Savory, French homestyle chicken in red wine vinegar sauce, plus get the secret to crisp brown skin.
This homey braised chicken is a simple French-inspired dish you can make with pantry staples like red wine vinegar, shallots and tomato paste.
And while we’re at it, do you want to know the secret to getting a crisp skin on chicken?
Read on — you’ll be surprised that the method is pretty simple.
If you want to learn dozens of simple ways to seriously up your cooking game, check out Zuni Cafe Cookbook.
My favorite trick in the book is the method of generously pre-seasoning meat (and fish) with salt, often well in advance of cooking.
The thought of not only planning the next day’s dinner in advance (and actually starting to prepare it too) seems like one more good intention gone astray.
BUT, in this case the “preparation” involves taking chicken out of the package, sprinkling it with salt and putting it back into the refrigerator.
The forget about it for 24 hours.
Yup. Trust me, it’s totally doable. And that simple step has a big impact on the outcome.
Also, letting the chicken sit in the refrigerator uncovered dries the skin, which is the secret to good, even browning and minimal sticking to the pan.
If you’re really short on time, salt the chicken about a half hour before cooking — you’ll still end up with a delicious dish.
What does vinegar do to chicken?
Chicken tastes great with any acidic ingredient – that’s probably why lemon chicken is so damn good!
After searing the chicken, white wine and vinegar go in and deglaze the pan.
All that good brown stuff merges with everything else, layering the flavors.
As the chicken cooks, the meat gets tender and the liquid reduces just enough to make a delicious, savory sauce.
Serve this delicious chicken with crusty bread or roasted potatoes on the side.
To get brown, crisp chicken, follow a few simple steps:
- Unwrap chicken from its packaging. Blot the chicken skin dry.
- Season the chicken with salt, then let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.
- Heat your pan to temperature before adding the cooking oil and chicken
More Homestyle Chicken Recipes
Tuscan Chicken Ribollita
A Tuscan chicken recipe to make right now! Combine pantry ingredients to make this hearty Italian stew with white beans, tender braised boneless chicken thighs, kale and tomato sauce.
Skillet Herb Dijon Chicken with Kale
A Dijon chicken recipe for crusty, juicy chicken thighs with a zesty lemon mustard sauce and leafy kale greens. A one-pan-and-done supper that's healthy and low-carb!
Thai Basil Chicken with Chili Garlic Sauce
The BEST 30-minute Thai basil chicken recipe, packed with fresh, flavorful ingredients. Not only does it taste fantastic, it's so much healthier than ordering takeout.Serve over rice noodles or steamed jasmine rice.
Chicken in Red Wine Vinegar Sauce
A savory, delicious braised chicken in red wine vinegar sauce. Tender, crisp-skinned chicken in an easy sauce you can make with pantry ingredients like shallot, vinegar and tomato paste.
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond Kosher salt)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 small bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup water or chicken stock
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Put the chicken thighs on a small rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. Sprinkle the salt on both sides of chicken. Refrigerate, skin side up, for at least one hour and up to overnight, uncovered. This will season the chicken and help the skin to crisp and brown.
- Heat a large (12-inch) wide pan with at least 2-inch sides over medium high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, followed by the chicken, skin side down. Cook undisturbed for 10 minutes, watching that the pan doesn't get too hot and adjusting the heat accordingly, until the skin is a rich golden brown. Turn chicken and cook the other side 2 minutes; remove chicken to a plate.
- Pour off all but about a teaspoon of the fat in the pan, then add the white wine and vinegar and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, shallot, bay leaves, thyme and water. Return chicken to the pan, skin side up. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook 25 minutes.
- Season the chicken to taste with black pepper and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Serve warm, with the pan juices spooned over.
Notes
- I use Diamond Kosher salt, which has a larger grain than other brands like Morton, and isn't as salty by volume. To season the chicken, reduce the amount of salt to 2 teaspoons if using another brand.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 132 Total Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 29mg Sodium: 859mg Carbohydrates: 5g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Protein: 7g
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Nancy Molstad says
Hi! Am I correct in assuming that one would remove the bay leaves before serving?
