Braised Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Leeks

A close-up of a ladle lifting a portion of thick, orange-brown stew with chunks of meat and vegetables from a pot.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Leeks

Sweet potatoes and leeks star in this rich and comforting stew-like dish. A slow (but not all day) braise, makes for a full flavored, lick-the-plate kind of meal.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 531kcal

Author Kylee Ayotte

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
½ cup fresh oregano minced and divided
2 leeks trimmed and sliced thinly - see notes
4 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon coriander

Optional:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

Trim 1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs of visible fat. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, and 2 Tbs of the ½ cup fresh oregano.
Heat 2 Tbs of 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven.
Sear the chicken on both sides until the chicken browns. Do this in batches if your pot isn’t big enough to hold all of them without crowding.
Remove chicken from pot, turn the heat down to medium and heat the remaining olive oil
Add 2 leeks and 4 cloves garlic and sauté until the leek softens and is lightly browned.
Add 3/4 cup dry white wine, and stir -scraping up the browned bits from the chicken.
Add 2 cups chicken stock, 2 medium sweet potatoes , 1 bay leaf and spices and stir to combine.
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon coriander
Add the chicken and any juices back to the pot and nestle them just below the liquid surface.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is done and the sweet potatoes are tender (but not mushy), about 30 mins.
Smash a few of the sweet potatoes against the side of the pot and blend into the stew.

OPTIONAL

Remove about ½ cup of the liquid and blend it with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour – adding back in to thicken the liquid.

Notes

Kylee's Notes & FAQs

What to do with leftovers

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat to piping hot!

Substitutions/Additions

You can use red wine if that is what you have, for more of a coq au vin vibe, but I do prefer white wine. If you'd like to leave wine out completely, you can use beer, or you can just use extra stock.
You can use chicken breasts for this recipe, if you prefer them to thighs. Thighs will be juicier though, so if you can use those I definitely recommend that.
You can also do bone in chicken thighs instead of boneless if that is what you can get.
You can use skin on chicken thighs, just begin cooking the chicken skin side down so you get a really nice seared effect.

What to serve with Braised Chicken

I serve this with brown rice, typically. I like a brown rice/quinoa blend that works really well in this dinner. Some mashed potatoes, or some sautéed green beans also go great!

Nutrition