Braised Chicken With Tomatoes and Feta
In my opinion, this recipe has it all — deliciously braised chicken, flavorful warm spices, salty feta cheese, and a burst of brightness from kalamata olives. This recipe for braised chicken with tomatoes and feta is savory and perfectly balanced for a satisfying weeknight meal or even a dinner party to impress your friends and family.
How to braise chicken thighs? Braising is a cooking technique where you cover a protein about ⅔ of the way with liquid, but not fully, and cook it low and slow until the meat is tender. You start by searing the meat (and any other ingredients such as onions or other aromatics) to develop a beautiful brown color and caramelized flavor. The key to braising is to not cover the meat completely with liquid to maintain the crispy, browned outside you’ve developed by searing the meat first. This gives you the best of both worlds — tender, fall-apart meat and a crispy, browned exterior.
What is harissa? Harissa is a delicious chili paste often found in North African cuisine, but it’s a beautiful ingredient to use in a variety of ways and cuisines because of its delicious balance of flavor and spice. The one thing about harissa — every brand or variation is made differently. Some are spicier than others, some might be more garlic-forward, and the list goes on. This makes it tricky to give a perfect amount of harissa in a recipe, but start small and taste as you cook to gauge the flavor of the harissa paste you’re using. No matter which harissa you use, you’re guaranteed to have delicious flavor in the dish, regardless.
Why is it important to buy nice canned tomatoes? The options for canned tomatoes are seemingly endless in the grocery store, heavily different in terms of preparation style and price, making it daunting to make a good selection. It’s unquestioned that San Marzano tomatoes (real San Marzanos with the stamp of verification) are the most flavorful canned tomatoes you can buy, but they’re not required to make a recipe taste delicious, especially if you don’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money. I recommend choosing a middle-tier selection of tomatoes (not quite the store brand, which can often be watery and flavorless) but not so expensive that you’re spending over $10 for a can of artisanal tomatoes. Go with your gut, but know that in a recipe like this braised chicken with tomatoes and feta, the tomatoes are a central component, and buying a nicer can will have a great payoff in the final dish.
Can you add any vegetables to this braised chicken dish? Yes, you can add vegetables to this braised chicken with tomatoes and feta dish to make it an extra healthy option for dinner. My favorite veggie additions are:
Red bell peppers
Spinach, kale, or arugula — any kind of tasty leafy green
Carrots
Not a vegetable, but honorable mention: canned chickpeas. Consider adding chickpeas to this dish and even using them as the grain in this recipe (in place of quinoa) to make it a true one-pot meal.
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs? Yes, you can make this subscription if you prefer the boneless and skinless version. Boneless skinless chicken thighs will still braise beautifully in this recipe. What you’ll be missing is the crispy skin of the chicken thigh that we get from browning it, as well as the extra moisture and tenderness that the chicken will have from cooking it on the bone.
How to make braised chicken with tomatoes and feta:
Braised Chicken With Tomatoes and Feta
This is a flavorful braised chicken recipe with tomatoes, feta, and a delicious blend of warm spices — the perfect meal for cozy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 1/2 tsp diamond kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp harissa (adjust depending on the harissa you use, as they’re all slightly different)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 6 oz feta cheese
- Cooked quinoa, for serving
- Parsley or dill, finely chopped
Instructions
- Put a large pan (preferably a skillet of some kind, either stainless steel, cast iron, or enameled cast iron) over medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan.
- Season both sides of the chicken and sear it in the olive oil (on both sides) until browned, about 10-15 minutes. Don’t rush this step! It’s important to render out all of the fat from the chicken skin so you achieve a nice, crispy texture.
- Meanwhile, slice the onions and garlic. Remove the chicken from the pan once browned and add the onions and garlic.
- Sauté the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until the onions are softened and translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the harissa, cumin, oregano, and paprika to the pan and let the spices toast in the hot oil until they are fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Open the can of tomatoes and crush them by hand until you have a chunky mixture. Add them to the pot and give everything a stir to combine all of the ingredients into a luscious sauce.
- Nestle the chicken back into the pot, skin side up. It’s important not to cover the chicken skin with any of the sauce to make sure it stays as crispy as possible.
- Cover and braise the chicken thighs in the tomato mixture for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Once the chicken has finished cooking, roughly chop the olives and add them to the pan. Gently stir the olives into the sauce so they warm gently and are evenly incorporated throughout.
- Top with crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh herbs such as dill or parsley and serve over quinoa.
Notes
Optional
- If you want a true one-pot dish, add chickpeas as a substitute for quinoa and consider adding baby spinach or kale.
- You can swap the bone-in chicken thighs for boneless skinless chicken thighs, you're just going to miss crispy skin and more richness in the sauce.
