Red wine vinegar chicken, bistro style, goes from skillet to dinner table in under an hour. I sear bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in a hot skillet, skin side down, until the skin is a rich, golden brown. Then I transfer the pan to the oven, where the chicken braises in a sauce of red wine vinegar, white wine, tomato paste and Dijon — it turns tangy, deep and a little sweet as it reduces.

Five browned vinegar chicken thighs braised in a red sauce in a stainless steel skillet, garnished with fresh thyme.

No cream, no butter, no sugar, and nobody will miss them. The browned bits the chicken leaves in the skillet, a little tomato paste and a bubbling reduction do all the work. Beyond the three ingredients below, add a shallot, a few garlic cloves, some fresh thyme, a couple of bay leaves, a splash of white wine and a little broth — which is to say you probably have most of the ingredients already.

Chicken, acid, and pantry condiments make a savory sauce

Pantry Ingredients for making chicken in red wine vinegar sauce in an enamel tray: Tomato paste, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, bay leaves and thyme.
  • Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: Ideally, I would use a whole cut-up chicken for this, but using only thighs means the pieces all cook at the same rate. The skin renders and turns a deep, crisp golden in the skillet, and the bones keep the meat juicy after 25 minutes in a hot 425°F oven.
  • Red wine vinegar: You only need a quarter of a cup, but it’s the ingredient behind the whole sauce. Reduction only concentrates the vinegar, so a harsh one will only get harsher. I prefer this red wine vinegar brand, made with California grapes and aged in oak barrels, which gives it dark-cherry depth and a rounded tang. One reader wrote to tell me she made this with her own homemade Cabernet vinegar, and the sauce reduced beautifully!
  • Tomato paste and Dijon: Three tablespoons of tomato paste give the sauce body and a touch of sweetness that rounds the vinegar’s edge, and a spoonful of Dijon is an extra boost of umami. Both melt into the wine and broth, reducing into a clingy sauce.

Salt the chicken ahead, if you can

My favorite trick for deeply browned skin and juicy chicken is salting the thighs on both sides and leaving them uncovered in the refrigerator, skin side up, for an hour or up to overnight. The salt seasons the meat below the surface, and the cold, dry air dries out the skin, so it browns evenly and is less likely to tear. Short on time? Salt the thighs 15 minutes before cooking and blot them dry. And skip the rinse: Water will undo the process, making the skin too wet to brown.

What to serve with vinegar chicken

Crispy smashed potatoes with garlic and rosemary soak up every bit of the sauce. Add a green salad and a loaf of crusty bread and call it a night in Paris.

A white serving spoon lifting a crispy, saucy chicken thigh from a skillet of braised chicken pieces garnished with fresh thyme.
4.88 from 56 ratings

Pan-Braised Red Wine Vinegar Chicken

Karen Tedesco
Savory French-style vinegar chicken features bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs that braise in a tomato-based red wine vinegar sauce with shallots. This homey dish is ready to enjoy in less than an hour.
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Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 thinly sliced shallot
  • 2-3 finely chopped garlic cloves
  • ½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 g) tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon (15 g) Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken broth, plus more if needed
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, optional

Instructions
 

  1. Sprinkle the salt evenly on both sides of 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Tip: If you have time, you can refrigerate the chicken, skin side up and uncovered 1 hour or up to overnight. This dry brine will season the chicken and help the skin to crisp and brown.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425 (220C) degrees.
  3. Heat a large (12-inch) wide pan with at least 2-inch sides over medium high heat (I use a cast iron skillet). Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to the pan, and when it shimmers add 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.
  4. Pour off all but about a teaspoon of the fat in the pan, and stir in 1 thinly sliced shallot and 2-3 finely chopped garlic cloves. Cook about 30 seconds, then pour in ½ cup dry white wine and ¼ cup red wine vinegar, scraping the pan to remove the brown bits. Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme,1 dried bay leaf and ¼ cup chicken broth. Bring to a simmer then return chicken to the pan, skin side up.
  5. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is cooked through. *Note: If you notice the pan juices are reducing quickly after 10-15 minutes, add up to ½ cup more broth or water to the pan.
  6. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes over the chicken, if using, and remove the bay leaves. Serve warm with the pan juices spooned over.

Notes

  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to a week. They taste even better!
  • Unwrap the chicken from its packaging and blot the chicken skin as dry as possible with paper towels.
  • Preheat your pan to temperature before adding the cooking oil and chicken — this will help brown the skin and keep it from sticking.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 322kcal Carbohydrates: 4g Protein: 19g Fat: 24g Sodium: 218mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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