Easy Italian Chicken Thighs

A round pan of golden chicken thighs in red sauce with rosemary on the side.

3.72 from 7 votes

With chicken thighs and a few pantry items you can have this satisfying dish on the table in no time. Serve over brown rice noodles, zucchini noodles or rice. As chicken thighs vary in size, you may have to eye it at the market and choose pieces over the weight.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 673kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

3 ½ quart braiser or casserole pan with tight fitting lid

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken thighs buy similar sized pieces
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped ¾ cup
6 ounces artichoke hearts canned or jar quartered, drained
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried herbs Italian blend, or oregano, basil, thyme.
1 pinch red pepper flakes
¾ cup chicken broth low sodium
½ cup red wine or white wine optional, or use more broth
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes juice and all
8 ounces medium mushrooms quartered

Optional garnishes

2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley or oregano optional
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan optional, skip for dairy-free

Instructions

Trim excess fat and skin from chicken thighs. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a wide shallow pan over medium heat large enough to hold the chicken flat in a single layer over medium heat. Use a 5 ½ quart Dutch oven, 3 ½ quart brasier, or 4 quart saute pan.
Add the chicken skin side down and cook until the skin has a golden crust, 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate or rimmed baking pan.
Drain excess chicken fat but leave a tablespoon. Add onion to the pan. You should hear a light sizzle when the onion hits the surface. Cook onion until soft, about 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Turn the heat down if needed so the onion does not burn.
Add the artichokes hearts, dried herbs, and red pepper and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and broth and cook 2-3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom.
Add the tomatoes with their juices to the pan and stir to mix them in. Nestle the chicken thighs into the vegetables and add the mushrooms. Turn the heat up until the pan is bubbling.
Place the lid on the pan, turn heat to low and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°, 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and Parmesan to serve.

Notes

Serving suggestion

Serve Italian chicken thighs over pasta noodles, zucchini noodles, or rice. Add a tossed green salad with a homemade Italian dressing to balance things out. You can also serve Italian chicken thighs alone in a shallow bowl with just the juices and veggies.

To thicken the sauce

Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to a tablespoon of water in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add a little of the hot pan sauce and stir, then stir the thickening mixture back into the pan. Its easier if you remove the chicken but I've done it all in the pan and it worked. Just stir through. Cook for a minute to be sure the cornstarch is cooked, then serve.

Nutrition