Eat Voraciously: A 5-star chicken recipe

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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A 5-star chicken recipe

January is long, and it seems to be wearing on many of us. How are you holding up? Already, the promise and hope of the new year has worn off, and spring is still more than a month out. On the other hand, we are almost into February, and then March is just 28 days away.

I'm hearing from readers who want to spend less time on their feet, who have children in Zoom school again and don't have an hour to spend at the stove, who are tired of chopping and chiffonading, who are looking for ease but still want the delight that comes from eating a meal full of flavor.

Here's one for you: A recommendation from my colleague Becky Krystal, who says these Braised Chicken Thighs With White Beans and Pancetta are so good that at the photo shoot, no one could stop sneaking a taste. That's always a good sign, but the dish has also earned many five-star raves from readers.

It's a recipe from "Multicooker Perfection: Cook It Fast or Cook It Slow — You Decide," from the smart cooks at America's Test Kitchen, so it was designed for the Instant Pot (or any multicooker). This means you'll spend only about 10 minutes prepping and sauteing before you throw a few more ingredients in, seal the lid and set the timer. Then, you can wash a few dishes, head back to your desk, check in on the kids or sit back and relax on the couch and let the magic pot do its job.

If you don't have a multicooker or Instant Pot, you can still make this recipe. I checked in with Becky and we agreed that you could make it on the stove and in the oven using a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Here are Becky's tips: "I'd follow the recipe as written in terms of searing the thighs, removing them and then cooking the pancetta and garlic in the rendered fat, but do it in a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add the beans, rosemary and water, and then add the thighs back in. Cover with the lid and transfer to a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes covered, then 15 to 20 minutes uncovered, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees."

To read more about the process of braising chicken in the oven, check out Becky's recipe for Wine-Braised Chicken With Mushrooms, another hit.

And, if you don't eat chicken, don't worry. I've got a few substitution suggestions for that, too.

Today's recipe

Photos by Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Braised Chicken Thighs With White Beans and Pancetta

Not a chicken eater? >> Try this with hunks of cauliflower, or halved portobello mushrooms. The beans add plenty of protein.
No pancetta? >> Substitute bacon, ham or omit it.
The cannellini are really nice here with the rosemary >> but chickpeas or navy beans work fine, too.
Dislike rosemary? >> Thyme or sage would work instead.

For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder.

Servings: 4 to 8
Active time: 25 mins
Total time: 45 mins

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds total)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, smashed (and peeled)
Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
2 stems fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Steps

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.

2. Heat the oil in your electric multicooker on the highest SAUTE or BROWN function, for 3 minutes, or until the oil starts to shimmer. Add half the thighs to the pot, skin sides down; cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned, then transfer to a plate. Add the remaining thighs and repeat the cooking, transferring them to the plate, as well.

3. Stir the pancetta, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper into the oil and rendered fat left in the pot; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is golden and the pancetta has crisped and browned. Stir in the beans, water and rosemary. Return all the thighs to the pot, skin sides up (overlapping is okay), along with any accumulated juices. Lock the lid in place and close the pressure release valve. Cook on HIGH for 9 minutes. Turn off the multicooker and quick-release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid, allowing residual steam to escape away from you.

4. Transfer the thighs to a serving dish. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and let the chicken rest while you finish the beans (already in the pot). Cook using the highest SAUTE or BROWN function for about 3 minutes, until the liquid thickens slightly and the garlic is mostly broken down. Discard the rosemary stems. Stir in the parsley; taste and add more pepper, as needed.

5. To serve, divide the thighs among individual plates. Portion the beans alongside, drizzling them with a little more oil.

Adapted from "Multicooker Perfection: Cook It Fast or Cook It Slow — You Decide," by the editors at America's Test Kitchen (America's Test Kitchen, 2018). Tested by Becky Krystal.

Nutrition information per serving (based on 8): Calories: 380; Total Fat: 24 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Cholesterol: 115 mg; Sodium: 290 mg; Carbohydrates: 15 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 0 g; Protein: 25 g.