Thanks!
Familystyle Food says
Yes! Hope you enjoy.
ashley says
Can you just use a cup of red wine vinegar instead of white wine and red wine vinegar?
Karen says
Hi Ashley – yes, I think that would work just fine!
Firouzeh says
Hi, this looks like a nice dish. I’m definitely going to make it. Thanks for sharing your great recipes!
I have a general question about chicken or any kind of meat. Do you wash the chicken before cooking? I do that and it’s a pain. I wash all the kitchen sink thoroughly after I wash the chicken. I’ve heard that it’s recommended not to wash the chicken. Do you wash the chicken and the red meat? Thanks!
Karen says
I don’t wash meat or chicken. I think it was recommended in the past, but I’ve realized that washing raw chicken just makes more of a mess, plus the skin is then too wet to crisp properly. Yes, and then the sink is dirty! I drain off any water that might be in the packaging and inside the chicken, then dry it well with paper towels. Then wash my hands 🙂
Firouzeh says
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your reply! It seems not washing the chicken is the way to go. I will try it next time.
P.S. I assumed I would get an email notification if someone writes to this thread, but I didn’t. Apparently it’s not done on all platforms. Sorry for the delay in responding to you!
Liz Harris says
This chicken looks delicious. I’ve alway left my Thanksgiving turkey overnight in the fridge uncovered, but it never occurred to me to do this with my regular weeknight chicken. The idea seems so obvious to me now! Thanks for sharing!!
Karen says
Thanks Liz – I know, I’ve done the same with turkey too, and finally got around to trying it out with chicken. Hope you like it!
Kristy Wendt says
Just made this! I love the simplicity of preparing this dish for family during the holidays and perfect for a snowy Sunday afternoon.
Karen says
Kristy! I’m so happy to see your comment, and to know that you spent a snowy day cooking the chicken. All the best…
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Never knew that leaving chicken uncovered leads to better skin! Definitely drawn lots of inspiration and new ideas from this post!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I’m anxious to try this recipe as I love vinegar chicken and haven’t had one with tomato paste before. It sounds good.
Candace says
Can’t wait to prepare this dish….recipe came just in time for a potluck we’ve been invited to !!!
Christine Curtis says
This recipe sounds great. Does it also work for boneless/skinless chicken thighs as that is all I have now.
Thanks
Karen says
Hi Christine, to make this with boneless skinless chicken thighs, skip the overnight salting. Reduce the amount of salt by half and season the chicken about 20 minutes before cooking, letting it sit at room temp. Cook the chicken on both sides (about 5 minutes per side), then proceed with the recipe. You won’t need to drain fat before adding the wine and vinegar. Hope you enjoy!
Meghan @ Cake 'n' Knife says
What a great technique! I have never tried it before but it looks and sounds delicious!
KalynsKitchen says
Great post, and what an interesting technique! Love the sound of this.
Lorrie says
That book is one of my absolute favorites too–I am constantly learning from it!
Karen says
Absolutely, it’s a classic for sure. Nice to hear from you Lorrie!
domenicacooks says
I finally bought a copy of the Zuni Cafe cookbook and I’ve been so busy I haven’t even been able to cook anything out of it! I agree this is a good and simple method. I did something similar with my Thanksgiving turkey this year (the pre-seasoning/salting) and it was really good. My mom often made chicken cooked with vinegar. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Looks delicious!
Karen says
Yes, sigh. I often find myself reading it more like a novel, one that never ends (the best kind), and wondering when I’ll fit in all the cooking it inspires in me! I tried a dry salt rub on our turkey this year, too. It turned out great! Ciao Domenica!
Laura (Tutti dolci) says
I’m all for meals I can forget about and then remember when I’ve had a crazy day and am craving pure comfort. This chicken dish would be just perfect on those days!
Karen says
Yes, exactly 🙂