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 5 oz bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/2 tspn sea salt
- 1/4 tspn black pepper
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 cup yellow onion minced
- 1 cup tomato diced
- 1 poblano chile seeded and minced
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1/4 tspn hot smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup chicken stock
Red Rice
- 1/2 cup bacon diced
- 1/2 medium red onion diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1/2 jalapeno seeded and minced
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup chopped tomato peeled and seeded
- 3 dried bay leaves
- sea salt to taste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
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Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the salt and pepper.
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Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs, skin-side down and let cook without disturbing for 10 minutes. This will allow the skin to caramelize and develop a ton of flavor in the process. Turn the thighs over, cook for 1 minute more, then transfer to a plate.
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Add the onion, tomatoes, poblano, garlic, and paprika to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
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Carefully add the vinegar and stir to loosen any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the vinegar is reduced by half, 2-4 minutes, then pour in the stock.
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Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove lid and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 165˚F.
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Meanwhile, make the red rice: In a large pan, cook the slab bacon over medium heat until the fat renders and it begins to crisp, 5-8 minutes.
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Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeño and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
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Add the rice and stir until toasted, about 2 minutes.
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Stir in the tomatoes, ½ cup of the reserved tomato juice, bay leaves, and season with salt. 9. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
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Serve the chicken over the rice with some of the braising juice and vegetables ladled over.
