Do chicken thighs get more tender the longer you cook them?

Yes, as long as you don’t overcook them. As in this recipe, it’s best to cook chicken thighs at a lower temperature, and for longer. However, if cooked for too long they will become overcooked, with less flavor and dry.

Is white cooking wine good for chicken?

I don’t recommend using anything labeled as “cooking wine.” It’s not real wine, contains preservatives, sometimes salt, sweeteners and other ingredients - which will negatively affect the quality of your finished dish. Always opt for good quality, real wine.

What does adding wine to chicken do?

Wine contains acidity, which helps keep the chicken moist. And, the alcohol in it causes a molecular reaction with other ingredients that actually enhances their natural flavors and aromas - making the dish taste and smell even better.

What flavors go well with artichokes?

I think artichokes go well with almost any flavor! In my recipes, I’ve paired them with cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, jalapeno peppers, green onions, mayonnaise, spinach, lemon, garlic, chicken, olives, mushrooms, and fresh herbs like thyme, basil, chives and parsley.

Braised Chicken & Artichokes in Wine Sauce

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

8 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (see Note)

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

1 medium to large yellow onion, sliced 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2/3 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided

1 can (14.5 ounce) artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered (see Note)

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

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Instructions

In a large heavy skillet or shallow Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; place 4 pieces in the pan, skin side down, and cook until browned, around 4 to 5 minutes. Flip pieces over and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Repeat with remaining 4 pieces – don’t clean out the pan when done!
In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cover, stir in sugar and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and a nice golden brown.
Stir in the garlic and then the wine. Simmer until the wine is almost all evaporated, around 5 minutes. Onions should now be a darker brown color.
Stir in the chicken stock and 2 teaspoons of the thyme. Add the chicken skin-side up (it should all fit in one layer now, as they shrink a bit when browned). Nestle artichoke hearts and olives around the chicken pieces. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken, artichokes and olives to a serving platter and keep warm. Stir remaining 2 teaspoons thyme into remaining sauce in pan, increase heat to high and cook for 3 to 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper (doesn’t need much salt). Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Notes

Gluten free: Use gluten-free chicken stock.

Note about chicken thighs: Often boneless chicken thighs are also skinless. The thighs will look and taste best in this dish if cooked with the skin on. So, ask the butcher in your grocery store to remove the bones in 8 skin-on thighs. You can also use skin-on, bone-in thighs – add around 10 minutes to the cook time.

Note about artichoke hearts: I prefer to purchase canned organic whole artichoke hearts and quarter them myself vs. purchasing them already quartered – the latter tends to be smaller and doesn’t look as nice in this dish.

Author: (By Lee Clayton Roper)
Category: main dish, poultry, healthy
Method: braising
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 496
Sugar: 2.3 g
Sodium: 258.8 mg
Fat: 32.1 g
Saturated Fat: 5.7 g
Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
Fiber: 1.5 g
Protein: 40.9 g
Cholesterol: 187.9 mg